June 2000
whisked Dorothy to Oz, balloonists in
Kansas say they’re used to the high winds
the flat prairie can bring.
“When you fly in Kansas, you always
expect wind,”said Steve Black, of Wichita,
president of the Kansas Highwinders Bal-
looning Association. “Ifit is under 10
mph, we feel privileged.”
Frank Hoover, also of Wichita, be-
gan flying balloons in1974. He said pilots
then didn’t think it unusual to take off in
10- to12-mph winds, withexpected land-
ings in winds of up to 20 mph.
“Welearned
howtodoitthat
way,” Hoover said.
“When wego,we
knowwe’regoingto
go a long ways. But
thereare plenty of
pastureshere,so
when you shoot ap-
proaches,you’re
shootingquarter- or
half-milelanding
sites.”
Pilots say there
could be as many as
50 balloon pilots liv-
ing in the state, but
most of them don’t
fly regularly. There
are an estimated 15
balloonistsinTo-
peka, a few more in
Wichita, but you won’t see more than five or
six balloons ever flying at once, pilots say.
Even fewerballoonists arein western
Kansas.
WayneWoodmancy,who livesin Sharon
Springs, about anhour from the Colorado
border, is selling hisballoon.He’s had enough
of windy flights and has taken up flying pow-
ered parachutes instead.
“It can be can be calm on the ground,
but it can be 30 mph at 100 feet,” he said.
“I didn’t like the long flights.”
EvenexperiencedpilotsinKansas
saytheystillenjoythechallengeofa
windy inflation.
“We have some real opportunities to
dealwiththeweather,”saidRichard
Hager, of Salina, the only balloon exam-
iner in thestate. “We havea lot of wind, so
it’s pretty common to take off in eight or
10 (mph). The nice thing about it is you
have large fields tolandin, like a mile
long. We don’t have the tight areas a lot of
people have in the east and west coast.”
Hager says Kansas balloonists fly all
year,eithermorningorafternoon,and
have very few red zones to worry about.
“Wehavegoodlandownersandgood
places to fly,” he said.
Theonly military area that could pose
ap ro blemisabo mbingrang enear
McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.
“Youjustdon’tfly there whenit’s
active,” he said.
Most Kansas balloonists fly for fun,
and only acoupledo ballooning full-time.
Many commercial pilots offerrides on the
weekendswhenthe weather cooperates
for $125 to $150 per person.
Carole Wilcox and herhusband, Herb,
operate the only balloon repair station in
thestatefromtheir homeinAnthony,
about 60 miles southwest of Wichita.
“It’sp rettyflat,withwideopen
wind here, but most of the pilots who fly
here know how to make highwind land-
ings.”
John Petrehn is a corporate balloonist
who lives outside Kansas City. He esti-
mates there are 30 to 40 balloonists there,
half of them living on the Missouri side of
theborder.Mostpilotsflyinsuburbs
away from the city and airport.
Regardless of which state the pilots
live, “there’s a lot of balloons in garages
in Kansas City,” he said. “If you saw five
balloons, that would be a good morning.”
Rall ieshel d
previouslyoutside
KansasCity andin
Wichita havebeen
dis co nti nued ,bu t
fourannual balloon-
ingeventscanbe
found in Kansas.
Th eHu ff’n
Puff BalloonRally
inTo pek aiscel-
ebrating its 25th an-
niversaryin2000.
Mem berso ft he
GreatPlainsBal-
loonClubhelpor-
ganize it.
“Th ereare
some people in the
club that really love
ballooning,” Wilcox
said. The clubalso
holds regular meetings forsocializing and
hostsanIlluminationGlow aroundthe
holidays.
Huge fields can make for easy flying
during an event in Oakley in mid-Septem-
ber, when many of the crops have been
harvested.Many landowners join thecrew
or providekeystolockedgatesinad-
vance, said Nick Stroup, a pilot who lives
near Topeka.
“There are lots of wide open spaces.
You’vegotanywherefromfour tosix
square miles with no powerlines and no
trees,” he said. “If you can’t land in that,
you shouldn’t be flying.”
June 2000
Great PlainsBalloonClub:About100 members, mostly crew; meetingsheldthe firstSaturday of each month
for socializing or informational programs. The club also helps organize the Huff ’n Puff balloon rally in
September. Annual dues are $12, or $24 per family and include the monthly newsletter,Hot Air Highlights.
Contact: P.O. Box 1093, Topeka, KS 66601.
KansasHighwinders BallooningAssociation: About 60 members, 16 of them pilots, meet on the last week
of the month and include educational programs or a social event, such as crew appreciation day. Annual dues
are $18, or $25 per family and include the monthly newsletter. Contact: P.O. Box 242, Wichita, KS 67201.
Sunflower BalloonFest, in Anthony, second weekendin May, 25 balloonshave three scheduled flightsfor fun
competition, Saturday morning through Sunday morning, with a Friday evening party. Other events include
parachute jumps, kite flying, a street dance and parade featuring chase vehicles. Contact:Carole Wilcox, 209
East Main St., Anthony, KS 67003. 316-842 3261.
ColumbusHot AirBalloonRegatta, weekend prior to Columbus Day, 18 balloonistsfly for fun competition
and a $1,800 purse on three flights, Saturday morningthrough Sunday morning, and a Friday night glow;held
aspartof a ColumbusDayFestival, withtalentcontests,artsand crafts, children’sgames,antiquetractors, music
and a 100 powered parachute fly-in. Contact: Columbus Chamber of Commerce, 320 East Maple, Columbus,
KS 66725. 316-429-1492. www.columbus-ks.com
Huff ‘n Puff BalloonRally, in Topeka, the weekend after Labor Day, 25 balloons fly three fun flights, from
Saturday morning through Sunday morning, with a media flight or glow Friday; a fund-raiser for the Ronald
McDonald House. Contact: Nick Stroup, 415 Eagle, Silver Lake, KS 66539. 785-582-5869.
Oakley Hot Air Balloon Festival, mid September, 12-15 balloons fly three fun flights, Saturday morning
through Sunday morning, with a Friday night media flight or glow. Contact: Nancy Gladin, 2917 U.S. 40
Highway, Oakley, KS 67748. 785-672-4250.
