August2000
the country, but says he hasn’t seen any-
thing like thereception balloonists re-
ceive from Louisiana residents. “There’s
no other statewhere thepeople areso
outgoing and friendly,” said Ambeau, of
Gonzales, near Baton Rouge. “They have
a tendency to invite you over and cook
jambalaya.”
The community’s embracing of bal-
loons stems backto when theBalloon
Federation of America’s National
Championshipswereheld there,
from1989 to1991.Within five
years, the balloonist population in
town went from two to more than
50.
“We had aboom,” Ambeau
said. “It was unbelievable. When
theNationalscametoBatonRouge,
it was a shot in thearmforbal-
loons.”
Mostarea ballooniststhere fly
year around over subdivisions and
shopping centers south of the air-
port. There are lots of trees on the
flat terrain.
Theflying is finethere, but
there are a few places to mark on
your map.
“Everybody whoknows about
BatonRougeknowsaboutthe
swamps south ofBaton Rouge,”
said Carson Lane, one of about 15
remainingarea balloonists.Pilotswho do
flyover them couldbe treated withseeing
watermoccasin,copperheadorcoral
snakes along with alligators.
Duringthe Nationalsoneyear, apilot
landed in the middle of an alligator farm.
“Fortunatelythere wassomebodythere to
get him out,” Lane said.
Alligators, almost always in water,
tendtoshy awayfrom people, butcan feel
threatened when intruders come close to
their nesting grounds. But Ambeau said
justspotting an alligator normally would
be a chore.
BatonRouge’s first modern balloon-
ist,ErnestNewton, is creditedwith bring-
ing the Nationals to town, but was mur-
dered before ever seeing theeventhappen.
Ambeau recalls a memorable flight
withNewtonwhen theylandedina swamp
onenight.“Itwasjustone ofthosethings,”
he said. “We ran outof fuelover noman’s
land. I had to swim out, the water was
about 8 to 10 feet and it was about 1,000
yards before I putmyfeeton hard ground.
Erniestayedinthe basketbecausehe
couldn’t swim.”
The men and basket were retrieved
byboat, butthe envelopewas abandoned.
“Once it had been in the water for
three days and figuring they would have
torent a helicopter, they justtook the hull
value,” Ambeau said.
A smaller rally—with about 25 bal-
loons—isheldannuallynearBatonRouge,
usuallyin May, butthis year inlate Octo-
ber.
And the Louisiana BallooningAsso-
ciation, once with about 200 pilots, crew
and observers, now has about 15 mem-
bers and meets only periodically, Lane
said.
The decline in membership is pro-
portionateto the decline innumber of
balloonistsin the area.
“I think it could come back if some-
one had thetime toputintoitandpromote
said.“Thepeopleareso
enthusiasticaboutthe balloons.Theylove
the balloons and are always asking when
they are coming back.”
Justasmany balloonists—15to 20—
fly in Shreveport.
“We have lots of trees, but we have
substantial open areas,” said Pat Harwell,
of Shreveport. “It’sa real friendly place to
fly. Everybody out here has got the right
attitude.”
Sixty balloons fly at the Red
River Rally inSeptember to crown
a state champion. Local pilots also
enjoy hosting low-pressurecom-
petitions.
“We meet every Saturday and
call it the Inter-Galactic Champi-
onship,” Harwell said. “We pick a
spotandfly tothatspot, throw bean
bags and every pilot that throws a
bagputsa dollar in. The biggestpot
we ever had was $8. Butit’s a tool
we use to practice balloonevents.”
The state’s largest city, New
Orleans, is a challenging place to
fly, not onlydue toits proximityto
two major airports, a Naval air sta-
tion and the Gulf of Mexico, but
because it issocongested and hasa
averageelevationofbelowsea
level.
“I’ve flown over New Orleans
a halfa dozen times, and eachtime,
I wondered why I did,” said Ron Mills,
wholives inNew Orleans butonlyfliesat
out-of-town rallies now. “This isnot like
any other city inthe world. When you fly
over it, if it’s notdeveloped, it’susuallya
swamp. It’s so tightly congested.”
Landing areasare limited to parksor
parking lots, he said. One of his flights
overthecitywasin1984during the
World’s Fair.
“Thebestmaneuver hereis justdon’t
fly,”Millssaid. “Anywhere southof Lake
Pontchartrain, it’s not too conducive to
flyingballoons.It doesn’t mean you can’t
do it, but anyone who doesn’thave expe-
rience shouldn’t do it.”
Ambeau remembershis only flight
over New Orleans. “Itwas on Mardi Gras
August2000
morning and went right over the Superdome.
It was pretty neat to see New Orleans from
the air, but you only want to see it once.
There’s nothingbutswamp southof it. We
gotdown the last spotwe could.”
In Alexandria,in the center of the
state, balloonistsfrom Baton Rogue and
Shreveporttry tomeeteach November 21
to fly together to commemorateMont-
golfier Day.
Robert Pulaski is one of three active
LouisianaBallooningAssociation, 12528 Wyndy Ave, Baton Rouge 70816. Annual dues
are $15. Once more active with monthly meetings and newsletter, now period meetings.
The Red River RallyBalloonFestivalandAirshow, inShreveport, the weekend afterLabor
Day, 60 balloons compete for the title of Louisiana State Championship and for cash and other
prizes;four flights,from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning atthe Downtown Airport,
glows,tethers;airshow, car show, children’sevents, street dances, cheerleading and line dance
competitions, proceeds to benefit the March of Dimes and aviation scholarships. Contact:
2020 E. 70th St. Suite 200, Shreveport, LA 71105. 318-227-2559. www.redriverrally.com
The Children’s Miracle Network Hot Air Balloon Rally, in Gonzales,outside Baton
Rouge, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2000, but typically second weekend in May in Baton Rouge, 25-30
balloons; tethers, sponsor flights or glows Friday and Saturday evening, fun competition
flights Saturday and Sunday morning; car show, pony rides, health screenings; proceeds to
benefit local children’s hospital. Contact: Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center,
Foundation Office, 5000 Hennessy Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808. 225-765 5000.
saidthesouthside ofthe Red River, which
flows southeast from Shreveport, is fine
forballooning, comparedto thenorth
side, and much of northeast Louisiana,
whichincludestheKisatchieNational
Forest.
“They’re cuttingmoreandmore trees
here, so I’m hopeful,” he joked. “On the
southside of the Red River, it’s flat tothe
coast, with farms and smallnurseries. But
once you cross the RedRiver, it’srough.”
His prime flying area, with launch
sitesaround100 feet above sea level, take
him over fields of sugar cane, cotton and
soybeans.
Like many balloonistsin Louisiana,
Pulaskigot involved with the sport as an
observer when the Nationals came to Ba-
ton Rouge. “Throwing the baggies, you
have to measurethem quick before the
alligators snatch them up,” he said.
