by Nita Bateman
Sunrise over the desert town of
Laughlin, Nevada the weekend of October 17-19 was breathtaking, especially
when each morning the skyline was filled with a mass of brilliant hot air
balloons. In the four-year history of RiverFlight, never have I experienced
more perfect weather for a hot air balloon festival!
High winds didn't blow across the desert ripping the canopies off the craft tents. Sand didn't get into your eyes as you tried desperately to escape its nasty sting on your face each morning. Nor did concert goers freeze while listening to Saturday night's entertainer in the outdoor arena. No, Mother Nature didn't strike Laughlin with any of these curses for RiverFlight `97 - it was an entire weekend of clear blue skies, minimal winds and lots of hi-flying fun!
It all started bright and early Friday morning with over 40 balloons participating in Media Day. Adding an interesting twist to the day, each pilot was asked to team up with another pilot for a little "partnership flying." Laying out their envelopes side by side, once they were filled and upright, each pilot took the end of a brightly-colored nylon ribbon and stretched it between the two baskets. As they ascended the challenge was to stay close enough in mid-flight so the ribbon wouldn't pull tight and break! This really tested the maneuvering skills of the some of the pilots! I think the balloon I was in set the shortest record, staying linked for only 30 seconds! Myron Kayton and Don Grush, on the other hand, stayed "partnered" for a full 44 minutes. Patience and skill paid off for these two pilots, sending them both home with $250 each.
New to RiverFlight `97 were ultralight demonstrations and rides by pilot Don "Hawk" Wyatt. Don is one of these men who loved his weekend hobby of flying light sport aircraft so much that he turned it into one of the largest Ultralight training facilities in the country - Ultralight Flying Machines, Inc., based in Las Vegas, NV. Throughout the weekend, Don and his instructors took passengers on a 10-15 minute ride offering exciting, hands-on maneuvering while viewing Laughlin from a whole new vantage point. A 97 year-old "young" lady that flew Saturday expressed her excitement by telling her instructor, "My God, I feel like an eagle!"
Both Saturday and Sunday
dawned with gorgeous days for flying as over 100 pilots inflated their colorful
hot-air giants and participated in the "hare and hound" races.
The ReMax balloon was the hare both days flying a challenging course for
the hounds to maneuver close enough to the target to make that winning toss.
Dawn Grant from Red Bluff, California won this year's overall event with her bean bag landing just six-inches from center target on Saturday. "The weather was fantastic this year," said Dawn during an after-event interview. "And of course when you win it's great too. I'm a real competitive person. You might say that competition has been in my blood all my life. While I was growing up I was active in horse competition. Then for 10 years I raced motorcycles and I've even competed in the Baja 1000. I never thought hot-air ballooning would be suited for me though since the speed isn't involved. But I've been flying since 1979 and love the sport. I enjoy it because it isn't so physically intense and my body doesn't take the beating that the other sports put me through, " she admitted. Dawn was the first female pilot to win at RiverFlight and she doesn't have a problem making it a tradition!
"With so many balloons filling the sky above Laughlin, RiverFlight is an exceptionally breathtaking event," said Ramada Express Senior Vice President and General Manager, Susan Murpy. Since the balloon launched from the field behind Ramada's north tower, hotel guests with mountain view rooms enjoyed the excitement of waking up to colorful mass ascensions on Saturday and Sunday.
Not only were the hotel/casino owners happy to see RiverFlight return for its fourth year, but so was Betty McCreless, festival director. "Laughlin is the perfect backdrop for RiverFlight," she said. "The pilots enjoy the event because it provides the right combination of the Colorado River, Laughlin's wonderfully scenic skyline and the support of the community."
Wayne Newton capped off Saturday's festivities with an evening concert to a capacity crowd in the 6,500-seat outdoor arena. Known as "Mr. Las Vegas," Newton's charisma and talent transformed the open arena into a dream concert under the stars.
Since its inaugural launch in 1994, Laughlin RiverFlight has grown tremendously, drawing spectators and pilots from around the world. This year, pilots Gerhard Dolle from Germany and Richard Walczak from New Zealand joined their American colleagues in what was reported as the best RiverFlight ever.
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