Some places are easier
than others for Hare & Hound events. This year, the weather at Montrose
Colorado's 15th Lighter Than Air Balloon Affaire helped us prove
that it really is possible to choose a target from 4 miles out and then
get there!by Jim Isler
Some places are easier
than others for Hare & Hound events. This year, the weather at Montrose
Colorado's 15th Lighter Than Air Balloon Affaire helped us prove
that it really is possible to choose a target from 4 miles out and then
get there!
Montrose lies in Colorado's Western Slope, a beautiful river valley between two plateaus, north of the popular Telluride ski resort and Home of the Stars. It's river, the Uncompahgre (pronounced like it's spelled) runs northwestward to join with the Gunnison, then the Colorado River at Grand Junction. The Colorado used to be called the Grand River (get it?).
Sunrise holds off after first light at Montrose, owing to its closeness to the Cerro Plateau on the East. This means that the sun heats the western (Uncompahgre) plateau earlier, enhancing an already stiff drainage breeze to the northwest.
This little geography lesson creates one of the best reasons to fly at the Balloon Affaire. The fact that it happens each 4th of July creates at least two other reasons: it's usually a long weekend, and Montrose has one of the most fun parades anywhere. The fireworks show is also terrific!
Originally set up by Sid and Jewel Cutter in 1994, the Balloon Affaire caught on with Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico balloonists early. Others are just finding out, as the occasional vacationing balloonie makes Montrose one of his or her stops. Until now, the event has not been advertised in Balloon Life, but it will be an "open" Rally in 1999 and 2000.
Local businesses sponsor the balloons as they do in most rallies, but with the Balloon Affaire there's a big difference. These are all great people! Marti and I have flown 12 of the 15 rallies, and all of our sponsors have become friends. The welcoming party, held this year on the lawn of one of the fanciest Elk's Lodges we've seen, featured real food, great pilot packs, and free champagne. The beer was good, too.
To the flying. The Lighter Than Air Balloon Affaire has always launched from a middle school's grass field, right in the middle of town. An FAA waiver gives us the ability to work the low level drainage as well as the more interesting currents aloft. Launches are often pretty fast, with tieoffs advised, but we have also had the inflate-and-stand-around-until-the-guy-above-you moves-away sort of mornings. 1998 was the fast kind. Montrose has always gotten off at least one of its weekend flights (two on the three-day events), and this year Saturday's launch was delayed, then cancelled due to very rare rain showers moving toward the field.
Mike and Joyce Bundgaard, operators of Life Cycle Balloon Adventures, Denver, have long served as Balloon Coordinators for the event, and their expertise was well applied as we arrived on the field Sunday morning, July 5. Pibals tied to antennas were at a parallel slant, and the ones that got away shot toward the north at 12-15 mph. Yet at the airport, 4 miles or so to the north, winds were calm!
"Let's wait a bit." said Joyce, keeping the crowd's interest with a running monologue about balloons, wind, and expectations.
Sure enough, the winds calmed nicely, to about 8 mph. With everyone watching the treetops and trailer banners, fans started without instructions from the bandstand. The race was on!
Marti inflated "High $tatu$!", a Cameron A105, with lots of volunteer crew and our `three ring circus' tieoff stretched taut. By the time she turned on the burners, winds were slowing some, but the tieoff was still helping while we loaded passengers and checked the sky overhead. Montrose doesn't usually need launch directors, but a trained crew-designate is essential.
Our passengers this year were the local propane guy and one of his daughters. As we climbed out of Columbine field, Walt asked: "Can you really steer this thing?"
I gave my usual explanation about winds in different directions at different altitudes, then showed that the first target, near the airport, was well off to our left at that point. Climbing higher, and watching earlier balloons, we swung left, toward the river, traveling much more slowly. I gave them my quick course on drainage winds, then shut up to focus on the competition and traffic.
It's always helpful to follow a good pilot, and Dr. Russ Buesing is one of the best. As he jigged up and down over town, we got a clear picture of what was available in terms of steerage. Closing on the target area, wind speeds slowed considerably. The earlier readings of "calm at the airport" held true. The first target was to our north, and east of the runways, just off the south end of the airport grounds. As Russ eased down to make his run on the X, it seemed to me that his balloon was tracking left too early, so we stayed aloft at 500 feet or so. Passing over his new Lindstrand's cap, I vented and began our plummet (at 200 fpm) toward the surface, now almost straight down. We crossed the legs of the X and tossed a credible baggie onto one of its legs.
Burning to avoid ground contact, we climbed to 300 feet and moved from the target area, landing softly a 1,000 feet away. Our truck pulled up, and Marti jumped into the basket with another three passengers, while we got out to resume the chase. Or so we thought.
Almost as soon as she took off on the second leg of the flight, the wind died. Dead died. Calmer than calm. She hung there for a while moving slowly toward the runways of the Montrose airport (no tower, but plenty of commuter, general aviation and charter traffic). We drove slowly around to the airport entrance, expecting the expected. Our briefing had told us it was OK to land there, but we had never, in 11 previous Affaires, done so.
Talk about teamwork and cooperation! The community, FAA, and airport authorities have always worked to make the Balloon Affaire a success, and now we know why. After a frustrating half hour over the field, with commuter traffic taxiing out to the farther runway, Marti landed right smack in the middle of Runway 35. Lights flashing, the airport's jeep drove up, talked with her, then sped over to the gate where we were waiting. Opening it, he motioned us in, then led us to the basket's side. He parked, lights signaling the unavailability of #35 while we packed up and got off the field. Cheerfully waving, he let us off the field to return to a festive tailgate.
The Balloon Affaire, the 4th of July parade, and the general warmth of Montrose, make it a most desirable rally. If you'd like an invitation, write to Ric Simon, PO Box 1726, Montrose, CO 81402.
