May 1999
mostpeoplethinkofAri-zona,
imagesofthingsnotgreatforballoon-
ing—cactuses,scorchingheatandthe
Grand Canyon—come to mind. Yet more
balloonistsliveinthe Phoenixarea than
live in many other statescombined.
“Wealmo stalwayshav eg ood
weather here,” explainedMike England,
commander of the Arizona Balloon Club.
“Typically we have sunny skies and calm
winds. The down side being it gets pretty
warm.”
About150activeballoonistslive
aroundPhoenix.It’snotuncommonto
see 50 or more balloons flying on a week-
end morning, said Fred Gorrell,Arizona’s
onlydesignated examiner for balloons.
Anabundanceofopendesertland,
underground utilities and calm winds make
itaneasyplacetofly.Mostofthe land
used to flyfrom and land onisownedby
the Arizona StateLand Department,which
issuespermitstoballoonistswantingto
use the land.
Recreational pilots typically fly morn-
ings from October toMay or June. Com-
mercialpilotsscheduledailyflightsall
year, but only flyat dawn in the summer.
With the arid climate and calm winds, it’s
possible for motivatedpilotsto chalkup
300 or more hoursa year.
England estimates more than 90 per-
cent of his flights result instand-up land-
ings, usually in undeveloped desert. “Any-
thinggreen we don’t touch,” he said.
Crewingisrelatively easy, too, said
StanDebber,whohaschasedvarious
Phoenixballoonistsfor15years.Chase
crews can usually drivedown desert roads
withouttheneedforfour-wheel-drive
trucks.
“I neverlosta balloon.A couple of
timesitwas pretty hard tofind them, but
we never lostone,” Debber said.
Inflationsanddeflationsarealmost
always done on dirt, unless someonebrings
a tarp.
“If youdon’twantto takeoff in the
take off,” Debber said.
Diane Thomas, whohas beenflying
balloonsaroundPhoenixfor18years,
saidthepowerlinesandlackofhouses
make it “a wonderful place”tofly,with
mesquitebrushandsaguarocactusto
dodge. Flying in the desert may seem like
a piece of cake, butshe said windsheers
flowing from surrounding mountains can
infromSanDiego,PalmSprings
andAlbuquerque tohelp.
Touriststakemostballoonridesin
Phoenixandcanbechargedanywhere
from $69 to $135, pilots said. Most pilots
charge $125 for an hour ride.
Withsomanyballoonslocally,it’s
not hard to get a dozen or two to fly at the
Scottsdaleairshoworglowduringthe
Glendale Glitters HolidayExtravaganza.
“Ourcommunityisbig,butwe’re
veryclose-knit,” Romaneschisaid.
Flying thatoftenmeans commercial
balloon inspectionsare due atevery100
hours instead of every year. Romaneschi,
whooperatesoneof fourrepair stations
aroundPhoenix,saidrepairscome from
stubblesticksinthegroundrather than
collisions withcactuses.
Desertflyingmaysoundeasy,but
drifting in uncharted area canbe hazard-
ous. “We can’tfly 30milesover endless
farm fieldsor overanother ridge tofind
another road,” Romaneschisaid. “If you
are ballooning, you need to know the area.
It canbe rugged.”
Numerous Indian reservations are in
Arizona.Pilotsneedtogetpermission
beforetakingofforlandinginmostof
them.“Indianstaketheirgroundpretty
seriously,” Romaneschi said.He usedto
helporganizearallyonnativelandin
Monument Valley, near the Utah border,
but hasn’t been able togetpermissionin
recent years.
About 40miles east of Phoenix, the
communityof Fountain Hills has40 bal-
loonsflyinconjunctionwith a February
art show. The event started in the‘80s and
balloons fly only Sunday morning, racing
ina hareandhoundcompetition.Foun-
tain Hills is notedfor its fountain, which
spews580feetintheairforabout15
minutesevery hour.
In1998,thefountainunexpectedly
turnedon,dousingonenearbyballoon
enoughtosendthecraftcrashingtothe
treated waste water below.
pilotsontheirtoes.“It’snotvery
boring,” she said.
MostPhoenix-areapilotsflynorth
and east of the city. The suburbof Chan-
dler usedtobetheballooningMecca of
Phoenix,buthousingdevelopmentsin
recent years have gobbled up many favor-
ite landingareas, saidBobRomaneschi,
who livesnear Phoenix.
When large conventions are held, it’s
not unusual to have 200 or 500 passengers
seekingridesatonce, Romaneschisaid.
Sometimespilotswithbigballoonsare
May1999
The biggest rally in Arizona is the
Thunderbird Balloon Classic, when 130
balloonistsflyduringthe first weekend in
November. The rally, celebratingits 25th
year in 1999, is sponsored by the Ameri-
canGraduateSchoolofInternational
Management. Desertglowsare scheduled
FridayandSaturday evenings,withflights
scheduled Saturday and Sunday mornings.
After theSaturdayflight, spectators
can enjoy arts and crafts and a variety of
interactiveexhibits. There’s plenty offood,
entertainment and fireworks in theevening.
The weather has canceleda couple
events throughout the years, but never all
eventsinanyoneyear,saidexecutive
director Tim Matykiewicz.
The rally was held at the college in
Glendalefor 18years, butmovedtoa
larger equestrian park in Scottsdale. Last
year, more than 50,000 people attended
the event, raising about $75,000for the
school’s endowment, Matykiewicz said.
Arizona is alsohome toone of the
biggest balloon clubs in thecountry. About
300 pilots and crew members belong to
the Arizona Balloon Club, formed in 1974.
Monthly meetings are held and the club
hostsseveralflyingevents,includinga
crewappreciation day, apowder puff race
for female pilotsandflights toselect a
state champion.
The clubalso has a new webpage
with detailed information about the club,
commercial ride operators in the state.
In southern Arizona, about 100 pilots
and crew members belong to the Saguaro
Aerostat Association, basedinTucson.
Flying events are scheduled regularly and
prizes awarded for the first three places.
Prizes are also given to the most valuable
crew person and the most unique tailgate
celebration,with varying food themes each
month. Green snacks were eaten in March,
and food made with eggs for Easter.
Meetings are scheduled monthly and
are held at an Air National Guard facility.
Topicshaveincludedinflatormainte-
nance, crop identification and how to deal
withkiller bees. Another topic included
how to deal with snakes, complete with
live examples.
“That’s anotherproblem we have out
here,” said Margaret Aros, who flies with
her husband, Ronald.
Most of the 25 balloonists in Tucson
fly in the Avra Valley, a farming commu-
nity full of cotton, alfalfa, hay and wheat
fields.
“Weordinarilydon’tlandinany-
thing that’s planted,”Aros said. “We have
such good landowner relations in the area,
ArizonaBalloo nClu b:Annual
duesare$30forindividuals,$45for
families; a monthly newsletter and per-
mitstoflyonstatetrustlandarein-
clu dedwithmemb ership.Con tact:
10813 N. 10th St., Phoenix, AZ 85020.
Internet: http://www.ballooningaz.com/
Sagu aroAero statAss oci atio n:
Annualduesare$20forindividuals,
$25 for families and include a monthly
newsletter.A $10initiationfeeisre-
quired the first year to cover the cost of
apinandpatch.Contact:P.O.Box
57084, Tucson, AZ 85732-7084.
Fountain Hills Great Fair, 40 bal-
loons; one flight scheduled the Sunday
morningofthelastfullweekendin
February:Co ntact:Fou ntainHills
Chamber of Commerce, POB17598,
Fountain Hills,AZ85269. 602-837-1654.
Prescott Pronghorn Balloon Clas-
sic, 25 balloons; last weekend in June,
flights Saturday and Sunday morning,
glowSaturdayevening,media flight
Fridaymorning.Contact:Prescott
ValleyChamberof Commerce, 8098
E.FrontageRoad,SuiteB,Prescott
Valley, AZ 86314. 520-772-8857.
ThunderbirdBalloonClassic,in
Scottsdale,130balloons;firstweek-
end inNovember; two glows and two
scheduledflights.Contact:15249N.
59thAve. Glendale, AZ 85306-6000.
602-978-7330. Internet: http://www.t-
birdballoonclassic.com/
Colo rad oRiverC ro ss ing ,in
Yuma, 50 balloons; held the weekend
before Thanksgiving. Contact: Cabal-
lerosdeYuma,377SouthMainSt.,
Yuma, AZ 85364. 520-343-1715.
• Flagstaff
• Lake
Havesu
City• Prescott
Red Rock Balloon Adventures fly-
ing near Sedona, Arizona
Bottom: Rich Witch, Diane Thoma s, tak-
ing off in front of the Arizona State Capi-
tal building .
May1999
field. Once they’re furrowed, we stay out
of them.”
Threem ountainranges—the
Catalina,RinconandTucsonmountains—
provide protectionfrom highwinds. Aros
said the flying season in Tucson is from
September to May. Evening flights there
are rare, due to thermal instability.
“It’s real pretty,” said Mike Fleury,
of Tucson. “We have pure blue sky and
sunshine and dry air. This morning, we
flew andthe temperature was 49degrees.
By the time we got back for tailgating, it
was T-shirt weather.”
The sameweatheristhe reasonrecre-
ational pilots don’t fly in thesummer.
“It’s too hot,” Fleury said. “Sunrise is
5:15 a.m. and by 6:15 a.m., it’s 85 or 90
degrees and unstable.”
In the southwest corner of the state,
flying over sand dunes is possible near
Yuma, on the California-Mexico border.
“It’s like the Sahara,” said Jim Gillaspie,
one of four balloon pilots from Yuma.
On holiday weekends, the dunes—
six orseven miles wide—can be filled
with 30-40,000 nomadic visitors, many
from California with their dune buggies,
he said.
Flyingover the Colorado River into
Californiaisn’taproblem,but flying
across the Mexican border without ad-
vance permission would be. “We make
sure we don’t dothatbecause they’ll take
yourballoonandputyouinjail,”Gillaspie
said.
About 50 balloons participate in the
Colorado River Crossing in Yuma each
November. A media flight is scheduled
Friday morning,sponsors fly Saturday
morning,andanythinggoesSundaymorn-
ing.OnSaturdayevening, 15-20 balloons
glowat theScibola HighSchoolfield,and
partiesare heldFridayandSaturdaynights.
Pilotsflying up to 4,000 feet can see the
Gulf of California, about 80 miles away.
Red zones in Yuma are easy to spot,
since Yuma is the lettuce capital of the
world. Up to 70 percent of the country’s
lettuce is grown there, Gillaspie said.
Flightsof all aircraft, including bal-
home of the rebuiltLondon Bridge onthe
California border. “We flew three times
before the police came and said you can’t
do it,” said Gary Moore. Now, he goes
southtoParker, where the flyingterrainis
more balloon-friendly anyway, he said.
Severalballoonistshave flownacross
the Grand Canyon—280 miles long and
up to 18miles wide—but not without
specialpermission andextensiveplan-
ning.
“It’sa high-risk highadventure as far
as notgettingyour equipment back,” said
Kevin Flanagan, who helped pilot one of
fiveballoonsthatcrossedthecanyonabout
10years ago. “Youwould justabout have
to write off your balloon if you try it.”
The National Park Service will not
allow balloon operations in the park, and
most of the surrounding land is on reser-
vations, pilotssaid. Because of numerous
collisionsof sightseeing planes and heli-
copters,airspaceisheavily regulated
over the canyon.
“You’re not supposed to flyover the
parkunlessyouareat14,000feet,”
Flanagan said.
While attempting to obtain permis-
sionforanoverflyfromtheFAA, Flanagan
wastoldhe wasn’tallowedto doit,butthe
official wasn’t about to wake up at dawn
to see if they were flying. The FAA man
endedtheconversation,saying“Havefun.”
ItwasaJanuarymorningand
Flanaganwasoneofthreeaboarda
105,000-cubic-foot balloon carrying 80
gallons of propane. They took off from
theGrandCanyonAirport,abouttwo
miles from the park, and flew northeast.
During the flight, the balloonists flew as
high as 18,000feet.Buttheyflewat
treetop level overthecanyonrimand
looked down to see the Colorado River
about 5,000 feet below.
“We got sucked down, like a water-
fall of coldairgoing down,”he said. Only
withmassiveheatingdidthe balloonlevel
off. They continued for 3.5 hours.
“We flew 120 miles and landed next
to thesecond blacktop roadwesaw,”
Flanagan said. They landed in Kayenta,
the scene.
“Indianscanlegallykeepyour equip-
ment,” Flanagan said. “We told them we
took off from the Grand Canyon Airport
120 miles away.” Surprised at the dis-
tance, they confirmed the story and sent
them on their way.
Two hours south of the Grand Can-
yon, about 4 million tourists a year visit
Sedona,knownforits redrocks. Two
commercial businesses operate nine bal-
loons through the valley. The weather is
so predictable, they fly about 300 morn-
ings ayear,from Marchto Christmas,
said Mark Stewart.
Takeoffsarewithin theCoconino
National Forest and balloons usuallystay
under the 1,500-foot canyon rim. Land-
ings are on dirt roads withinthe park.
“We have a valley flow every morn-
ing,” he said. “It’s not too bad, as long as
we fly in the valley.”
Wildlife spotted in Sedona includes
mule deer, javelina (wild boars), rabbits,
fox, tarantulas and scorpions.
“The rocks are the highlight, but the
balloonisthe bonustogiveyou theview,”
Stewart said.
Commercial balloonistsmust have a
permit to operatein thepark. V isiting
balloonists wanting to fly non-commer-
cially may do so, but would need to con-
tact a local pilot to arrange it with park
officials, Stewart said.
Just tothe north, JeffJohnson, of
Flagstaff, said he’sthe onlyballooniston
“therock.”But90 percent of his flying is
done elsewhere.
“Flying hereisquite achallenge.
Winds can be prettytricky due to rugged
terrain and one very large mountain just
north of town,”he said.
But those few flights around Flag-
staff are gorgeous, with views of pinion
and juniperwoodlands, hardened lava,
grasslands and ponderosa pine.
“Thereare occasions whencondi-
tions here are excellent and we can have
some of the mostbeautifulflightsimagin-
able.”
