September 1999
lush
greenery associated with a place called
Eden, cruise the high mountain valley of
Park City or fly over remote desert can-
yons.
“This is agreat placeto fly,” said
Lorna Anderson, a pilot who lives in the
outskirts ofSalt LakeCity.“The best
thing is the desert. You go out and camp
and fly in the morning.”
About 30 active balloonists live in
the state, with one designated examiner
for balloonsand tworepair stations. Most
ofthe flyingisinnorthernUtah, wherethe
majority of the state’s residents live.
MichaelBauwens,whomovedto
Park Cityin 1983, said the skiresort town
used to host an annual 30-balloon rally,
Autumn Aloft. But development and an
attitude of residents there—the average
price of a house is $450,000—meant an
end to therally and its carnival atmo-
sphere.
“Toomanyrichpeople complained,”
one balloonist said.
Still, Park City is a popular tourist
spot,so balloonsare ready totake passen-
gers for rides. MilesIvers, one of twofull-
time pilotsinPark City,sayshe fliesabout
200 days a year. Rates are $75 for a half
hour or $140 for an hour ride.
“Park City is abig bowl with the
Wasatch Mountains on all foursides,”
Ivers said. “It’s a long, wide valley with
very few windy days.”
As a contrast to the high society of
Park City, balloonists now gather once a
year to fly at Thanksgiving Point, a 550-
acre site known for its thermally condi-
tions between Salt Lake City and Provo.
The world’s largest dinosaur museum is
being built there.
TheweekendpriortoLaborDay
weekendfindsabout 25balloonsflyingin
Eden.
“We have perfect flying weather, we
really do,” said organizer WendyHill.
“The winds here areso darn calmit’s
amazing.”
Pilotsare treated to flat, open farm-
land in a mountain valley.
Four flights are scheduled with fun
competition.The top10 pilotssplita $900
purse.Spectators also enjoy more than
100craft and vendor booths, a dinner and
breakfast, fireworks and a Moon Glow.
Up to 10,000 people attend the free rally.
The$25,000typicallymadeinboothspace
rentals and food sales goforparkim-
provements in Eden.
Balloons have been part of Provo’s
Freedom Festivalsince 1983.Threemorn-
ingflightsare typicallyscheduled around
theFourthof July. Hundredsof thousands
ofpeoplelinethe streetsofProvo towatch
theannual parade, asup to35 balloonsfly
over the parade route.
PilotssayProvo,about45 milessouth
ofSalt LakeCity, oftenprovidesbox
winds.The hareballoonmayflyaroundin
a circle and land right back at the field.
Pilotsalso can compete in balloon joust-
ing, where they maneuver to pop helium
balloons anchored on 100-foot strings.
Pilotsgetticketsforallfestivalevents,
including concerts which have featured
the Beach Boys and Gladys Knight. The
event also boasts one of the largest fire-
works displays in the country.
Smaller rallies are also held in Bluff
and Coalville.
Nearly half of Utah’s 2 million resi-
dentslive in or near SaltLake City.Many
of them are Mormons who belong to the
ChurchofJesusChristofLatter-Day
Saints.
Some of the rallies used to schedule
flights on Sundays.
“Thensome guygota visionorsome-
thingthen they said they had to lay low,”
said one balloonist.
Even though polygamy isillegal and
thechurchpermits onlyonewifeper
husband,largefamilies,withseveralwives
who share a husband, aren’t uncommon.
“I’velandedwheretherewere47
kids, 14 wives and they all came out and
helped me pack up,” Bauwens said. “If
you can feed them all, it works out pretty
good.”
Southern Utah is less populated, but
terrain there can be a beautiful place for a
Much of thelandin southeast Utah is
owned by the federal government’s Bu-
reau of Land Management.Balloonists
can camp out and fly fromthe land for
free, as long as it’s only for recreational
purposes.Permitsareneededforanycom-
mercial work.
Although flying in Arches National
Park and Zion National Park is not al-
lowed,“the government land is just as
scenic and there is tons of it just outside
thepark,”saidTom Rathke, a Utahnative
now living in North Carolina.
BillHowes, of St. George, in south-
west Utah, enjoys the canyon flying in
southern Utah. He saysit’s typicallycalm
the first 300 feet above the ground, but
winds above are often 12-18 knots.
“Yougo above 1,000 feet and go for
a ride,”he said.
He’s hosted balloon festivals in the
past, but special permits are needed to fly
in state parks, such as Snow Canyon.
It’s not only beautiful, it’s adventur-
ous. If you leave the canyon rim, “you’re
done. There’s no recovery,” Howes said.
Balloonistsmay get permissionfrom
Navajos to fly near Monument Valley in
south-centralUtah, where balloonistscan
flydangerouslyclosetosandstoneforma-
tions.
“I sawoneballoonthathit one,”
Andersonsaid. “Itrolled off itandtorethe
balloon. A rock the sizeof a fist came
through the balloon and fell in the bas-
ket.”
ShesaidBryce CanyonNationalPark
isnarrow enough tooverfly, but officials
expectballoonsto be atleast1,500above,
with no landing in the park.
Howes saidit’sgettingmoredifficult
toflyaroundparklandbecausenaturalists
wantto protectrareinsectsandother
animals in the region.
There’s also urbanflying in Utah.
Bauwensfliescorporateballoons near
Salt Lake City, but says no one has ever
claimed to have crossed the lake—about
60 miles long and 40 miles wide—in a
balloon.
September 1999
“Thereprobablyhave beensomeguys
in gas balloons who just happened to go
over it, but no one has claimed the rights
of being the first,”he said.
“We talked about it, but never got
around todoit,”saidStewartRoberts,one
of Utah’s firstaeronauts who entered the
sport in 1973.
He said the west side of the lake is
occupiedbyHillAirForceBase. “It’sjust
not an area that is suitable.”
Muchof Utah ismountainousandthe
flatregionsare often occupiedby military
operating areas.
As far as socializing with other bal-
loonists,the Park CityBalloon Clubonce
existedmainlyto organizetheannual
rally there.
Someonesaidlet’s start aballoon
club for the state, so the Utah Aeronauts
clubwasformed.Itoncepublisheda
newsletter and held regular meetings, but
most pilots stillrely on word of mouth to
get together to fly, Anderson said.
Bauwenshostsanannualsafetysemi-
nar in the spring in Park City.
Balloonistssay they’d like toplan to
flywhen thewinterOlympic gamescome
toUtahin 2002, but securitywill be tight.
Noballooningvenueshave been selected.
Utah Aeronauts, sporadic activity.
Contact: P.O.Box936,Riverton,UT
84065.Rallies:
Freedom Festival, FourthofJuly
weekend, 35 balloons in Provo, three
morningflights,everypilot getsa
prize.Contact: Curt Bramble, 1675
NorthFreedomBlvd.Suite2-B84604.
801-373-1040.
www.freedomfestival.org
Smith’sFreshValuesShootout,
ThanksgivingPoint,betweenSalt
Lake City and Provo, 30 balloons fly
thelastSaturdaymorningin July.
Contact: MikeBauwens,P.O.Box
981150, Park City, UT 84098. 435-
649-2517.
HarvestMoonBalloonFest, in
Eden, 25 balloonsfly four scheduled
flights the weekend prior to Labor
Day weekend; fun competition for
$900 in prize money, Moon Glow,
fireworks, more than 100 craft ven-
dors. Contact:WendyHill,P.O. Box
433, Eden,UT84310.801-745-4510.
