October 1999
maybeknown as TheFirst
State, butit’snear the bot-tom ofthe listof
places balloonists call home.
At least two andasmany as four
active pilotsare believed to live in Dela-
ware, a three-countystate that is96 miles
longandbetween 9to 35 mileswide with
a population of about 725,000.
“Delaware wasn’t ever a very active
place for ballooning,” said Karl Stefan, a
balloonistsince 1963 who lived in Dela-
ware in the late 1970s. “There were not
many obstacles, but you were limited to
the east and west. You couldn’t go far
without running into water.”
Dr. Charles Wagner, a physician and
balloonist who lives in southern Dela-
ware, helps run Delaware’s only balloon
festival in Milton.
“It’s a little jewel that people don’t
know about,” said one balloonist.
The Delmarva Hot-Air Balloon and
Craft Festival hosts about 20 balloons in
June. Proceeds of the two-day festival —
between $35,000 and $50,000 annually
— benefit the American Diabetes Asso-
ciation.
Thecharityraisesmoneythrough
sponsors, balloon rides, $3 parking and
from the more than 150 craft and antique
booths atthe site.Ridesare$150per
person and there’s plenty of scenery to
look at.
“We have working farms and on the
eastern edge there’s all resort property,”
Wagner said. Pilotsneed to watch out for
soybeans, corn, cattle and chicken farms.
Pilots can also compete in friendly
competition, with$1,000 in prize money.
Because Miltonisonlysixmilesfrom
the Atlantic, most of Wagner’s flying is
done 20miles inland. He’snot ready for a
flight to Portugal, he said.
Still,sea breezes from the ocean can
make flying tricky, even well inland.
“Pilots must knowtheirweather,”
be an offshore breeze,so they can get
sucked out.”
Wagner says the ballooning season
inDelaware isgenerallydonewhenleaves
are on the trees, from May through Octo-
ber.
Despite the lack of ballooningin the
state, Delaware can claim a special shape
balloon. Wagner purchased Della-Bear,
which features a couple of three-dimen-
sional teddy bears on the sides.
Milton, in southern Delaware, is in
Sussex County. Kent, the county in the
centerof the state, ismore congested. And
New Castle County to the north is on the
foothills ofthe Piedmont Hills leading
into Pennsylvania.
That’swhereGreggWilson,of
Wilmington, preferstofly. Healsotravels
thestate flyinga corporateballoonadver-
tisinga drug store chain.
“Delaware can change so much,” he
said. “We have beautiful rural areas that
canturnintocongestedareasvery
quickly,” he said.
He said prevailing southwest winds
often take him into Pennsylvania or Mary-
land, where he often sees other balloons
flying.
Balloonists have crossed the Dela-
ware River into New Jersey, but flying
theregets tricky as youheadtowards
Philadelphia International Airport.
Dover Air Force Base, which occu-
pies a quarter of Dover, Delaware’s capi-
tal, is off limits to balloonists, but airport
officialsinWilmington, Delaware’s larg-
est city, “arereal nicetoworkwith,”
Wilson said.
“We’ve flown in and out of there.”
Thereare nodesignatedexaminersor
repair stations for balloons in Delaware.
Mostcommercial ride operators that rely
on Delaware passengers are from neigh-
boring Pennsylvania or Maryland, Wil-
DelmarvaHot-AirBalloonand
Craft Festival, in Milton, often the
second weekend in June, 20 balloons.
ThreeflightsscheduledFriday
evening, and Saturday morning and
evening,withglowsscheduledon
Friday andSaturday.Fun competi-
tion for $1,000 in prizes, passenger
rides. Contact: Dr. Charles Wagner,
35HorseshoeDrive,Milford,DE
19963. 302-422-3134. Internet: http://
www.diabetes.org/adade/balloon.asp
Wilsonsaidlandowner problemsare
practically unheard of in Delaware, and
balloonists have even landed on the es-
tates of the famed duPont family.
“Everybody’salwaysbeenvery
nice,” hesaid.“Wedon’thavemany
landownerproblems,but ofcoursewe
don’t have many balloonists either,so
maybe that goes hand in hand.”
