First Flight in Chile!!

David’s travel & ballon buddy, Wendy, gave us this update yesterday……

Well our second day in Chile brought us light winds on the coast at Los Vios. (northwest of Santiago) Yesterday was very windy and we never would have guessed we would have flown this am. The flight this morning was for the benefit of the media which was well represented. Launch time wasn’t until 8-8:30am. After all the government officials spoke at the briefing (the Chile version of the FAA, City government, Fire Department,etc ) they decided we should have coffee before proceding (how funny). So after 15min or so we found a launch site in the massive field we were in near the ocean. Everyones flights were in the neighborhood of 10 min. That might seem like an awfully short flight to some but the fact that the Pacific Ocean was about 2000 yds away definitely affected the length of the flights.

We are planning to fly this afternoon in the same spot, then we will pack up and move to Illepel. But that information could change before the end of the day. It seems schedules here are made to be changed.

They have provided an interpreter for us and he has become our best friend. A very small amount of my high school Spanish is coming back to me. It helps now and then.

Right now there is a cerveza callying my name.
Adios amigos,
Dan and Wendy

David in Chile

David has arrived safely in Santiago, and Gypsy Drifter is fueled and ready to fly. He is traveling with Dominic Chemello and Danny & Wendy Walsh. He should be sending photos shortly, so stayed tuned here for the latest. I fly out next Friday and will arrive on Saturday to join the adventure.

Winter Luau 2010

What a great start to 2010! We had perfect weather for our winter luau this morning (Jan. 10) in Lancaster. We filled the normally empty dirt lot by 6:30 and commenced with a hare and hound competition by 7. Ernie Buckley served as the hare balloon and drifted of to the east slowly as the rest of us got ready to chase. I had a family of four (neighbors of our crew) who had never flown before. Thanks to the chilly temps, around 33 degrees at launch time, I was able to fly both parents along with two teenaged boys. Dad was a little tense in the beginning, but everyone relaxed within a few minutes of launch time and were marvelling at the sight behind us as a dozen balloons took flight in the early morning light.

After a nice flight we joined the luau tailgate hosted by Don and Debbie Oswald. The Hawaiian theme was well represented with Palm Trees (inflatable), coconuts, leis, grass shirts and a plethora of Hawaiian shirts. Belgian waffles, breakfast burritos, pineapple upside-down cake and much much more! We served ‘drunken pups’ and my famous margaritas.

All in all it was a fantastic morning with great friends, good food, new passengers and gentle breezes. Oh, and we didn’t land at the forbidden Skunkworks, despite heading in that direction. I will post pictures soon. Hope you can join us often this year as we fly around the southwest in 2010.

Next month David heads out to Chile for three weeks for a balloon event there. He will arrive a few days early for promotional flights, including a tether at the presidential palace! STAY TUNED!

Lauren Ball’s Profile

Create Your Badge

Sectional decoding!

Here’s the link to the sectional training info from our balloon safety seminar yesterday. Now I can go over it and over it and over it…. until it makes sense. http://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/nav/rd_charts.htm

Mardi Gras

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

We flew our SCBA club Mardi Gras event on March 1st at Lake Los Angeles. About a dozen balloons invaded the unsuspecting small town to enjoy the perfect early morning weather. Surprised locals follo

wed along, hoping to get a chance to help or at least take pictures.

I flew first, trading off later so David could have a turn as PIC. Later we reconnoitered at a local park, where the Carnivale inspired tailgate got underway. We were joined by our faithful crew, Dan Weil and Rowdy Dyer, who both got a chance to fly.

Thank to our event hosts, Bo & Orval Choate, we all got into the spirit and had a great time! It’s just about as much fun as you can have before noon!

Big Love – Blimp style

I guess that I am just completely hooked on any aircraft that is lighter than air. It seems nostalgic, romantic, adventurous. I love the calmness of  LTA flying, the easy pace – that ‘floaty feeling.’  It also seems like a perfect blend of art and skill. You have to respect the wind and the weather, working with it rather than blasting through it.  Going with the flow. It seems sort of like a partnership with the forces of nature. With all due respect to the fact that nature is in charge and can change the game on you entirely at any given moment. Although I have limited experience in airplanes, they seem more about technology and maneuvers, whereas LTA aircraft seem more sensory, perception, and finesse. It’s about the experience, not the destination.

After missing the opportunity for a blimp ride on Monday by a mere two minutes (I had not taken Terry’s admonishment, “on time is late” as seriously as I should’ve), I was crestfallen. I blew it. I was certain I wouldn’t get a second chance, but on Wednesday Terry kindly arranged to meet us at 7:30 to go for a flight. I arrived at 6:45. The crew escorted us out to the blimp and gave us instructions – the blimp moves around on the ground, go with it. Be ready to climb aboard when we signal you. Got it. The crew were quick and efficient and soon we were on board and aloft.

Flying in a blimp takes care some of those pesky little challenges of balloon flying… like directional control and being restricted to daylight hours. The fact hat it stays inflated and seemingly ready to go doesn’t suck either. We took off at around 7:15 PM and headed along the freeway routes down to Ontario, cruising at around 1,000 ft. Terry asked how long we could hang around – I assured him that he would run out of fuel before I would ask to land. I couldn’t resist paging a few friends back at the hospital… “Hey, look at me!!”

Floating along at a leasuirly 25-30 MPH allows for sighseeing. The windows of the cabin (gondola?) are tilted out so one can look straight down. We transitioned through Ontario Airport’s airspace, cruised around for a while longer, then headed back. Terry was an awesome host, giving us info about the blimp and telling stories. We could wander the sky “Hey, what’s that? Let’s head over there.” We did a low-altitude fly by our house on the rim as we headed  back to the airport to land.  The landing approach was almost comical. It’s like an airplane appoach pattern, but it goes soooooo slooooowly. We flew for three hours, but it ended all too quickly for me.

Many many thanks to Terry for his generosity and friendly nature. Flying with him in the blimp was one of those ‘bucket list’ type of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Seriously, who gets to live like this?

Big Love

[/caption

Stay tuned for more info on my first blimp flight. Last night David and I cruised around the southland for three hours in the most amazing aircraft, thanks to the pilot, Terry Dillard. I am still too awed to put it all into words. So for now, suffice it to say that life is an incredible adventure and I am blessed beyond imagination. Hyperbole? You decide after you take your first ride in a blimp!

Ontario airport from an airship (don’t call it a dirigible!)

Winter Luau

Okay, seriously now. A luau at the crack of dawn? in January? In a dirt parking lot? During widespread high-wind warnings? Are we crazy or what? Well, add 10 balloons and 50 or so other crazy folks and it all results in a ton of fun. I will admit that, after hearing the news warnings about the winds, I had my doubts about flying. But Don Kissack swore that some of the best flying in Lancaster is when other parts of the southland were experiencing Santa Ana winds. I checked weather, and sure enough, the forcast was for mild breezes – nothing over 4-6 MPH all morning.

So we broke out the Hawaiian shirts, long underwear, margarita glasses, plugged in our propane tank heaters & got ready to go.  I flew first and had not one, but two shots at the target. Only the first one counted & the second throw was much better, but I was still all impressed with myself for getting there twice (usually I don’t even get close enough to see the X).  After a while I landed to trade out and let my whiny husband have a turn as pilot. Dean Davies, Robin McWilliams, Dan Walsh, Stacy Adelsberger (and Dad), Ernie Buckley, Tom Pratt, Don Kissack, Don Oswald, and Diana Piles joined in as well (Did I miss anyone?). Everyone seemed to relish the steerable winds – enjoying long flights without ending up at Palmdale Airport! Tom Pratt, working on hitting that magic 100 hour mark in his logbook, flew for over two hours before packing up and joining the tailgate that was well underway.

Lots of crew showed up to help, some chasing and some staying back to set up for the luau. Rosemary Tyska and Kevin Adelsberger served as scorekeepers, refusing to take bribes to score my second throw! Many thanks to Bob & Annie, Susan Dawson, Helen Quayle, Dan & Rowdy, Theresa Guidish, Keith & Sandy, Peggy & Gary, Big Wayne, and all the rest of the great crew folks that make our flights possible. I think there were a few new folks (new to me anyway) in attendance as well; Anya, Paula, Frank, and too many for this feeble brain to remember after a margarita or two.

The board met after the luau to discuss plans for future flights and the safety seminar. More great stuff is in the works. There’s still time for anyone who wants to host an event this year.

Gypsy Adventures

Join us in our gypsy adventures. It’s an incredible journey. Check back soon for thoughts and pictures of our fun flight in Lancaster Sunday and the winter luau with the SCBA. Thanks for visiting! (hi Dan!)