Jan & Ron (from Brookneal) and Ed (local from the ‘Burg’) enjoyed a nice cool early morning ride aboard The Pride of Forest before the forecasted afternoon temperatures reached the upper 90’s. The balloon took off from near Owen’s Market and floated northeasterly across Bedford farmland towards Forest. Reaching a maximum altitude of 2950′ MSL and a speed of 18.5 mph, the balloon ultimately came in for a textbook smooth landing on Spring Lake Dr. in the Forest Lakes subdivision. Afterwards, the passengers and crew celebrated another successful flight. Special thanks go out to Brian & Kelly for allowing Forest Winds to lay out the balloon on beautifully cut grass.
What a great morning…calm winds on the surface, cool temperatures, and a chance to stroll with the clouds. Janice and Nick got up early to take a ride aboard The Peaks of Otter Trotter (our first company balloon). The balloon took off from New London airport and cruised along Thomas Jefferson Road. It then took a right turn on Forest Road and gently landed in the Lake Vista Business Center about an hour after the takeoff. After a picture perfect landing, Janice and Nick toasted to a great flight and enjoyed a light fare breakfast. Not a bad way to start your day, huh?
Catherine and Wallace took a ride in The Pride of Forest on August 18, 2007 to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Taking off from the Campbell County park at Waterlick & Leesville Roads, the balloon traveled northwest at about 12 mph and ultimately landed near the end of Everett Road. The actual wind conditions were about five times greater than the forecast, which made for a very interesting landing…but oh what fun! Congratulations go out to Catherine and Wallace on their Golden anniversary, and a special thanks for providing a new launching point!
With a nice cool temperature of 64 °F and a light wind from the southwest, John, Jane and Anna lifted off from New London Academy and floated northeasterly towards Timber Lake. Reaching an altitude of 2950 feet MSL and a maximum speed of 12 knots, The Pride of Forest zig-zagged its way north, and then northeasterly, ultimately looking to make a landing at Brookville High School. With a little help using the drop line, the target was met. Afterwards, the pilot (Ken) and passengers celebrated a beautiful soft landing with a toast of sparkling cider. Oh what a morning!
Sunday morning (8-5-07) was about 70 degrees, but very humid. Even in the early morning hours, the haze was incredibly thick. Since it wasn’t ideal weather for sightseeing, we elected to conduct additional training for Ed, our student pilot. With light winds from the northwest, we were able to get several landings in the training session before finally settling down in the Lake Vista housing development. Great job by Ed!
