Drifting with the Leaves on a Cool Autumn Morn!
October 26th, 2008 | 0 Comments | Uncategorized |
The leaves are turning and finding their way to the ground below. Autumn is here and the early mornings are cool and crisp. Pat & Henry (celebrating their anniversary) and Daryl (celebrating his birthday) picked a great time of the year to celebrate! On this day (10-26-08), the morning was a brisk 36°F and the winds were light…basically a pretty good day to take a hot air balloon ride. The sun had just begun to rise in the east, and the “Pride of Forest” was already inflated and hot for takeoff.
After the balloon was inflated and the pre-flight checks completed, Pat & Henry and Daryl climbed aboard and we were soon climbing into the clear blue sky above.
 
The “Pride of Forest” lifted off from Goode Station Road at around 8:10 AM and began drifting to the east along Rt. 221. Near the surface the winds continued to be fairly light, but as the balloon climbed to 2500′ MSL, the winds pushed the balloon at 10-15 mph. Just below you could still see the early morning patchy fog lingering in the low lying areas.
The balloon continued to drift easterly along Rt. 221; the community below was still asleep (with the exception of an occassional dog or cow).
After about an hour, the “Pride of Forest” approached Forest and it was time to begin looking for a landing spot. Cavalier Center (shopping center) appeared to be the point, but as the balloon descended to the surface, the winds gave us a slight push to the north. So as luck would have it, there was small field just behind the center that would provide a very nice place to conduct a post-flight celebration.
In a textbook landing, the “Pride of Forest” came to rest just off Perrowville Road. Surrounded by all the beauty of Central Virginia, Pat, Henry, Daryl and Ken raised their glasses and toasted to an absoutely spectacular autumn flight!
For more pictures of Pat & Henry and Daryl’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/HenryPatAndDarylyFlight102608#