A Valentine’s Day to Remember!

February 15th, 2009 | 0 Comments | Uncategorized |

David (currently in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy) wanted to do something very special this Valentine’s Day for his sweetheart Sarah (currently at Liberty University). David had met Sarah at the Coast Guard Academy, but now Sarah was attending Liberty University here in Lynchburg. So David got on a plane and met Sarah in Richmond on Friday night. For there, they drove to Lynchburg. The following morning, David managed to get Sarah up very early on a Saturday. He told her he wanted to take her to a very special Valentine’s Day surprise. Sarah had no idea it was a hot air balloon ride.

Although Sarah didn’t really have a fear of heights, she was a little apprehensive about the flight. The Forest Winds team drove David and Sarah to the New London airport, that would serve as the flight’s takeoff point. With the temperature at 30° F, and no surface winds, The Pride of Forest was quickly brought to life (with David’s help).

Ready for takeoff!

Just after 8:00 AM, we were on our way. Slowly the balloon rose above the treetops surrounding New London airport and we begin drifting to the northwest.

The morning was cool and cloudy, but the visibility was spectacular.

David & Sarah

As The Pride of Forest continued to climb higher, we picked up a moderate wind from the south and begin to drift northerly at about 15 mph.

The Pride of Forest

Midway through the flight, a couple of planes were spotted coming in from the east. They were flying in close formation, and just after they passed the balloon, they split up. One turned to the northwest, and the other turned to the southwest. The one that turned to the northwest began to do aerobatics (barrel rolls and complete loops). For out vantage point, it was really cool to watch!

Looking north

After about an hour, we began to look for a suitable landing point. It didn’t take too long before we spotted a nice open field that would provide suitable access to our ground crew. With a slight pull of the vent, we commenced our descent to the field (just off the intersection of Rt. 221 and Goode Station Rd).

Landing

By the time we were ready to touch down, the Forest Winds ground crew was already there to receive the balloon, and the landing was absolutely perfect (very soft).

Thanks to David’s and Sarah’s help, the balloon was packed up with ease and loaded back into the trailer.

All packed up!

With the morning still young, the sun began to shine. You could definitely feel it getting noticeably warmer. This flight was obviously the beginning of a very special day for David and Sarah. Happy Valentine’s Day!

For more pictures of David and Sarah’s flight, go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Sarah_and_David_Flight_21409#