For their 4 year anniversary Butch wanted to do something really cool for his bride Laura, so he called Forest Winds. We immediately sent him through the mail a classy gift certificate that he could present to her in his own unique way. And according to Laura, it was indeed pretty unique. You see, Butch pulled all the stops out and put together a very impressive PowerPoint presentation. The date was set, and all was good….except one little problem. Laura was planning a very special celebration for Butch’s birthday, which coincidentally conflicted with the flight date. Our phone rang, and it was Laura. She explained the situation and pleaded that we call Butch and tell him anything, just so long as the flight date was any day but Saturday. Hmmm, this was going to be tough, but the call was made. We explained that the weather wasn’t ideal for Saturday and would need to postpone the flight until Sunday afternoon. Without fuss, Butch completely understood.
Sunday afternoon (11/15/09) arrived and seemed to be shaping up for a pretty good flight. With surface winds reported from the SSW at about 5 mph and the temperature at 73°F, we were going to make a go at it. Butch and Laura met up with the Forest Winds crew at 2:00 PM. While the paperwork was being completed, the crew released a pilot balloon to ascertain the wind direction and speed. And off to the SE it went. Based upon that direction, we selected a launch location to the NW, just off Goode Station Road. So we all got into the car and drove out to the site. Once there, we launched another pilot balloon. Much to our dismay, the wind direction had changed and now was coming from the SW. So we got back into the car and drove out to our launch site just off Rt. 460 near Owen’s Market. It didn’t take too long though before we inflated and ready to go.
Inflated and ready!
After the pre-flight checks were completed, we added heat and were on our way at 3:15 PM.
Up and headed NE!
The Pride of Forest hot air balloon quickly climbed out to the northeast, rising above the tree tops and into the clear blue skies above.
Looking north
With light winds aloft, we elected to climb higher…ultimately reaching an altitude of over 3000′ MSL. There we were, slowly drifting to the east at about 5 mph….and then the moment struck. Butch turned to Laura and asked the question…”Will you Laura take me for another 4 years?” And without hesitation, she said “yes”!
Butch & Laura
We continued to drift easterly back towards Forest, not really sure where we ultimately going to land. Having flown for almost an hour, it was time to begin setting up for the final approach. We communicated with Lynchburg tower our intent to land off Rt. 811 and then slowly began our descent. Surface winds were still about 5 mph, so the landing was going to require some skilled manuvering. Just off Fox Ridge Road seemed to provide the best option, so that’s where we headed. After toping the trees, we performed a quick vent and brought The Pride of Forest down to the ground where our ground crew chief could assist with “weight on” to bring the balloon to a safe stop. Once secured, we walked the balloon back up to the road and commenced deflation procedures. Once down, it was time to party…so party we did…champagne and all!
Happy Anniversary!
Forest Winds says happy anniversary to Butch and Laura! Best wishes on the next 4!
For more pictures of Butch and Laura’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Butch_and_Laura_Flight_111509#
Last night at dinner Nicholas proposed to Rachel, and it all seemed so perfect. Here were two recent graduates of Liberty University, looking to further their education in Florida, but now looking at each other and planning a new life together. After Nicholas proposed to Rachel, it didn’t seem like it could get any better….but it did! This morning they were going to go on a balloon ride to celebrate their engagement. So at 7:00 AM they met up with the crew of Forest Winds, eager to begin what lay before them. After a quick wind assessment, we all drove out the selected launch site off Goode Station Road. The morning was extremely humid, dew still on the grass, and low lying ground fog covering the countryside. When visibility finally increased enough for a safe flight, The Pride of Forest hot air balloon was brought to life and Nicholas and Rachel climbed aboard.
We’re ready to go!
At precisely 7:58 AM, we were airborne and headed east.
Way cool!
Below us, the world was still asleep….Mother Nature even had the blanket (fog) pulled up over parts of the countryside bed.
Still asleep below.
With a little bit of altitude, it didn’t take too long before we approached the outskirts of Forest. Naturally we came down just above the tree tops to see about slowing down a little bit.
Nicholas & Rachel
Turns out we were actually able to backtrack a little bit and head southwest. So…..what the heck…we did that for a little while.
Backtracking!
After about an hour, we began to look for a suitable spot to set down, but Mother Nature had other plans. The winds were becoming variable, and the spot we had picked out was proving to be a little bit of a challenge to make. So, we changed the plan and climbed a little higher to catch a wind to the south. Before long, we crossed over West Manor and were making the approach for Everett Road. With a little bit of skilled flying, The Pride of Forest came to a perfect one hop landing just off the road at 9:22 AM.
With such a beautiful flight behind us, it definitely called for a celebration. So celebrate we did!
Cheers!
Forest Winds would like to say congratulations to Nicholas and Rachel on their engagement and would also like to wish them many more soft landings for all that lies ahead. The wedding has been set for July 17, 2010.
For more pictures of Nicholas and Rachel’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Nicholas_and_Rachel_Flight_111509#
Today was a perfect day for a hot air balloon ride, just as Lee’s family had hoped for. Clear blue skies, calm winds and 40°F….the morning dew was still on the grass. Before this morning arrived however, Lee’s husband Brian, her daughter Chelsea (student at JMU) and her son Michael (student at Jefferson Forest HS) surprised her with a very unique PowerPoint presentation centered around the hot air balloon theme….flight info, music, balloon pictures….the works! Lee had talked about wanting to see Forest from the air, and even had a hot air balloon ride on her bucket list. So it just seemed like the right time to make it happen.
Lee and family met with the Forest Winds hot air balloon team precisely at 6:45 AM. Sunrise was just two minutes later. With light surface winds from the west and winds aloft from the northwest, we needed to head west towards Goode and set up for inflation there. So everyone piled into the chase vehicle and we drove out to Goode Station Rd. Once there, we prepared for inflation. We even managed to recruit Michael as an honorary crew member to assist. In no time at all, The Pride of Forest hot air balloon came to life and at 7:45 AM we were ready for take-off. Lee and Chelsea were ready to go.
Lee and family!
Once airborne, we drifted slightly to the north, but quickly turned south as we gained altitude above 1600′ MSL.
Up, up, and away!
The visibility was absolutely spectacular, and oddly enough there was still a little color in the trees below.
Looking north.
We continued to climb higher and higher to see where the winds would take us. Even above 3000′ MSL, they were still very light and keeping us headed to the south. So we drifted in that direction for a while…all the time taking in the magnificent scenery around us. Chelsea kept busy snapping pictures with her cell phone camera.
Chelsea and Lee
After playing around at > 3000′ MSL for a while, we decided to come back down to the surface and see which way the winds would take us. Turns out we picked us a nice westerly wind just above the tree tops, so we continued to drift to the east back towards Forest, following Rt. 221.
Over Bedford County
With the flight going so well, time just managed to fly by …. but at 8:40 AM, it was about time to look for the perfect landing spot. It didn’t take too long however before we spotted a perfect field just outside of Forest near Virginia Memorial Park (off Rt. 221). Our ground crew was already on the scene and ready to assist the landing. The property owners were out on their back porch watching the approaching balloon. And at 8:52 AM, we were down….a perfect landing!
Although the flight was over, the magic wasn’t. With glasses raised high, we toasted to a great morning, a great flight, and to wonderful way to celebrate a birthday!
Happy birthday Lee!
For more pictures of Lee and Chelsea’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Lee_and_Chelsea_Flight_11809#
Diahn really wanted to do something special for her husband Mark, but there really wasn’t a special occasion. She just wanted to show Mark how much she loved him. On this particular Saturday, Mark was supposed to go into work early, but Diahn convinced him to postpone going in for just a few hours. Mark had no idea why. They both got into the car and Diahn quickly blindfolded Mark to keep the mystery alive. At 6:45 AM, Diahn and Mark arrived at that the designated meeting spot. With his blindfold still on, Mark emerged from the car not knowing what to expect.
Diahn keeping the mystery!
Diahn finally removed the blindfold and Mark immediately recognized that he was about to embark on a hot air balloon ride …. something the both of them have been talking about for quite some time. Forest Winds had already completed the wind assessment and selected the launch site, so we didn’t waste any time getting into the car and start heading to the location. Under clear skies and light winds from the southwest, The Peaks of Otter Trotter hot air balloon came to life just off Rt. 460 near Owens Market. At 32°F, there was a slight chill in the air and the ground was still damp from the early morning dew. After Ken (pilot) completed the pre-flight checks, Mark and Diahn climbed aboard.
We’re ready for takeoff!
At 7:50 AM, The Peaks of Otter Trotter was airborne and we were on our way.
See ya later!
Slowly we climbed out and began to head to the northeast.
Beautiful morning!
After we gained a little altitude and cleared the tree line, it didn’t take too long before The Peaks of Otter Trotter was cruising at 16 mph. Down below, you could hear the occasional dog bark, but for the most part it still seemed like everyone was still asleep.
Mark & Diahn
We continued to make our way to the northeast towards Forest, sometimes flying high, and sometimes flying low over the tree tops. The winds aloft were reported to be fairly high, so we elected to stay low and keep The Peaks of Otter Trotter at a reasonable cruising speed.
Looking northwest
As the morning sun continued to heat the land, the surface winds were beginning to build. From time to time Diahn would look down at the GPS and call out the balloon speed to Ken. Sometimes we would be cruising at 7 mph, and at other times we would be cruising less than 3. Around 8:40 AM, it was time to begin looking for a landing spot. We were just off Rocky Branch Dr. in the Brookstone subdivision, and just ahead was a perfect field to accommodate the forward momentum of the balloon and provide a large enough area to stay clear of any obstacles. So with a pull of the vent, Ken gently set The Peaks of Otter Trotter down with only two small skips. At 8:45 AM, we were safely down in the field….on Deer Hollow Road. Within 15 minutes, the Forest Winds ground crew was on the scene and making preps for the deflation and pack up.
Toasting to a great flight!
For more pictures of Mark and Diahn’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Mark_and_Diahn_Flight_11709#
This afternoon, Holly and David celebrated their first anniversary by flying aboard The Pride of Forest hot air balloon.
Holly & David
Airborne at 4:55 PM
Looking north
Celebrating 1 year
Just cruising
Looking east
Final approach
This blog entry is currently under development and will be finished in the next couple of days. Check back then for the full story of Holly & David’s flight!
For more pictures of Holly & David’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Holly_and_David_Flight_102509#
Fall is here and the leaves are almost at their peak. We haven’t been able to do much flying since July because of the weather. The reason is because the weekends have been either windy or wet (one or the other). Mother nature however finally gave us a break today, and we took advantage of it. Under mostly cloudy skies and light winds from the northeast, Ed (co-pilot) and I (pilot) took to the air in The Pride of Forest hot air balloon. With Lisa providing ground crew support, Ed and I went airborne around 8:21 AM just off Cedar Creek Road. Slowly we drifted to the southwest at about 3 mph.
Ken (pilot)
Ed (co-pilot)
It definitely felt good to be back up in the air again. For the most part, the folks of Forest hadn’t even begun their day. The flight was extremely peaceful. Only the occasional sound of the burners could be heard in the morning silence.
Headed southwest!
The sun was definitely trying its best to break through the clouds, and one in a while the terrain below would come to life.
Autumn in Central VA!
Looking north.
One hour and nine minutes later, we set down just west of Jefferson Forest High School. The landing was perfect!
This year Forest Winds, Inc. celebrated the 4th of July holiday in Lexington, Virginia, by participating in the 13th Annual Rotary BB&T Fourth of July Ballloon Rally. For the most part, weather was pretty good throughout Friday and Saturday, but rain from the west pushed in early Sunday morning and kept all balloons grounded. This balloon rally was especially meaningful for Ken and Lisa because each launch was conducted from the Virginia Military Institute parade field. Their son Andrew is currently attending VMI and will graduate in 2010. It was a similar balloon rally back in 2003 that got Ken interested in flying balloons. Who would have thought we would have been back six years later flying our own balloon?
We’d like to thank the following folks who flew with us Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday evening:
Friday Evening
Laura D. (Brentwood, TN)
Eric D. (Brentwood, TN)
Virginia R. (Staunton, VA)
Sidney S. (Staunton, VA)
Saturday Morning
Michele F. (Rockbridge Baths, VA)
Andrew W. (Stuarts Draft, VA)
Karen W. (Stuarts Draft, VA)
Robert M. Jr. (Chesapeake, VA)
Saturday Evening
Jackie K. (Springfield, MO)
Kristall K. (Springfield, MO)
Phyllis B. (Lexington, VA)
David T. (Lexington, VA)
VMI
Jackie & Kristall
Special thanks also go out to Ed (a.k.a. Ned Chase) and our son Nicholas for providing incredibly awesome ground crew support!
For more pictures of the balloon rally, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/13thAnnualBalloonRallyInLexingtonVirginia#
Today (June 28, 2009) was Mark’s birthday, and Karen (Mark’s wife) wanted to give him a really cool gift to celebrate. So Karen contacted Forest Winds and arranged to schedule an early morning hot air balloon ride for this Sunday morning. Mark had done a lot of other cool things over the years, but a hot air balloon ride hadn’t been one of them. Hopefully this would be something Mark would definitely remember for a long long time. At 6:00 AM, the couple joined the Forest Winds hot air balloon team to get the adventure underway. After a quick wind assessment, we drove up to the Boonsboro Ruritans Club off Coffee Road. Upon arrival, we noted that our primary field for takeoff was already taken by some dog training equipment. We therefore had to resort to plan “B” and takeoff from a nearby secondary field. The grass was still moist from the early morning dew and some of the dog owners were out walking their dogs.
It didn’t take long before The Pride of Forest was up and hot.
Warming up!
Surface winds were calm, the temperature was 61°F, and visibility at the airport was reported at 10 miles. Conditions were absolutely perfect for the morning flight, and Karen and Mark were ready to go.
Ready for takeoff!
At a little after 7:00 AM, we were on our way….drifting slowly to the south.
See ya later!
As we climbed a little bit, we definitely picked up some stronger winds, but as we climbed even higher, The Pride of Forest seemed to come almost to a stop. So there we were, almost 3000′ MSL, and going nowhere fast. The view however was nothing less than spectacular. To the north you could see House Mountain near Lexington, Virginia.
Karen & Mark
To get things moving again, we brought The Pride of Forest down closer the treetops and began to pick up speed. We were definitely on the move again and continued to fly back towards Forest (Forest Lake).
Forest Lake
As we slowly approached Rt. 221 in Forest, it was time to set back on the ground, so we began to look for a suitable spot to land. Directly in front of us was the nice green lawn of Sterling Blower located on Vista Centre Dr. The final approach was perfect, and the landing too!
Beautiful!
After we got the balloon deflated, it was time to celebrate! With glasses held high, we toasted to a beautiful flight and to Mark’s 50th birthday!
To soft landings!
What a great way to celebrate a birthday, and for Mark, it was just the beginning!
For more pictures of Karen & Mark’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Mark_and_Karen_Flight_62809#,
Today Judy and Pat celebrated their 44th anniversary, and Forest Winds was there! Also joining the celebration was Robert, who had received a gift certificate for his birthday last year. Judy and Pat drove down from Winchester to visit their daughter, Melanie, in Roanoke. Melanie wanted to do something very special for her parents, so she gave Forest Winds a call and scheduled a hot air balloon ride for today. Everyone got together a precisely 6:00 AM. Ken (pilot) did a quick wind assessment and pretty soon the entire gang was on their way to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School for the inflation. Once there, Ken did another quick wind assessment to confirm wind direction and speed. As it turned out, the wind direction had changed and it looked like New London airport (W90) would provide the most favorable site. So we all got back into the car and headed south to New London. Once there, Lisa and Ed (our incredible ground crew) assembled the balloon and began the inflation.
In about 25 minutes, The Pride of Forest hot air balloon was brought to life, and Judy, Pat, and Robert climbed aboard. On the surface, the winds were calm, the temperature was about 68°F, and the relative humidity was 90%. Lynchburg airport was reporting visibility at 8 miles.
Ready for takeoff!
At 7:23 AM, we were airborne over the south field of New London airport (W90). With a light wind from the north, we slowly climbed out and began to head south, southeast.
Airborne!
Climbout over W90
During the climbout, Judy seemed a little tense and hung on tight, but Pat was busy taking all kinds of pictures and moving about the basket. At one point, Judy turned to Pat and politely asked him to stop moving and shaking the basket. It didn’t take long however before Judy began to relax and feel comfortable with the altitude. The Pride of Forest continued its ascent to almost 3000′ AGL to find more favorable winds to turn us north. As we climbed higher and higher, the haze on the horizon became more pronounced. It was readily apparent that the hot hazy days of summer were here.
Blue skies!
No matter how high we climbed, the winds were obviously not going to change. So we continued our flight to the south, southeast. Much of the terrain to the south looked pretty wooded, so Ken elected to return to the surface and navigate towards open fields between Bethel Church Road and Evington Road.
Judy and Pat
After about 35 minutes from takeoff, we were approaching the open fields off Evington Road that Ken was navigating to. Although the winds were fairly light, they were extremely variable and it didn’t seem like we had any prevailing direction in which to anticipate the landing. Since the fields were wide enough, it seemed like it would be a lot of fun to scoot across the surface and allow Robert to lean out pick some wildflowers off the field. So up and down we went….
Robert
At one point in the flight, the landowner of the property came out to see if everything was all right (since he saw us bobbing along). Of course, everything was just fine. We were just toodling, looking for the perfect spot to set it down and begin the post flight celebration. At 8:15 AM, we were safely on the ground just off Evington Road (New London). With a pull of the vent, The Pride of Forest was quickly deflated and resting on a dry tarp.
Lisa set up a beautiful light food fare right next to the landing point, and with glasses raised high, everyone celebrated a safe and successful flight. It was a perfect setting….and a great way to start the morning!
Cheers!
Forest Winds says Happy Anniversary to Judy and Pat…and Happy Belated Birthday to Robert!
For more pictures of Judy, Pat and Robert’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/Judy_Pat_Robert_Flight_62709#
Rebecca had always wanted to take a hot air balloon ride, and on several occassions had come close, but for one reason or another had never quite made it in the air. The nice people Rebecca worked with at the Booker T. Washington National Monument apparently had known this and wanted to make her dream come true when she retired. So they contacted Forest Winds for a gift certificate and used that certificate to make a very special presentation (complete with a bouqet of balloons) at her retirement party. Rebecca wanted to share this experience with her entire family, so this past Sunday (June 14, 2009) she, her husband (Robert), and two sons (Thad and Matthew) drove up from Rocky Mount, Virginia to take an afternoon ride.
The afternoon forecast called for light winds from the southeast, partly cloudy skies, and a very small chance of afternoon thunderstorms. All signs pointed to a nice ride. At 5:30 PM, Rebecca and family met up with the Forest Winds team. After a quick wind assessment, a launch site just off the intersection of Waterlick Road and Leesville Road was chosen. We drove out to the launch site and re-confirmed the wind conditions with another pilot balloon. Ken (pilot) called the Lynchburg airport to get an update on any storm activity in the immediate area. With no storm activity in the immediate area, and light winds still from the southeast, we immediately began inflation.
After a few quick pre-flight checks, Rebecca and family climbed aboard The Pride of Forest hot air balloon.
Rebecca & family
At just after 6:30 PM, we were up and on our way. The balloon slowly climed out over the tree tops and began drifting to the north-northwest at about 6 mph.
Airborne!
The view from below!
We quickly crossed over Timberlake Road….Lynchburg airport was to our back, and the Peaks of Otter to our front. The world below seemed to be caught up in the everyday business of life, but we just continued to drift peacefully along to the northeast…ultimately climbing to an altitude of about 1900′ MSL.
Timberlake Road
Robert, Thad, Rebecca & Matthew
We don’t often get lucky enough to fly directly over Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest home, but today we did. Very cool!
Poplar Forest
The Pride of Forest continued to make its zig-zag flight path across the Forest landscape. As we neared Rt. 221, you could see a rain front building off to the north just beyond the Bedford and Amherst County line around the Natural Bridge area. Just about that time, Lynchburg tower called up on the aircraft radio and advised of the same. Activity was apparently moving south from the Lexington area. That was our cue to get the balloon safely on the ground.
Cruising!
Based upon our current flight path, it looked like we would be able to successfully set down in a field just off Gumtree Road, but as we neared the field it became readily apparent that the field had been recently seeded…so we made the decision to fly on to the next field just off to the west. The final approach brought us in at a speed of about 7 mph, but the field was long enough to allow the balloon to glide just above the ground and conduct a gentle set down. Once we were on the ground, it became a race against Mother Nature. Everyone pitched in to quickly deflate and pack up the balloon, probably setting a world record for quickest pack up. We then took the post flight celebration over to a nearby covered pavillion. No sooner after we had just made the toast, the skies opened up with the rain. We however stayed nice and dry under the pavillion!
The celebration toast!
For more pictures of Rebecca & family’s flight, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/forestwindsinc/RebeccaSFlight61409#
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