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2 Local Pilots Scheduled to GLOW at Statesville Criterium Bike Race AUG 5

8/3/2016

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from 2013 Statesville Criterium Bike Race... our local glow Pilots were Sam Parks and Drew Edgerton!
For the sixteenth year in a row, the streets of Downtown Statesville will come alive with the speed, color and crashes of the Statesville Criterium Bike Race being held on Friday, August 5th. This event, organized by Charlotte Sports Cycling, is one of several criterium races involved in the Giordana Crossroads Classic being held this year in several cities across the Piedmont of North Carolina. The races will begin at 6:00 pm and get faster as the sun starts to set with the feature Pro race highlighting the evening at 9:00 pm.

In between the races, watch the 2016 Trike Races brought to you by D’Laney’s Sports Bar & Grill. These races will start at the square and end in front of D’Laney’s at 114 W. Broad Street. The trike races will run at 6:35 pm, 7:20 pm, 8:05 pm, and 8:55 pm. We encourage spectators to come out for the night with the whole family, grab dinner in downtown, and check out the fast action of the World’s top cyclists. Inflatable rides for the kids will be provided at no charge on East Broad Street. Please mark your calendars for this great downtown event. If you have any questions, please call us at 704-878-3436 for more information.

Join us for a fun night in downtown Statesville... ask us about volunteer openings! Enjoy a special display and balloon glow after dark with pilots Marc Klinger and Daniel Sasser!
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Annual Statesville Bike race to Honor Jeff Archer >
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​Carolina BalloonFest Extends Condolences and Pledges Ongoing Safety

8/1/2016

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Statesville, NC (8/1/2016) - The organization of National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc. is deeply saddened to learn of a 16 person fatal hot air balloon accident in Lockhart, Texas.
 
"We extend our hearts, thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of all people involved," said Pressly Mattox, Chairman of Carolina BalloonFest (CBF).  "We are members of a small hot air balloon community and this is a difficult time for our ballooning family.”
 
National Balloon Rally Charities will not comment about the specifics of the accident since it is currently under a National Transportation and Safety Board investigation. Nothing is more important than the safety of our pilots and passengers during the weekend of Carolina BalloonFest. We anticipate learning from this investigation and will certainly use any forthcoming information to uphold and continue our impressive safety record.
 
"As a member of Balloon Federation of America, we intend to continue monitoring news and official reports. We are committed to ongoing, continuous improvement and seek ways to improve safety during our hot air balloon festival,” said Mattox.

Pressly Mattox
Chairman, National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc.
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Happy Birthday, America!

7/1/2016

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Carolina BalloonFest shares $113,000 at Giving Tuesday Celebration!

12/3/2015

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Robb Collier, Executive Director and Bob Dooley, 2015 Event Chair of Carolina BalloonFest announce big news... $113,000 donated to benefit dozens of community nonprofit organizations!
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Local nonprofit leaders accept donations from National Balloon Rally Charities, December 1, 2015!

National Balloon Rally Charities awards $113,000 to dozens of community nonprofit organizations
at Giving Tuesday Celebration, 
December 1, 2015

National Balloon Rally Charities awards a total of $113,000 of 2015 Carolina BalloonFest proceeds to community nonprofit organizations. Over a dozen Designated Volunteer Groups will accept $100,000 and another $13,000 will be donated in honor of 2015 Board Members.
 
Over 40 thousand hot air balloon enthusiasts arrived in Statesville to celebrate the joy of hot air ballooning during the 3-day weekend of October 21-23, 2015. National Balloon Rally Charities thanks everyone who contributed their time and support to the success of our 42nd annual Carolina BalloonFest - an event that can only be hosted with the participation of hundreds of volunteers, dozens of sponsors, over 50 hot air balloon pilots and dozens of media partners, entertainers and vendors.  

Designated nonprofit organizations provide hundreds of volunteers at Carolina BalloonFest which qualify them to become post-event beneficiaries. These community organizations include Statesville Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, Statesville Kiwanis, Iredell SCAN, Boy Scout Troop 174, Boy Scout Troop 607, Boy Scout Troop 609, Wilkes County Boy Scout Troop 335, Mitchell Community College Endowment for Excellence, North Iredell High School Cheerleaders, Habitat for Humanity of Iredell County, Civil Air Patrol Iredell Squadron, Children's Homes of Iredell County, DECA - Mooresville Schools, West Iredell High School Band, West Iredell Choral Group, Balloon Federation of America Youth Scholarship Program, Carolinas Balloon Association Youth Scholarship Program.
 
The honor gifts from 2015 Board Members will be accepted by Children's Hope Alliance, Hope's Wing, Fifth Street Ministries, My Sisters House, Rolling Thunder Chapter 2, Tribute to the Troops, NC, Power Cross, Iredell Christian Ministries, Power Cross, South Iredell Band Boosters, Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont, March of Dimes, Iredell Christian Ministries, Iredell SCAN, South Iredell IB School.
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Your Guide to Weather

10/15/2015

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If you see a pilot looking at their iPad or phone, chances are they are looking at a weather app. Balloonists pay a lot of attention to weather. Walk by a crowd of them at Carolina BalloonFest, and if they are not talking about it then it has been discussed in the last few minutes. We understand it is a great mystery to people and we want to try to help. So....I got a little help from a special guest to give you a little weather and ballooning lesson.

Duncan Dunavent is a special member of our local ballooning community and most weekends you can find him helping crew hot air balloons. He has also attended the Great Eastern Balloon Camp for several summers, as well as a weather camp. Duncan is 14 and a student at the South Iredell IB School. If you see Duncan around the festival this weekend and have ballooning questions, I am sure he will be happy to help answer them. But in the meantime, here's some thoughts on the weather from Duncan!

Weather For Ballooning 

Most people love to see hot air balloons at the festival and will come at any part of the day expecting to see them. However if you get there at 2:00, there will be no balloons taking off to fly. Did you ever wonder why?

Balloons only fly in this part of the country during the early morning, right after sunrise, and just about 2 hours before sunset. During the rest of the day the sun causes the atmosphere to become unstable. The winds will also probably be too high and unstable and the balloons need calm winds.

At Carolina BalloonFest, our Balloonmeister Sam Parks has the final say as to whether it is safe for balloons to fly. Even though the wind may be calm on the BalloonFest field, Sam and his team are watching how they look higher up and all around the area. It may be calm at 500 feet, but breezy at 3,000.

The balloons also cannot fly with rain around the area. Though it may be sunny on the BalloonFest field, it might be raining close by. The FAA will not allow a balloon to take off with a thunderstorm or rain within 10 miles of the field. Most pilots prefer that a thunderstorm be at least 75-100 miles away and not moving towards them.

Under FAA regulations (not just for BalloonFest, but across the entire USA) balloons must have a minimum of 3 miles visibility. This means if it is too foggy, they also cannot fly.

While the Balloonmeister has the overall say as to whether balloons can fly at the festival, most pilots have their own personal limits. Even if the Balloonmeister opens the field and allows balloons to fly, it is always the pilot's final decision as to whether they will fly their balloon.

The Balloonmeister and his team of experts spend a lot of their time at the festival tracking the weather. If the weather is looking iffy at the pilot's briefing (a meeting where they talk about flying conditions), then they put things on hold and continue to look at the weather before they make a final decision. Watch the flagpole. If the yellow flag is up, there is a delay as they watch conditions. If the green flag goes up, it means pilots are allowed to fly. If the pink flag goes up, the pilots gather for another meeting. If the flag is red, the balloons will not be able to fly.

If the pilots cannot fly, they try to see if there is anything else they can do that day. If the winds on the ground are low and stable, they may be able to tether the balloons. If it is night, may be able to do a balloon glow. 

Pilots love to fly their balloons, so they are often the most disappointed when conditions don't allow for it to happen. You can be assured of this...if it is safe to fly, they will be ready to launch!



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A Talk With Our Pilots – Memorable Flights - Part 2

10/13/2015

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 Hang out around any hot air balloon pilot for long, and the stories will start to flow. We wanted them to share some of these with you, so we asked them "Who was your most interesting passenger?"

Jack Ponticelli – “A feisty 97-year old woman. She always wanted to fly in a balloon. Her great grandson surprised her when he picked her up from the assisted living home and told her he was taking her for a drive in the country. Since she could not stand for extended periods, I put a chair for her to sit in during the flight. Occasionally I would ask her how she was doing. Finally she said, and I will never forget her reply, “I am fine. What do you think….I am going to die?” My reply was “I hope not during the ride.”  

Madison Sharpe – “I would have to say Gray Gaulding has been the most interesting passenger I have flown. He is a 16 year old, from Statesville, NC that is racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.”

Anthony Seeger – “I flew the Watermelon Queen in Immokalee, FL this year. She was nervous at first, but started to relax and enjoy the flight after a few minutes.”  

Bubba Winston - “Professional basketball player Ralph Sampson. At 7 ft. 4 in. Ralph simply scissor stepped into the basket, then had to lean away from the burner when I had to burn.”  

Buddy Carter – “A crew member’s dad was dying of cancer and was wanting a hot air balloon ride. We broke him out of the hospice unit, with the doctor’s permission, and took him for a flight. It was one of the flights you never forget. He was still telling everyone about his flight up to the morning he passed from this world to be with his Heavenly Father.”  

Charlie Schoebel – “Two naked girls when I was in my 20s. It was a paid flight and they wanted to have their fantasy flight.”     

Wayne Fortney - "I flew the Ambassadress to Croatia in my basket once. She enjoyed her adventure and invited my crew and I to Croatia any time we wanted. It was quite the adventure."

Chris Sommers - "John Travolta, Kathy Bates, Wynonna Judd"

Clarke Harbold – “Any veteran.”

David Bristol – “Once I had country singer Ty England (Former backup singer and guitarist for Garth Brooks) start his concert from my balloon. I was tethered beside the stage and he was wearing a cordless microphone singing in my basket. I have also had many passengers get engaged in my balloon, several balloon weddings, and even one divorce!”

Bill Whidden – “Ted Turner. Flew him in his North Florida buffalo ranch. He wanted to land among his buffalo herd, which I didn’t think was a good idea. But he insisted, so we did. The buffalo took a few minutes to decide what they thought of the strange beast that landed and then stampeded – not once, but several times. I was reminded of the movie “Dances With Wolves” as they stampeded past and could only think about the newspaper would have to say the next day (“Ted Turner And Local Balloonist Trampled By Buffalo Herd”.”) By the way, do you know how hard it is to get buffalo poop off a balloon?”  



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A Talk With Our Pilots – Memorable Flights - Part 1

10/11/2015

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 One thing you’ll find out about most of our pilots….they have some great stories to tell! So we asked our pilots “Who has been your most interesting passenger(s) in your balloon. Tell us about your flight….  

Sally Lidinsky – “I had the pleasure of flying 3 generations at the same time: a man, his daughter, and granddaughter. It was very cool to experience the flight from each of their perspectives. Additionally, this man was a long-time member of a motorcycle club and about 15 members of the club chased us on their motorcycles. It was awesome.”  

Tom Rousch – “A Polish heiress. We flew in the Alps, landed next to a pub, and she treated us all to dinner and lots of beer. Our crew arrived very later, and we were all pretty inebriated. Lots of laughing and singing! My crew was not pleased with us.”  

Tony Colburn – “I had a couple who had a reverse wedding. First they had the reception at the launch site, then they got married in front of the inflated balloon. After they were pronounced husband and wife, they got in the balloon and we flew off. The flight was uneventful but at the landing we had a champagne toast with the couple sitting on the bagged balloon.”  

Ty Parson – “Had a young couple do an engagement ride, and we were so excited for them, but after the flight they confessed they were already married for two years. He had wanted to give her the ring in a balloon ride with another balloonist and the weather never worked out for him. We were so surprised and laughed so hard. Wonderful memories.”    

Ed McDaniel – “My instructor David Stinebaugh. He always made things interesting and one morning when we were flying we got to see the space shuttle launch. That’s something you just don’t usually get to see from a balloon!”

Randy Lee – “Guys doing marriage proposals. We have done well over 100. We make proposals a memorable experience. They are interesting because of the way they propose with different styles and levels of nervousness. I can say everyone has dropped to their knee except one. One lady didn’t say no, but she did say she would have to think about it and gave the ring back to him. Had one leave the ring in the chase vehicle, so we waiting until after the flight for celebration. Had one to pin the ring in his pocket with a safety pin and his hands were shaking so bad I thought I was going to have to help!”  

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Where Are Our Pilots?

10/7/2015

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2015 Fiesta Photos courtesy of Lisa Williams

It's a busy time in ballooning season right now. Some of our Carolina BalloonFest pilots are in the midst of Albuquerque's International Balloon Fiesta. For nine straight days, around 550 pilots are flying their skies, from about 50 different countries. It's quite the ballooning event.

Things are a bit different in Albequerque. They only fly in the morning there. They can't fly in the evening as we do in North Carolina, but instead they have some pretty tremendous balloon glows.

They are not immune from weather issues in Albuquerque either. Earlier this week the pilots said they went into their morning pilot's briefing thinking they would not be able to fly. Conditions changed quickly, as they sometimes do, and they were able to fly both mornings. For the pilots and spectators, day made!

One thing Carolina BalloonFest has in common with Albuquerque... we share "our" balloonmeister with them. Statesville's Sam Parks has served as the balloonmeister in Albequerque for the past three years. The balloonmeister is essentially the "head balloonist".... the person who, with his team of experts, is making decisions such as to whether the pilots are safe to fly. There are a lot of administrative duties that go with the job, and lots of responsibility. This means lots of stress. He's responsible for all of the launches that you see taking off at Albuquerque, all those balloons. As you see pictures come from there, or videos, or spend some time watching their webcams, know that Sam is in the midst of it all.....working hard to make sure that it is a safe event for all.

While some of our pilots enjoy Albuquerque, a few will be flying closer to home this weekend. Our friends in Anderson will be hosting Balloons Over Anderson. The pilots should be in perfect flying shape when they come to Statesville,

One thing that we are proud of.....we have not only the highest quality balloonmeister, but we have high quality pilots at our event who love this sport. We'll tell you about some of them in the coming days. We're so excited that they choose to come to Statesville, many year after year. We're proud of our event, and our city, and excited to share the great ballooning heritage with folks from our area and those who come to visit. We're looking forward to seeing you.....we hope you are excited about what is to come!
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Taking a Ride at Carolina BalloonFest

9/29/2015

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Yes, that could be you in the basket! Carolina BalloonFest is a great place to take your first balloon ride...or your second....or your tenth! Being up in the air with the crowds below, and other balloons around you.....it is quite amazing.  Each year folks come to Statesville and check that experience off their bucket list. Many people have gotten engaged at Carolina BalloonFest, and a few have gotten married. The couple in the picture were married last year, surrounded by family and friends and, well, a very big crowd of strangers. After they were pronounced man and wife, they took off for what I am sure was quite a memorable flight.

Balloon rides at Carolina BalloonFest are $250 per person. You can find booking information online at the Carolina BalloonFest website. If a pilot is booking rides and has passenger space available, you will find contact information for them on our pilot page.  Book a Ride  Scroll down the page and you will be able to see a picture of their balloons.

Why are balloon rides so expensive? Let's look at what it takes. All pilots who offer them have to be commercial pilots. That means they have paid for training and testing that goes beyond being a private pilot (which in itself is quite the accomplishment)....and continue to be tested throughout their career. They never stop learning.

Then there is the cost of the hot air balloon itself. Hot air balloons are expensive. We usually tell people to think of the cost of one on the same level as a car. Like a car, you can get them used, or new, or very, very upgraded and specialized.

Also like a car balloons have to be inspected and maintained. To transport their balloon, the pilot needs a chase vehicle. They have to have room to transport their balloon, crew, and passengers. The balloon flies on propane, the chase vehicle needs gasoline. Both the balloon and the vehicle need insurance. Then there are the electronics... those things the pilot uses to help fly the balloon, and those the pilot and chase crew use to stay in communication.

There also is the people factor....a pilot needs a good chase crew to help them set the balloon up, launch, follow them (wherever they go), and be there to help them take the balloon down. It's a big investment of time for a lot of people....not just the pilot.

Other things impact the cost, too, but that gives you an idea. Ballooning is an expensive sport....no one gets rich doing it!

How long is a ride? Usually around 45 minutes, but that can vary greatly. The weather matters, of course. What's going on with the winds? What time did you launch? There actually is a limited window of flyable time....pilots can fly in this area morning and night, but there are usually only a couple of flyable hours. And where can they land? Pilots spend most of their flight looking for good landing spots. For example, they want a place that is power-line free, they want to stay away from livestock, they want to land in a place where their chase vehicle can have access, and they want to land in a place where the landowner is friendly. Pilots love to fly....but they also want a safe landing. That is their priority on any flight.

Communicate with your pilot as to any plans you have for the flight, such as if you are planning to propose. They need to be aware of what is going to happen during the flight in advance, so they are not distracted as they are flying. (They're good secret keepers...honest!) They'll ask you questions, like about your weight, not to be nosy but because there are weight limits they must adhere to for the balloon. Be honest with them....it's really for a purpose and not for random curiosity. Tell them about any health issues, so you can discuss whether it is a good idea for you to fly, or so they can make necessary accommodations. You can even tell them if you are scared to death of taking the flight.  They want it to be a good experience for you and often can talk you through those fears.

Most of our pilots offering rides have full baskets for the weekend before BalloonFest gets here, so make plans now if that is something that you want to do. I took my first ride at Carolina BalloonFest years ago, and I loved every second of it. I hope the same for you. So go ahead....give it a try. Wave at the crowd as you descend up in the air. And don't forget your camera...this will be the photo op of a lifetime!  Book a Ride

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The Heart of the Festival

9/20/2015

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Yes,  you can see them on the horizon, Statesville.... the balloons are coming and Carolina BalloonFest is about a month away. We're getting excited.....how about you? Our community has such a great history in hot air ballooning and we are continuing to make history every single year. We'll talk about that as we lead up to BalloonFest, but I think we need to begin by talking about what most of us feel is even more special....the reason why we do what we do.

Almost every person you see working at Carolina BalloonFest is a volunteer. A lot of volunteers are required for an event of this size, and Statesville shows up! Most represent the charities that will share in the profits from  Carolina BalloonFest, but some come out simply because they love the event and want to help make sure it is a success. Last year over $82,000 was given out to local charities.  An outstanding result of a spectacular weekend.

You may know the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is one of the major charities that benefits from the event....and it is difficult to miss all of the many volunteers that they bring. It's been a great partnership and we welcome them back this year. Many of the Relay volunteers are team members who have been impacted by cancer....both cancer survivors and those who love them. Others work in memory of those who lost their battle with cancer. Will those folks be watching the balloons and the bands from the cloud seats? Perhaps....give them a wave just in case!

SCAN is another local charity that will be represented by volunteers at the event. SCAN stands for "Support, Coaching, Accountability and Nurturing" and their purpose is to prevent abuse to children in our community and to create better childhoods, coaching and supporting their parents to build stronger families. We are proud to support this great organization.

You'll also see Scouts and school groups and businesses and individuals who support the event.... all working together to make sure that things run as smoothly as possible. Most volunteers work at least a four hour shift, and get a t-shirt, a parking pass, and gate pass to enjoy the rest of the events of the day.

If you want to help support our local charities, want to work for your admission to the festival, or simply love the event and want to lend a hand, please sign up to volunteer with us. It's quite an original way to raise money for charity.....and we think a good one. Carolina BalloonFest is about much more than balloons gracing our skies..... we're raising money for some great charities. But it does take quite the volunteer labor force.....are you willing to join us?  Check out this link here to get started.  Volunteer!

But if you aren't volunteering this year, please be an encourager to those who are. Most are doing tasks outside of their regular jobs and outside of their comfort zone. Some have never volunteered before, while others have volunteered for many years. Most will not know all of the answers....but will do their best to find them. Give them your smile, a high five, and let them know what a great job they are doing! They're investing their time for a good cause....working long hours for no pay...but yet doing their best to make the event special for all of our guests. Hooray for the volunteers....and for all of the great charities that we all get to support through Carolina BalloonFest!

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Rain or Shine... Carolina BalloonFest is open October 16-18, 2020!  
Hot Air Balloon Flights are scheduled twice daily; early morning & late afternoon. All ballooning activities including static display, tethered rides and balloon flights are weather-dependent.  The decision to inflate hot air balloons is made just prior to the scheduled ballooning activity.  Please note that due to the popularity of our festival, our admissions booths will close when we reach maximum capacity. This is a decision out of our control and made by local law enforcement.  Tickets are non-refundable. National Balloon Rally Charities donates a portion of our festival proceeds to other local nonprofits and surrounding community agencies. 
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©2020 National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc. is an incorporated 501(c)(3) charitable organization and all contributions are tax deductible. A portion of proceeds raised through Carolina BalloonFest are distributed to local nonprofit organizations. ​PO Box 267 ~ Statesville NC 28687
Festival Location is near Statesville Regional Airport at 260 Hangar Drive, Statesville, NC 28677. ​Parking will be available on site and at park and ride. NO ROADSIDE PARKING - vehicles will be towed where NO PARKING signs are posted. Walk in spectators will not be admitted. Ticket scanning will be in progress.

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