March 23, 2013 (vows) v Passengers: Ian & Heidi with Duncan & Molly, Fitzgerald We have been rebuilding the basket for several weeks and today we are getting a chance to show off all our hard work. We have the Fitzgerald family Mom & Dad and the two youngsters and we will have them reaffirm their Wedding vows of 15 years ago. Since we are in the “winter” mode and have to go inside for the post flight picnic we meet in the parking lot at the ‘Penny’ where we will end the morning. After releasing a “pi-ball” (our test helium balloon) I see that the upper winds are as predicted and we load up in the van and head out to Keizer for the launch site at a middle school parking lot. We have a “bit” of maintenance to do as we removed the skirt last flight for some “overdue” repairs. Once the skirt is in place the gang gets Starship pulled out for the inflation. We are standing and I call for the passengers to get on board, after the “briefing” we are off the lot with a salute from the gang. We clear the school and catch the 3 MPH breeze off the school heading to the south. With the light winds and the high humidity the clear sky we had at 6 AM are gone by sunrise and the deck is scattered all over the valley. We drift across Keizer and wake up some folks along the way to Northeast Salem. Ian and Heidi are ready to reaffirm their vows so I gain some altitude to provide a couple of minutes of “quiet” for the exchange. After they are completed it’s time to look for a spot to PARK this morning. I set up for the State Fairgrounds (180 acres-!/3 of it asphalt) and the “gang” is on the spot waiting for us. With a little help from the gang we are on the pavement next to the “Tram” ride and get the balloon tied and in the bag for the official sit. We load up and head back across town to the restaurant for the picnic, ‘inside and WARM! I get the story started, the toast is done and the certificates are presented. PASSENGER COMMENTS: ”We had a wonderful time up in the air renewing or vows! A very good experience, with a whole morning of fun ending with a wonderful breakfast. Thank you for making our experience great and being part of our 15th Anniversary and vow renewal! A BIG thank you to today’s Crew (I can’t get in the air or back on the ground without’um) Cecil, Molly, Mike, Tim & Brett TRACK Average Speed: 3.0 MPH Distance Flown: 3.5 Miles See the video of today’s Flight! NOTE: You will need Adobe Flash 9 to play this video Websystem hosting provided by WolfPk. | Site Map Copyright © 2003-2017 Balloon Flying Service of Oregon, Inc. Legal Information All Rights Reserved.