April 26, 2013 Passengers: Lisa & Joan Aofrate Mother Nature is still on her BEST behavior and I call for a launch site that we haven’t used for over a year while the construction was in process. Keizer has added a “boat ramp” to the Rapids Park complex and that adds a lot of asphalt for us to use for a nice clean launch site. We get the gear unloaded and the balloon pumped up and ready for the passengers to board. We are off the lot and catch the drift to the south just before 7 AM. Since we are right on the river we cross it into West Salem and the farm country there. Up high we have a “stiff breeze” (9 MPH) so I drop back low and loose the speed but get more push from the east (peek at the TRACK) which will take us up the hill into mostly residential area. The LZ’s (landing zones) in this area are scarce so I will have to get some help from the “Gods” today. We continue the drift to the south, southwest up the hill and I will have to find a school or a park for the LZ today and they are limited up here. We slip to the east of Chapman Hill and the next shot is Meyers which I have a track for but the last few hundred feet I get a push to the west and the shot is not workable. Down wind is a SMALL park in bit of a bowl, College Heights and we have a straight shot for it. I have to “clip” the top of a fir tree to take off some speed and we drop into the park as the gang comes down the hill. While we get the deflate done the “girls” have to try out the swings. I call for the passengers to do the “sit” and we load up and head back to Keizer for the picnic. I get the story started, the toast is done and the certificates are presented. A great day to play and fun passengers to “play” with, a great Mother & Daughter from south Salem. I do think we will have to “add some paint” to at least one spot at the NEW BOAT ramp parking lot and add “& BALLOON TRUCK”. Thank you Terry W. and all the folks that made this facility happen…it is BEAUTIFUL!! PASSENGER COMMENTS: Lisa & Joan: “Today we had a wonderful and relaxing ride from Keizer to West Salem. Jim was a delight! On the landing we just ‘bumped’ the top of a fir tree for a ‘break’ and landed in College Heights Park. Mom and I enjoyed the swings while the crew packed up the balloon. Thank You!!” A BIG thank you to today’s Crew (I can’t get in the air or back on the ground without’um) Cecil, Tim & Mike TRACK Average Speed: 3.0 MPH Distance Flown: 4.1 Miles Websystem hosting provided by WolfPk. | Site Map Copyright © 2003-2017 Balloon Flying Service of Oregon, Inc. Legal Information All Rights Reserved.