May 31, 2013 Passengers: Veldeane Stull, Amy & Mattie Moon We have lost a couple of days to bad weather but we now have a “summer high pressure building in from California and it’s a beautiful day to go fly. I call for the Keizer launch site at the new boat ramp and the test balloon tells us we will have a nice flight across town to the south, southeast. We get the gear off “Victor” and Cecil take’s our “youngster” inside for a “peek” at Starship that few get to see. When standing I call for the passengers to come on board and after the “briefing” we are off the lot and heading out to the east, southeast. We cross the river then into West Salem and over Riverbend pond and then again cross the river (it makes a 90* turn there) again into NE Salem heading south. I point out the “Jesus” church and see that the “gang” is right on the job below us trying to guess where to go next. The winds are still pretty light and I catch a push from due north and we head toward the Capitol Mall area and directly for the “Park on the Mall” which is a great LZ (landing zone). I call for the shot to the ‘X’ in the middle and when I drop for set-up we get shoved off to the east and will miss this first LZ. This hook to the east will set up LZ #2, Bush Elementary School and again we get shoved off. We pass over some children waiting for the buss and I send down a “bean bag” for them to catch, and the do! Next shot will be the Mission Mill complex parking lot as they aren’t open yet and “balloon friendly”. Mother Nature is putting me to the test today and she pushes us a bit off track and that will be LZ #3…missed! We cross over Mission Street and if this track will hold for a bit longer we might make the airport? Again down for the shot and now we get a push back to the west (where did that come from) and will miss LZ #4. The west shove puts Salmon Run into play, a “balloon friendly” Walling property off Mcgilchrist St. The push from the east is slight but just enough to make us miss the parking lot by about 80 feet and over a building so LZ #5 slips by. The next workable spot would be the NORPAC canneries 6 & 7 off Madrona and the “gang” stages there but the west push dies off and we again hook back over the tracks back toward the south, just missed LZ #6. (note: check out TRACK B) We are now into this fight about and hour and a half and still in the air? The next shot is a Middle school over the hill from the cannery and I have the gang move to it. The breeze has picked up and I’ll use a tree top to take off some speed. I set the shot with the school hidden behind the tree line, clip the tree and we slip into the grassy “turn around” area to the waiting “gang” for the drop line. It is a TIGHT spot and an ornamental flowering cherry pays a price for “meeting” the bottom end of Starship’s basket. School is in session so Tim goes into see if I’m in trouble, seems that this is Free Friday with the last week of school and several classes come out to see us. They help with the deflate and then getting the envelope back in the bag, nothing like “young” people around a balloon. We get loaded back up and head to Keizer for the picnic. I get the story started, the toast is done and the certificates are presented. PASSENGER COMMENTS: Amy: “Today was an incredible blessing! My daughter and I took my grandmother on a balloon ride for her 88th Birthday. We had a long flight (hour and 40 min.) and landed at a school. All the 7th & 8th grades came out and helped us pack up the balloon. It was an amazing experience and a memory we’ll have forever.” Veldeane: “Thank you for this special gift!” A BIG thank you to today’s Crew (I can’t get in the air or back on the ground without’um) Tim, Cecil TRACK The “zoom in” of the missed LZ’s TRACK B Average Speed: 4.0 MPH Distance Flown: 7.5 Miles Websystem hosting provided by WolfPk. | Site Map Copyright © 2003-2017 Balloon Flying Service of Oregon, Inc. Legal Information All Rights Reserved.