August 5, 2013 Passengers: Ed & Sara Letterman Today we have a “special flight” with some very long time friends to help celebrate their 20th Anniversary and I think we have know them all for those years too. I call for the Keizer site as the start and we move to the school for the launch site. Shirley (the boss) took the call from their daughter a couple of months ago about this flight and booked it then. When she told me about it I was amazed that Ed was going along with it… he crewed for us for a LOT of years and only EVER took ONE ride. Needless to say that flying was NOT his passion in ballooning, but the “chase” always lit his FIRE! We have a perfect day for an “Ed” flight, beautiful sunrise, clear skies and little or no wind to speak of. The gang puts Starship together, when full Cecil adds the heat and I call for our guests to come on board. We are gently off the lot and creep up to altitude. We will hang around Keizer for all of the flight with only a slight breeze to the west up high and a opposite breeze lower taking us back to the east. The first pass we go toward the lake then the second is over the golf course. We cross River Road twice and will do so again after I miss the first LZ (landing zone) at the Medical Center at Inland Shores. I know that over the tree line is the $2 million lot and have the gang move there. We hop over the power lines and into the waiting arms of the “gang” for the catch and tow to a cleaner spot. The balloon gets deflated, then tagged up and the guests do the sit for us. We head back to City Hall for the picnic, and a short drive it is. I get the story started, the toast is done and the certificates are presented. PASSENGER COMMENTS: Ed & Sara: “It was a great ride, an awesome way to commemorate 20 years! A BIG thank you to today’s Crew (I can’t get in the air or back on the ground without’um) Mike, Cecil, Ed TRACK Average Speed: 2.0 MPH Distance Flown: 2.7 Miles Websystem hosting provided by WolfPk. | Site Map Copyright © 2003-2017 Balloon Flying Service of Oregon, Inc. Legal Information All Rights Reserved.