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Second Hot Air Affair hits light turbulence

Rimbey’s Hot Air Affair May 10 to 12 hit a bit of turbulence when three of the five balloon shows were canceled due to high winds.
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During a glow performance May 11

Rimbey’s Hot Air Affair May 10 to 12 hit a bit of turbulence when three of the five balloon shows were canceled due to high winds.

“We can’t control the weather. The weather definitely does cause a stream down and a domino effect for a few things for us,” said Lynn Johnson, co-ordinator of the second annual.

Even when the wind seemed calm, Johnson says that’s just the surface wind and it could be stronger higher up where the balloons would fly.

A challenge was letting the public know whether the balloons would lift off as scheduled. “It’s really hard to let the public know because sometimes we don’t know (until) minutes before they’re going to fly. It’s something we’re looking at in the future, how to better communicate with the public,” said Johnson.

However, being grounded didn’t stop the pilots from appreciating their time in town.

“I think it went really well, the pilots all seemed really happy. When the pilots were able to go up, they had really good flights,” said Johnson.

Richard Clarke and Brant Leatherdale piloted balloons in the show last year and were excited to come back. “It’s a good community, good land, the hotel was good. Everyone went away with happy faces,” said Clarke.

One of Clarke’s favorite aspects of the event is interacting with spectators.

He began piloting balloons 20 years ago because he was intrigued how something could go up and down with no motor, but it was the social aspect that kept him involved. “It was fun. And the people, it’s a really social community of a bunch of friends.”

Despite the weather grounding many of the flights, the pilots worked hard to give a good trip to those who were lucky enough to make their ride.

The flights lasted more than a half hour. Hot air balloons burn a litre of propane per minute, and according to Clarke an average flight lasts 45 minutes to one hour.

Before each flight, the pilots have to test the winds and at 5:05 a.m. each morning the weather was also checked. “You check the weather to make sure nothing’s coming into the area,” explained Leatherdale.

Next, the pibal — a small helium balloon — is sent up. “We send up this small balloon as an imitation of what we’re going to do,” said Clarke.

Once in the air, there’s a special process to flying the balloon. “The process is very much like a fixed-wing plane,” said Leatherdale.

“Technically it’s very easy, you’re just changing the density of the air inside. In reality it takes a lot of experience to get that finesse,” Clarke added.

In Alberta, because of the long winters — although the winds in January are some of the best for balloons, according to Clarke — high winds and weather that changes quickly, ballooning season is only five months. In that time pilots may get in 100 flights.

Clarke says in Albuquerque, N. M. balloons can fly up to 300 days out of the year.