Flagstaff vol. 10, issue 23(2)

              Vol. 10 No. 23 June 3,1997
Up, Up, and Away!
by Judy Remsberg
Well, the Jack London Society of TNCC has had another successful adventure! On a beauti-ful,
clear May evening a group of ten TNCC faculty, staff, and assorted family members gathered
at a field in Mathews County where crews and pilots would make a decision to go or not go.
There was anticipation in the air (as well as ultra-lights and helium balloons to check the wind
direction). We looked at the baskets ~ Aileen Schweitzer was amazed that we would get 4-5
people in each one. They seemed too small, and the sides were too low.
Lois asked how we would get back to this field after the flight. (Chase vans follow and help at
the set-down site).
With Dick Paradiso and Richard Dixon under two of the balloons, the group agreed that the
hot-air heaters were superfluous. For the tall people (i.e. Richard) there was a choice of where to
mm ; | rv : stand in the basket: with head stuck out of the
V: . v, ' • side or straight up into the heater.
Dick Paradiso directed the picture taking: "you
j g ^ ^ M ^ ^ l ! ' vVl® take a picture of our balloon, and I'll take a pic-
^mBSmmMkk^ '3 ture of yours." We waited, watched the crews,
« j H F ^ ^ ^ H B k . looked at the wind sock. After some fidgeting,
^ g K some of us headed for the woods (it had been a
^HbMjH j Everyone kept an eye on the wind sock for a
'k ' ^ K K t B H t U j lull, or at least a lessening of the strong winds.
• - A WKgjg^KjiTF - The pilots gave each person a job. Richard Dixon
a strong fan would go directly into the balloon.
j f ^ We watchedj took pictures, and joked about the
;8B> perils of the coming trip in the strong winds.
/B HT Would we be found over Kansas the next day? K Would we end up in a tree somewhere? Would
. . ' we greet the next 737 jet to pass by? We were
psyched. We were primed. We were ready to
jump into those teeny baskets and trust the wind.
The first balloon with Darlene and Terry Ward and Lois Burdette took off suddenly. They
were sailing past us. Our pilot said, "Now! Get in quickly." "Can you reach that cord that keeps
us tethered to the van? Release it." And, we were off; we bounced a few times before actually
getting airborne. And then, there we were...50', 100', 200' looking down on what seemed like a
model railroad panorama—complete with sponge trees, toy trucks, glass water, and pretend fields.
The surprise to me was the calmness once we were in the breeze. Others in our group, of
course, knew to expect this effect. When you are riding along in the wind, you don't feel the
a biweekly newsletter for STA faculty and staff