While working outside yesterday
I heard the familiar “whoosh” and “whir” that can only mean one thing: hot air balloons! I ran for my camera to try and capture a
couple of the high-flying, multi-colored aerostats as they passed over the pond. One went down up at Pine Point Park so I
grabbed my keys, jumped in the car and headed west.
I am always amazed at the
speed in which ballooning professionals can disassemble these aircraft. By the time I reached the landing spot, the
pros from Aamodt's Hot Air Balloon Rides Inc. had the passengers loaded into the waiting van and had removed
the basket and the burner and were wrapping up the envelope.
Years back, particularly on
clear fall days, the skies around the St. Croix River Valley were filled with
majestic hot air balloons. What an incredible way to see the area in all its autumnal beauty!
In the past
ten years or so their numbers have dramatically dwindled. I’ve
heard it’s on account of the “man-made” global warming hysteria. ??? If accurate, this is truly sad as this technology has been around
since 1783. On September 19th
of that year scientist Pilatre De Rozier launched the first hot air balloon
called Aerostat Reveillon. The passengers were a sheep, a duck and a rooster
and the balloon stayed in the air for a grand total of 15 minutes before
crashing back to the ground.
The first manned attempt came
two months later with a balloon made by two French brothers, Joseph and Etienne
Montgolfier. The balloon was launched from the center of Paris and flew for 20 minutes. The birth of hot air ballooning!!!
Count me a fan! They are beautiful and quiet and a perfect way to appreciate the beauty of nature. Here's hoping hot air balloons, in all their glory, are around for the next 229 years!
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