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Show High Above the Maddening Crowd - ' -. ' ,S . ,i - V . Park City residents aren't known for getting an early start. Seven months out of the year, the streets are practically deserted des-erted until after 8 a.m. And even during the ski season, only the diehard powder hounds are up at that hour. So you'd have to think the organizers of Park City's Autumn Aloft would have a pretty good reason to start this thing at 6 o'clock in the morning. Right? Right. If you're a balloonist (or a balloon, bal-loon, for that matter), it's called saving your skin. As any pilot or sailor will tell you that thermal winds tend to pick up around noon and subside around 5 or 6 p.m. While these are great for Windsurfers, they can be hell on balloons. Once the wind gets above eight miles per hour, the prospects of getting dragged into a barbed wire fence tend to outweigh the enjoyment enjoy-ment of the ride. So, of all the daylight hours, sunrise to noon usually offer the best conditions. Even in Park City. Sunrise next Saturday should find about 20 balloons stretched out on the Park Meadows Golf Course, baskets tethered securely to the ground. To start the inflation process a large fan is used to force air into the huge balloon "envelope". Then the propane burner system takes over with a dragon-like roar, shooting a jet of flame six-to-eight feet long. As the hot air fills the envelope, the balloon slowly rights itself, and the adventurers are ready to take flight. Ballooning is always an adventure in that the participants never know exactly where they're going to land. Generally speaking, you're at the whim of the winds. Since surface winds often go in a ' completely different direction from those higher up, the trip is to pick the altitude which has the wind direction you want. The envelope of the average balloon is about 50 feet in diameter and 70 feet high. ' i The fabric is a light-weight rip-stop nylon which is flame resistant and will not "run" (like a nylon stocking) when it is torn. The envelope is attached to a wicker basket which carries, in addition to the passengers, a tank containing at least 20 gallons of propane fuel. The propane is piped to a burner system attached to a rigid structure over the basket. To keep the balloon aloft, the temperature tempera-ture of the air in the envelope must be about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If it gets too much warmer than that, it can damage the nylon. If you like sports that get you away from it all, then ballooning might be for you. Few other sports can offer the same serenity seren-ity drifting a few hundred feet above the ground, with the burner turned off, you can hear dogs barking and even snatches of conversation. Under typical conditions, 20 gallons of propane will keep you airborne for about 2-12 hours. If it's a cold day and you're the only one in the basket, you may stretch .it another hour. Sound inviting? It is. But it's also expensive. expen-sive. Be prepared to spend at least $9,000, the price of a pretty decent new car, for a sport balloon. America isn't quite ready for a balloon in every garage. But there are almost 2,000 people in the country who have one stashed next to the family wagon. This article was compiled largely from infor- motion provided by the Park City Balloon Club. ,mMmx .er photo by Ten Gomes y. n - ... " X' ' . ' '. ( ' - ' 'j ' '".-"?' '" I I : ' ? ' i 1 Vl.. J -X.- I ' . f " . - . .. ! - i" i A , .1 y. M. ; n 1 . - . ?, ; j . i : : 1 .:, ; ; ;. s " I j ft 1 .B -nn - in 1 ii 111111 11 hit 1" ' -x awuwi4'-.tiianl Photo by Nan Chalat ' Photo by Ten Gomes |