Soarin’: Balloons get in one last flight
Published 12:47 am Monday, October 20, 2014
![Hallsville, Mo., pilot Kenny Jay, center, prepares his balloon for take off from the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday afternoon as other balloons take off in the distance. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)](https:https://www.natchezdemocrat.com//wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2014/10/102014Balloon1_bh.jpg)
Hallsville, Mo., pilot Kenny Jay, center, prepares his balloon for take off from the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday afternoon as other balloons take off in the distance. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
NATCHEZ — Pilots were able to ascend into the heavens one last time Sunday evening to wrap up the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race.
Unlike last year, when pilots were unable to fly because of poor weather conditions, most race events flew as scheduled Friday through Sunday.
- Trey Wallace holds back the opening of the balloon to help inflate it. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Kade Keith and Ryan Floyd, below, watch Sunday’s lift off from one of the crews balloon trailers. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Balloons take off Sunday afternoon from the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Balloons take off Sunday afternoon from the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Balloons inflate on the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday afternoon. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Crews help get the balloons into the sky Sunday afternoon. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hallsville, Mo., pilot Kenny Jay, center, prepares his balloon for take off from the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday afternoon as other balloons take off in the distance. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Pilots prepare for lift off Sunday afternoon. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Balloons inflate on the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday afternoon. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Balloons inflate on the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday afternoon. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Glen Moyer pilots his balloon over the trees south of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site Sunday. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Glen Moyer, right, inflates his balloon for Sunday afternoon’s flight from the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site.
- Steckler award winners John and Sharon Goodrich give an acceptance speech Sunday after receiving the award which honors local volunteers for their work to the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Devonte Demby / The Natchez Democrat)
- Glen Moyer sets up to fly one last time Sunday evening during the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Moyer is retiring after 25 years as an active pilot. (Devonte Demby / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ryder McIntosh, 3, left, and Dregan Warshaw,2, right, pretend to drive a car on a ride at the carnival located at the festival site of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Meredith Claire Pesto, 3, right, holds hands with Lucy Archer, 2, right, as the pair wear identical outfits at the carnival located at the festival site of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Lele Foster, 5, rides on the back of Bo Foster at the carnival located at the festival site of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Josh Arnold and Kinsleigh Arnold, 2, play a fishing game at the carnival located at the festival site of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Balloons fly over the Mississippi River during Saturday morning races. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Jon Oliver Prescott, 4, right, points at a hot air balloon with Corvan Prescott, 3, left, during the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hunter Townsend, 8, and Kade Keith, 9, help in deflating the POW-MIA hot air balloon during the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- A hot-air balloon flies during the Great Mississippi RIver Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hot-air balloons fly over the Mississippi River during the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday morning. Several pilots took off from Vidalia and came across the river attempting to hit targets placed at the Natchez Mall. Pilots prepared to take off from Vidalia again Saturday afternoon, but ended up not flying because of wind conditions. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Lady Jester owners Robert and Sally Lupton, center, stand with family members of the late John McCall during the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Saturday. McCall died in June and was a longtime chase team member for the Lupton’s hot air balloon team. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Maggi Polk and Lindsay Buttross take a selfie with balloons in the background Friday night at the festival site (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Parker mCConnell and Will McConnell watch the balloons inflate Friday night at the festival site (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ellie Norwood watches the balloons Friday night. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Shelby Nettles watches the balloons inflate on the festival site Friday night. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hot balloon fly over the Mississippi River during the Great Mississippi Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Steve Nixon, left, goes for a ride in Charles Venable’s hot air balloon during the Great Mississippi Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ryan Floyd, 5, helps deflate the POW-MIA hot air balloon during the Great Mississippi Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Gary Mophett takes pictures of hot air balloons as the float through the sky during the Great Mississippi Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hot balloon fly over the Mississippi River during the Great Mississippi Balloon Race Saturday morning. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- (file photo)
- Ellie Norwood, 6, watches with awe Friday night as the balloons glow on the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival site. Crowds filled the site for the annual event. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- A hot air balloon flies during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hot air balloons fly during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Charles Venable inflates his hot air balloon during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- A Natchez High School students walks through the Natchez High School parking lot as seen from a hot air balloon during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- A hot air balloon flies during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Hot air balloon pilot Charles Venable tests the burner on his hot air balloon during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Jaime Chaffin, left, and Maria Lambert, right, help unroll Charles Venable’s hot air balloon during Friday morning’s media flight of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. (Sam Gause / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Robert and Sally Upton’s Jester Balloon begins to inflate at the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez campus Friday morning. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Bill Cunningham flies in as the hare balloon in Friday morning’s race. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln COmmunity College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- Ballons lift off from the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
- The sun rises over the Mississippi River levee near the Vidalia Bungee grain elevator as crews wait for hot-air balloon pilot Jason Gaines to take off and fly across the Mississippi River bridges to downtown Natchez Thursday morning. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)
However, despite picture perfect weather, the Saturday evening and Sunday morning flights left pilots grounded because of strong winds.
Race director Curtis Moroney predicted winds would calm down Sunday evening, giving pilots one last chance to gaze upon the Miss-Lou in mid-air.
Balloonmeister Bill Cunningham was the first to lift off from the festival site Sunday, while other pilots followed soon after.
According to Moroney, the wind Sunday evening was going south.
“It’s been a beautiful weekend,” Moroney said. “It’s a shame that it was windy Saturday afternoon, it’s exactly what happened to us last year.”
Moroney said the Saturday evening flight and the Sunday morning flight would have been great, but the winds were too much.
“As it got later Saturday, the wind direction changed and shifted further south, which would have blown pilots straight down the river,” Moroney said. “Pilots need a safe place to land.”
As Cunningham set up to take flight, he said nothing in particular was going through his mind.
“It turned out to be a pretty good weekend,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said that he and officials were pleased with the turnout of the race, but it would have been nice to fly Saturday evening.
“We had the biggest crowd at the Natchez Mall Saturday, that’s the most important one,” Cunningham said.
The weekend overall, Cunningham said, turned out to be one to remember.
“It’s really become a chance to get together with friends and do something you love,” Cunningham said.