July 27 – August 4, 2007
Hwy 92 E of Indianola, IA
http://www.nationalballoonclassic.com/
I have always enjoyed fantasizing of flight in a hot air balloon. It must be so liberating to be lifted into the sky in a basket hoisted up by the warmed air flowing into a large balloon. For me, a bit of a wimp when it comes to heights, flight in a hot air balloon is truly a fantasy. When I found out that one of the largest hot air balloon events in the Midwest is held practically in my own backyard, I had to take in a day or two to enjoy the beauty of this sport. Yes, sport! I never realized just how much really goes into ballooning to include the competitions held throughout the USA for balloon enthusiasts.
The National Balloon Classic is held every summer in the Des Moines suburb of Indianola which is about 15 minutes south of the Capitol City. The week long event starts with an afternoon media orientation and flight, followed by the first of several "nite glow" events. 
To fill in the open time between these two opening night activities was a stage band, covering old fifties and sixties rock n' roll. The picnic and party atmosphere on the lawn surrounding the launch field was very much a family occasion. There were also several children’s rides to keep the little folk entertained.
On the opening night, the nite glow featured approximately 25 or 30 balloons including three special shaped character-type balloons. The amount of effort and time that the pilots and owners must go through purely for the entertainment of the spectators was greatly appreciated. With the balloon envelopes fully filled, they had to add "flame" to assure that they remained upright. With the audience’s count ". . . one . . . two . . . three . . . GLOOOWWWWW . . ." they would all open their propane flames all the way, to create a beautiful illumination of the brightly colored sky crafts. It was quite a beautiful sight!!
Ordinarily, spectators are not allowed directly on the launch field due to safety concerns. During the nite glow, however, they did allow folks to venture out beyond the fences to meet and chat with the pilots and their crew. With the last of the four nite glows completed, they did ask that everyone return to the viewing area so that the balloons could be safely deflated and allowed to fall to the ground without the risking of suffocating someone.
The next day was the official grand opening ceremonies of the National Balloon Classic which included a parade right down the main drag of Indianola and the crowning of the National Balloon Classic Queen. Who would have thought that a balloon festival needed a queen to preside over the week’s events? We chose to pass on the morning activities, arriving for the evening mass ascension that was scheduled for 6:30pm. Due to concerns over high winds, the launch was delayed for approximately 30 minutes.
Wanting a good vantage point to take plenty of photos, we opted to go to Pickard Park which is approximately two blocks from the actual Balloon Field and launch area. The park is located across the street and with a lovely view of the skies through which the balloons would fly. In fact, with the wind currents, many of them flew towards us and directly overhead. I was personally surprised at how loud the "flaming" was when the propane was released to add heat to raise the balloon higher into the sky. Standing directly underneath the balloons as they passed, you could really get a good feel for just how fast (or slow) they were moving in the wind currents above. I especially enjoyed the distance to give perspective when there were a number of balloons rising from ground. I don’t think the viewing would have been as good from right at the Balloon Field.
Once the balloon is launched, the general game plan is to land