The Balloon Show...

[rivermobster]

Pretty windy down here in Parker...

Is the show gonna go on today??

 

[mjc]

nope, but they will do concerts I assume.

 

[DLC]

We had planned to go out but didn’t look like good flying weather, a little windy.

 

[rivermobster]

We had planned to go out but didn’t look like good flying weather, a little windy.

View attachment 1081848

It's a lot windy here. On and off...

Last night was howling. This morning was calm. Right now, it's blowing strong.

Perfect for off roading...

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Blowing like a bitch now out of north, Friday morning looks good and afternoon bad, and Saturday looks good in the morning and bad afternoon. Sunday is bad in the morning and good in afternoon but they will be gone by then. Sure this isn’t desert storm weekend?

 

[DWC]

Looks like tomorrow morning is about it.

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Gosh damn, they even moved the dates this year to try and avoid the wind.

 

[LazyLavey]

At what wind speed do they not fly?

 

[riverroyal]

this event has BLOWN for years now. Once it left the golf course it has sucked.

 

[LHC Kirby]

At what wind speed do they not fly?

IDEALLY they want a 4-8 mph wind to fly, so they can move.

Will not fly 12+ mph wind. The only thing I don't know, is "where" they measure the speed of the wind (and how) . . . . is it measured at ground level, 200' up - I don't know. But I totally respect the pilots decision to go or no go. others on fakebook don't care about safety, they just want to see balloons up in the air because THEY CAME ALL THE WAY HERE TO SEE IT.... F them!

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

IDEALLY they want a 4-8 mph wind to fly, so they can move.

Will not fly 12+ mph wind. The only thing I don't know, is "where" they measure the speed of the wind (and how) . . . . is it measured at ground level, 200' up - I don't know. But I totally respect the pilots decision to go or no go. others on fakebook don't care about safety, they just want to see balloons up in the air because THEY CAME ALL THE WAY HERE TO SEE IT.... F them!

The higher you go the stronger the wind. Amazing the turnout, both parking lots on the north side of windsor are full or RV, the main lot and the jet boat lot.

 

[nowski]

I've been to Balloon Fest only twice, 89 Albuquerque 99 and I was spoiled to say the least...

 

[LazyLavey]

Going to Crazy Horse tomorrow., got a site on the beach.. I guess you can plan everything but the weather

 

[ultra26shadow]

this event has BLOWN for years now. Once it left the golf course it has sucked.

True but the organization and parking is much better after they moved it. Also you can watch the mass ascension from the channel for free now.

 

[WildWilly]

as of 715 today the ballons are going up at 745a

 

[DWC]

Launching at Windsor?

 

[DWC]

Found my answer.

 

[BigRedBryan]

 

[HNL2LHC]

Can see a few of them out our front door. Might have to do a drive by tomorrow morning.

 

[Echo Lodge]

 

[rivermobster]

Sweet!

 

[Taboma]

Sweet!

Shows the breeze at 2 mph out of the north at the Islander. Does this mean they're all going to land in the lake ? Or on the Res on the CA side ?

 

[Taboma]

Shows the breeze at 2 mph out of the north at the Islander. Does this mean they're all going to land in the lake ? Or on the Res on the CA side ?

My wife and I took an early AM flight from Del Mar to well, almost a complete circle, many years ago. He'd released a small helium balloon prior to launch and watched it gain altitude and travel basically east. This is where we wanted to go, take aerials of where our home was. As we approached that area later in the AM, we started back the opposite direction, soon we were approaching the restricted Miramar NAS airspace.
Pilot was radioing Miramar Tower, saying oops, but here we come, but we'll try to set down short.
Then we found ourselves heading back towards the ocean --- "ah fuck, fire that engine up, what, no engine" ??? Anyway, he brought it down short of the pacific, bouncing off a couple of tops of points, down into the canyon below, more heat skipper --- back up we go, bounce, skid, finally it stopped on it's side --- YEA !!!!!!!! Touch Down

It was fun, once Like a saily boat with no Aux engine, the wind makes the rules.

 

[rivermobster]

20K views · 2.1K likes | Havasu State of Mind on Instagram: "The balloons don't always fly, but when they do... 😍😍😍 🎥: @islandgirl4d #havasustateofmind #RUhavasucrew #hotairballoon #balloonfestival #isitspringyet #wearehavasucrew #bikini #warmerwe

2,168 likes, 95 comments - havasu_state_of_mind on January 21, 2022: "The balloons don't always fly, but when they do... 😍😍😍 🎥: @islandgirl4d #havasusta..."

www.instagram.com

 

[sirbob]

Shows the breeze at 2 mph out of the north at the Islander. Does this mean they're all going to land in the lake ? Or on the Res on the CA side ?

I was there one year and we spent a fair bit of time on the boat towing balloons back to shore. They drop a line and we towed them back to shore. A bunch of boats were hanging out doing it - it was fun to kind of part of the deal.

 

[Taboma]

I was there one year and we spent a fair bit of time on the boat towing balloons back to shore. They drop a line and we towed them back to shore. A bunch of boats were hanging out doing it - it was fun to kind of part of the deal.

Very cool, otherwise it's CA or Bust, then wait for the chase truck. It was funny, because we skipped off several mesa points before finally slowing enough to touch down, the chase van had to keep hauling ass out one point, then back, then out another, rinse and repeat. Just glad we ended up on top, rather than the chaparral vegetated canyon below.
Occasionally we used see one on the news that landed in neighborhood street.
For so many years I lost track, almost every afternoon they were flying from Del Mar inland, but there were vast areas to land. Now it's sadly all homes, so I can't even recall how long it's been since I've seen one up.

 

[dspracing]

this event has BLOWN for years now. Once it left the golf course it has sucked.

Made the mistake of taking the family down to the main event area today. $20 bucks a head and all of the food and drinks were double as opposed to what the same vendors sell that food for during other events in town. Bunch of booths selling mass produced junk. By far the most commercial event I’ve attended in havasu. Big disappointment.