Hot Air Balloons at Festival
By: KSAN News - Cynthia Peeples
Updated: June 8, 2007
Nick Stanko, one of 12 hot air balloon pilots in town for the 2nd Annual Festival on the Concho, gave KSAN News a birds eye view of the city and it all began with a blast of heat.
Nick Stanko "We'll fill balloons, also known as envelopes, with cold air first, then start to heat it. As it heats up, molecules will expand the gas. The hot air will be lighter than the outside and that'll give lift. Then the buoyancy of the balloons will actually cause lift off and they'll fly."
And what a flight it was. Flying over Fort Concho, downtown landmarks, golf courses and peaking into people's backyards. One thing to remember, Mother Nature is the true pilot of this aircraft.
"You are at the mercy the winds with a balloon. They don't always blow the same direction as people may think. At different altitudes they blow in different directions and that's how you end up steering the balloon. It's a very safe sport. It's a very exciting wonderful way to fly."
And Nick should certainly know that with nearly 20 years flying experience under his belt now. But oddly enough, his passion for propane began with a sailboat.
"I was looking for a sailboat to buy and I stumbled on a guy selling a sailboat. And during the sale we got to talking and he said he was selling the sailboat to buy a balloon. So I said it was a great idea. When you get it, let me know, I'd like to go for a ride. And it wasn't long before that the boat was up for sale again."
Up for sale so he could purchase his own hot air balloon and venture into a new sport.
"One of the things about this sport is you never know where you're gonna land when you take off. So the landings are always different than where you were before."
Different indeed, as we actually ended up landing at Angelo State University. So it's on this day that my love for the hot air balloon took flight.
Nick Stanko "We'll fill balloons, also known as envelopes, with cold air first, then start to heat it. As it heats up, molecules will expand the gas. The hot air will be lighter than the outside and that'll give lift. Then the buoyancy of the balloons will actually cause lift off and they'll fly."
And what a flight it was. Flying over Fort Concho, downtown landmarks, golf courses and peaking into people's backyards. One thing to remember, Mother Nature is the true pilot of this aircraft.
"You are at the mercy the winds with a balloon. They don't always blow the same direction as people may think. At different altitudes they blow in different directions and that's how you end up steering the balloon. It's a very safe sport. It's a very exciting wonderful way to fly."
And Nick should certainly know that with nearly 20 years flying experience under his belt now. But oddly enough, his passion for propane began with a sailboat.
"I was looking for a sailboat to buy and I stumbled on a guy selling a sailboat. And during the sale we got to talking and he said he was selling the sailboat to buy a balloon. So I said it was a great idea. When you get it, let me know, I'd like to go for a ride. And it wasn't long before that the boat was up for sale again."
Up for sale so he could purchase his own hot air balloon and venture into a new sport.
"One of the things about this sport is you never know where you're gonna land when you take off. So the landings are always different than where you were before."
Different indeed, as we actually ended up landing at Angelo State University. So it's on this day that my love for the hot air balloon took flight.
