Four Tasks at the Flag City BalloonFest

Findlay, Ohio's annual balloon event has grown from modest beginnings to one of the premier races in the region.  This year the field was expanded to 40 competitors and 4 special shapes.  The event is funded completely by the local businesses and individuals who sponsor the event and keep admission free to the public.  The crowds arrive early in the morning for the competition flight and build through the day until the evening launch and glow.  

Three successful media flights and Friday evening sponsor flight in front of a massive crowd lead into the first competition flight Saturday morning.  Early morning weather showed some precip to the north and south, but was slowily dissipating and heading out of the area.  Winds showed lots of stearage with good speed.  

Event Director Phil Clinger called a four part task, FIN, JDG, MDD, HWZ.  The FIN was set south of town on a narrow air strip of mowed grass, pilots had to get their baggies on the mowed grass to achieve a score.  Many were able to hang it out wide to the right and ride the low left wind over the target for good scores, the top eight were under one meter.  

The JDG and the MDD were both set at the main launch field.  Pilots had to throw a baggie at an X in the center of the field for the JDG and then get two baggies in a large square on the northern part of the field for the MDD.  The best result on the MDD would be the greatest distance between two baggies in the square.  There was also a pole grab for $1000 in the center of the square.  

The left on the surface held true and the majority of the field made low passes on the two tasks.  Many were able to go from corner to corner in the square and throw back to the X for a good score on the JDG.  Jim Birk bested everyone on the JDG with a 0.31m drop, and Shawn Raya was best on the MDD with a 237m result.  Al Nels was the big winner though, he snagged the $1000 ring off the pole.  Money that will no doubt go towards more electronics for his already crowded basket.

The last task of the morning was a HWZ that gave pilots two target options to choose from.  Everybody went to the one furthest west and there were again some really excellent scores.  Al Nels won this task with a 0.22m result.

The top of the leader board is a blast from the past with Jim Birk leading Al Nels by only 8pts!  It's also a contrast of styles as Birk flies with nothing but a map and Nels' basket looks something like a Space Shuttle cockpit.  Mark Yeakle, Paul Petrehn, and Jeff Barlett round out the top five, all separated by less than 500pts.

The event continues Saturday night with a flight and glow.  Early weather forecasts show a chance of thunderstorms, but it's all clear skies at the moment.  The final flight is scheduled for Sunday morning.