A couple of months ago, Motor Man and I met Mark, the owner of a local hot air balloon company. Within a few minutes, they had exchanged cell phone numbers, and they’ve spoken occasionally since that time.
(We are planning a balloon ride soon, but it just hasn’t happened yet.)
Recently, we learned, through Mark, that members of a production company, hired by the Virginia Historical Society, would be filming some shots of our area from the balloons. The first launch took place just after sunrise Tuesday morning from our local park, and Motor Man and I were invited to be there.
Two balloons were used in order for the cameramen to get shots of the “other” balloon during flight. This photo was taken just after the balloons were unloaded from the trucks and stretched across the ground. (That’s historic Windsor Castle in the background.)
Mark showed one of the cameramen the inside of the balloon as it was being inflated with air from a large fan.
Motor Man and I helped hold one of the balloons as it was inflated. Then, heat from the burner lifted the balloon off the ground. (That’s my hand you see at the bottom right of the photo. We were a little closer to that fire than I would have liked.)
This is the other balloon being inflated. You don’t realize how huge those balloons are until you see them on the ground.
Motor Man and a crew member had to hold the basket down until it could be untethered from the truck. You can see that between the wind and the heat from the burner, it was starting to lift off the ground, even with a basket full of people.
And they’re off!
It was interesting to see all that was involved in launching the balloons and so beautiful to watch them just drifting away.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 