Angola Balloons Aloft
July 8th & 9th, 2011
MORE VENDERS - MORE BALLOONS - MORE ENTERTAINMENT!!!
The Angola Balloons Aloft would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to ALL OF OUR SPONSORS, BALLOON PILOTS AND THEIR CREWS, VOLUNTEERS AND VISITING PIILOTS AND THEIR CREWS for a very successful 2010 Event!
Come watch as some of the finest Hot Air Balloon Pilots compete over the scenic skies of Steuben County for cash and prizes. Join in the fun by visiting beautiful Northeast Indiana this July for the first annual Angola Balloons Aloft hot air balloon competition at the Tri State Steuben County Airport. The airport is located just west of I-69 on U. S. Highway 20, Angola, Indiana.
Angola Balloons Aloft
The second annual Angola Balloons Aloft will be held July 8th and 9th, 2011. We are currently acquiring sponsors for this year's event. Please call Walt Drewes at 260-316-8577 for information on sponsorships.
Angola Balloons Aloft is an invitational event designed to bring top quality pilots to our community, giving the spectators an opportunity to witness some excellent charting and flying techniques. The winners of the event also receive cash prizes for their efforts in accurate flying and crowd entertainment.
The best opportunity to enjoy the keen flying skills of the pilots is the early morning flights starting around 7:00 a.m. This is the time when the pilots experience the greatest level of steerage in their flights to the targets.
What is Competition Flying?
Pilots competing in a sanctioned event are given tasks and rules that they must comply with at a pilot briefing held just before the flight. The pilots will also be informed on the weather conditions, wind speed, wind direction, and the distance from a predetermined target that the pilot must launch from, usually a minimum of one mile. The pilot must then make their own determination of a launch site that they feel gives them the best opportunity to reach the targets.
What are these targets?
The targets are predetermined locations on a local map that the Event Officials have selected. The longitude and latitude coordinates are determined and given to the pilots during briefing. The pilots must then chart their course of flight, considering the wind speeds, direction and time of flight. The targets themselves can be a variety of configurations from a simple X to a more complex double diamond shape. The objective is for the pilot to reach these targets and drop a bean-filled baggie with a long ribbon tail as close to the target(s) as possible. The lower the pilot flies the more accurate then can throw their baggie, but if the basket touches the ground, the pilot is disqualified from that particular target.
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