Days that are unpredictable are so rare, so that when you happen to take a look out your window and see a hot air balloon standing precisely at the end of your driveway, you can't help but do a double-take. It's not so much that the balloon exists; hot air balloons are a fairly common occurrence in North Alabama at this time of year. The big balloon enthusiast gathering in nearby Decatur, called the Jubilee, happens each year on Memorial Day weekend. What made this so odd, was the fact that this pilot chose to put down in our quiet cul-de-sac, directly in front of our house. I mean, he could have chosen any of the corn or cotton fiends in the areas or even one of the vacant lots in our less than sold-out subdivision. Any other choice would have certainly provided a bigger target, along with the corresponding margin for error. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to grab my camera and run outside to record the event, the balloon was being readied for launch once again by the ground crew. Once aloft, the crew jumped back in their vehicle and sped away, so I never got the chance to ask the obvious question - why here?
It was only when I mentioned this event to my daughter a couple of days later, did we come up with the logical explanation. It wasn't a forced landing as I suspected, but a deliberate put-down using our rather small cul-de-sac as a challenging target. Obviously, the pilot was testing his navigating skills to see how close he could land to the center of the circular space. If that was indeed the case, he nailed it. Accuracy is one of the criteria that balloonists are scored on during the Jubilee. The fact that we have no power lines on our street may be another reason we were chosen for the unannounced visit. In any event, it made for some interesting photos and one less predictable day.
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3 comments:
Tony, I've been involved in a crash landing in a balloon myself, and I can attest to the notion that power lines (or any other obstacle) are something to avoid while trying to land a balloon. He probably chose your quiet cul de sac because it has a flat ground with no obstacles. We were dragged through a ravine and over a fence in the crash landing and this was already the second attempt to bring this darned thing down that day. The first attempt was landing on a cemetery - until we spotted the statues between the gravestones (that were flat in the ground). The third time was successful then, landing on a fairly narrow strip of flat land on a construction site. So, I understand completely why they chose this landing spot in front of your house - I would have done the same ... :)
I'll bet that will go down as "most unusual neighborhood event." What a delight that must have been to look out the window and see such a sight!
I like the new look of your blog.
Yes, We're French, I can see why the pilot would look for a clear landing zone. Power lines and balloons certainly make for a dangerous combination. What I had not realized was the desire to find a flat place to set down, but the fact that he passed up acres of flat farmland just adjacent to our street makes me think he was really looking for a spot that also provided a target.
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