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Our thanks to Dean and
Locked On Productions for their filming of an episode of My Generation for AARP.
It chronicles a flight for two couples and may be viewed here with some nice
aerial shots of Northern Harford County and Fawn Grove, PA.
http://www.youtube.com/user/DGHMedia#p/u/0/pC1uct5K4KQ
October 2010
We recently had the rare opportunity to
participate in a
formation photo shoot with a very historic airplane (aside from our own of
course). We joined up with a 1939 Piper Cub powered with a Lenape Papoose three
cylinder radial engine. The significance is that there are only a handful of
these aircraft in existence with this unusual radial engine configuration. The
airplane was restored by Gorge Air Service at Harford County Airport. After an
initial test flight, we took off together; a 1941 Stearman with a seven cylinder
220 hp radial engine and the little 3 cylinder 50 hp powered Cub. For a look at
some great photos of the Lenape Cub, Barnstormer Aero's Stearman, and the
flight, you may go to SMBRJ
Photography The aerials were shot by Mike Malat in a Citabria flown by Ben
Anderson. There is nothing quite like two yellow birds in the air together over
the beautiful fall foliage to make a photographers dream come true. It was also
fun to fly alongside such a unique airplane. The Cub's airspeed was about 70 mph
so both the Citabria and the Stearman had to slow up some for the event. It's
not often when we have to slow up for something! It was
a memorable flight on a crisp fall day.
Love is in the (Bel) Air
Hot air balloons conjure up notions of the romance and
adventure of bygone days. They are very much a part of the
present, though, in Harford County and the romance of
ballooning is still alive and well thanks to Light Flight
Balloons of Bel Air. At a recent hot air ballooning event
in Harford County, Dan and Mary Ann Bogarty of Jarrettsville
relayed the romance of one of their first rides five years
ago. At the time, in April 2005, Dan had decided that after
nine years of dating it was time to propose to Mary Ann. To
do so he enlisted the help of hot air balloon pilot Michael
Gerred, owner of Light Flight Balloons of Bel Air, the only
such company in the county. Dan convinced Mary Ann and her
mom, who is afraid of heights, that the balloon trip was an
Easter present. But he had to wait until Mary Ann booked the
trip to put his scheme into motion.
"I didn't call to book the trip until July," she said.
Finally, the ladies went airborne and the fear of heights
faded in five minutes, according to Mary Ann.
They enjoyed their scenic ride above the meandering Deer
Creek as Dan followed in the chase vehicle. When landing
approached, Gerred called in a warning over the phone. The
prospective husband gathered up his three-foot tall, white,
painted 2x4 letters and set to work. "I was running on
adrenaline," Dan said. "I probably couldn't do it today."
As the balloon swung around to land at Jarrettsville
Nurseries, he knew she had seen his message because he heard
her scream. That was a "yes." I didn't think he was ever
going to ask," Mary Ann said. "Michael told me, 'Don't do
it.' He said that it never works," Dan said. "I'm glad he
didn't listen," Mary Ann replied.
A little more than five years later, they still share a
love for each other as well as for hot air balloons.
Gerred's Light Flight Balloons is the oldest ride-operating
company in Maryland. It's been in operation for nearly 30
years. "I have a master's in health care administration. I
did that for 15 years and I left it 20 years ago to fly full
time. I like this office better," he said, patting the
basket.
The idea of floating in the air with nothing but a wicker
basket between you and the earth may not appeal to everyone,
especially to those with a fear of heights, but the pilot
has some comforting words. "It only takes about five minutes
and then they're fine," Gerred said. Here is how the
adventure works: As the basket is laid on the ground
sideways and attached, the seven story tall balloon is
initially inflated using two industrial fans to force air
into the silky fabric.
Crews then use tethers to pull the balloon and basket
upright and the propane burners force 50 million British
Thermal Units worth of hot air into the balloon. There is an
exhilarating whoosh as the pilot releases the fiery blasts,
which resemble the tail end of a dragster. The heat from the
blue-white flames gently lifts passengers skyward. Whatever
initial fears passengers have quickly disappear among the
clouds. All too soon, the ride is over and the landing is
barely felt.
A tradition traced to France, one of ballooning's homes,
is to have a champagne toast after landing.
Light Flight Balloons offers half-hour and one-hour
flights at the rates of $150 and $220, respectively, per
person. Its three pilots are FAA licensed and its seven
balloons are FAA certified. Find out more at www.fun-flying.com or
by calling 410-836-1116.
This article is part of Baltimore's Info 101
Ballooning takes to the sky
This time of year, throughout the Maryland and Pennsylvania border
area, all you need to do is look skyward in the late afternoon to see
huge colorful balloons gently floating through the sky. If you're close
enough, you can hear the swoosh sound of the propane burners firing up
the air inside the balloon to keep it aloft.
On a recent flight over the Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania area, I took my
first balloon ride, accompanied by my family and pilot Mike Gerred,
president of Light Flight Balloons. Based out of Aldino Airport in
Churchville Maryland, the launching site for the balloon can be in
anyone of over 30 sites throughout the Maryland/Pennsylvania area.
Typically the launch site is a pre-arranged farm or open area large
enough to unfurl the balloon as it is inflated. The area we launched
from,
Muddy Creek Forks,
is a protected area in a small valley where the wind was calm.
Once the balloon was inflated, first using fans to open the envelope and
then heating the air with a giant propane generated flame, we climbed
into the wicker basket. Not sure what to expect, and a bit nervous at
heights, I was amazed at how gently we rose through the air towards the
trees. Our aerial nature walk took us close enough to touch the leaves
of the tallest trees in the area and as high as 2100 feet above the
ground. The visibility was well over 100 miles. We could see the skyline
in Baltimore to the west and the Salem Nuclear generating steam plume to
the east.
The ride was one of the most relaxing experiences I have had, with no
sensation of wind, and a calming effect with the earth drifting
underneath our feet at about 3 to 4 miles an hour. It was so beautiful
the heights were never a problem.
There are several balloon businesses in the area ready to take you up
for a special occasion, a new adventure, or romantic getaway. Buyers
should do their research before signing up for a flight. Referrals are
one of the best sources of finding a reputable company, as well as
visiting the business and talking directly with the pilot. Some web
sites serve as brokers and don't own any balloons, serving only as a
pass through for making the reservation and taking a cut of your money.
Balloons come in all sizes, colors and shapes. Each year, in the fall,
visitors to the Southwest can see up to 700 balloons representing one-third
of the world's countries at the
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
These
balloons fill the sky in the traditional balloon shape as well as
footballs, soccer balls, stage coaches, beer bottles, cartoon
characters, even castles in the air. The gondolas that carry the
passengers also vary in size and design with the typical basket being
made of wicker. In our ride we fit four, plus the pilot, comfortably in
the gondola. Some baskets can hold up to twenty passengers.
Our flight lasted just over an hour which is much longer than the first
hot air balloon flight that was made by a duck a rooster and a sheep in
1783. Landing is inevitable and unpredictable. once you take to the sky
the only questions are where and how hard will the landing be. As we
drifted over the small towns and farms we could see cars pulling over to
watch the huge balloon. People would yell and wave, and we would send
our greetings earthward. Throughout the flight the chase van would
follow us on the roads below keeping just ahead or behind us. When it
came time to land the pilot looked for an open area near a road so the
balloon could be loaded and hauled away easily. Our friendly pilot would
talk to people as we floated along and at one point asked a farmer if we
could land in his field, "of course", came the reply and we very gently
touched down. There was no dragging or spilling out of the basket, as
might have happened in high winds or with an inexperienced pilot. We
finished the flight with a traditional balloon poem and champagne toast
(in our case a sparkling cider toast).
Overcoming a fear of heights
Friday, October 30, 2009
Imagine floating in a basket 1,400 feet in the
air with nothing keeping you inside but your
desire not to fall. Did we mention you have
little control over the direction you go?
Sure, it might sound scary (or like a stunt
to snag a reality TV show), but riding in a
hot-air balloon with an experienced pilot is
a serene way to view the world.
The weather on a recent Sunday evening --
low humidity, clear skies, temperatures in
the 70s -- is ideal for flying. Veteran
balloon pilot Michael Gerred hops into the
basket with his four passengers, instructs
his staff members who are holding the
90-foot-tall balloon earthbound to let go,
and the adventure begins.
The 360-degree views are spectacular. To
the southeast, the Susquehanna River flows
into the Chesapeake Bay. To the southwest,
the Baltimore skyline is visible in the
distance. Directly under the basket is a
thick canopy of greens, reds, oranges and
gold's occasionally broken up by farms. The
sensation is similar to that of being in a
boat. The ride is smooth, even when people
move around in the basket. Since the balloon
is flying with the wind, it doesn't feel
windy at all.
Gerred has flown so long that he
understands that winds change direction and
speed at different altitudes. With that
knowledge he can make the balloon go left or
right or wherever else he wants, including
into the trees. "[Leaves] are always
freshest right off the top of the tree,"
Gerred says as he grabs a branch for a
memento of the trip.
Landing is just as smooth as flying. But
the best part of the adventure comes at the
very end, when Gerred pops open a bottle of
champagne -- a ballooner's tradition! -- and
toasts, with the passengers, another safe
ride.
Where is it? Gerred has about 36
launch sites, all of them north of Baltimore
near the Pennsylvania border. Locations are
determined the day of the flight.
When is it? Gerred flies
year-round, but the most popular time to go
is right now. Flights are either around
sunrise or sunset.
How much is it? An hour-long
flight costs $220 per passenger, and a
half-hour flight costs $150 per passenger.
Where can I
find more information? Gerred's company
is Light Flight Balloons. 410-836-1116 or
http://www.fun-flying.com.
Today,
as a
belated
father's
day
gift
I
got
to
take
a
half
hour
ride
in
an
open
cockpit
bi-plane.
Wow
doesn't
even
begin
to
describe
it.
The
trip
was
taken
from
the
Harford
County
Maryland
Airport
in
Churchville,
about
10
minutes
from
Cal
Ripken
Stadium
just
outside
of
Aberdeen,
MD.
My
wife,
my
two
children
and
their
spouses,
as
well
as
my
grandsons
all
showed
up
for
the
event.
We
were
all
there
early
and
got
to
look
at
the
bright
yellow
1942
Stearman
Navy
Trainer
that's
been
restored
to
mint
condition
and
is
owned
by
Mike
Gerred
of
Barnstormer
Aero
in
Bel
Air,
MD.
Mike
didn't
show
up
until
about
11:15
for
an
11;30
flight
and
when
I
first
saw
him,
I
thought,
"Here's
a
husky
guy
about
50
years
old
who
I'm
going
to
let
drag
me
through
the
sunlit
Maryland
skies
for
half
an
hour.
I
hope
he
knows
what
he's
doing."
Then
Mike
took
his
sunglasses
off
and
I
saw
the
confidence
and
competence
in
his
ice
blue
eyes.
Here
was
a
guy
who,
when
he
talked
to
you,
looked
you
right
in
the
eye
and
made
you
feel
totally
confident
that
things
were
going
to
be
lots
of
fun
once
we
climbed
aboard
his
aircraft
and
entered
sacred
airspace,
i.e.
anywhere
2000
or
more
feet
above
the
ground.
I
first
become
enchanted
with
bi-planes
when
I
saw
the
movie
"Those
Magnificent
Men
in
Their
Flying
Machines".
Then
I
read
Richard
Bach's
and
Rinker
Buck's
wonderful
books
about
flying
bi-planes
and
I,
from
that
moment
on,
wanted
a
bi-plane
ride
even
more
than
a
ride
in
an
F-16.
(I've
been
fortunate
enough
to
have
ridden
AWACS
aircraft
in
France
and
in
England.
But
after
an
open
cockpit
bi-plane
ride
I
have
to
say
Pfffffufff
to
an
AWACS
aircraft
ride.)
Today
was
the
day
and
I
have
to
admit
I
had
been
a
little
nervous
all
week
thinking
about
what
could
go
wrong.
That
was
until
I
met
Mike
Gerred.
The
guy
radiated
confidence
that
was
incredibly
contagious
and
I
was
ready
to
get
on
with
the
flight.
Mike
asked
me
where
I
wanted
to
fly
to
and
the
place
I
suggested
was
too
far
away.
He
suggested
that
we
fly
out
over
the
Susquehanna
River
at
Havre
de
Grace,
MD
where
the
big
river
empties
into
the
Chesapeake
Bay.
I
said,
"That
sounds
good
to
me."
With
that
agreed
upon,
Mike's
assistant,
a
young
WVU
student
on
summer
break
filled
me
in
on
all
the
passenger
rules
that
pertained
and
helped
me
into
the
front
seat
of
the
big
yellow
Stearman
and
affixed
the
harness
that
held
me
snugly
in
the
front
open
cockpit.
Mike
then
climbed
in
and
we
were
off,
rolling
across
the
grassy
runway
that
is
used
by
some
of
the
planes
at
the
airport,
especially
Mike's
bi-plane.
We
taxied
down
to
the
takeoff
roll
initiation
point,
turned
and
headed
into
the
wind
and
with
a
roar
the
220
horsepower
seven
cylinder
radial
engine
and
big
wooden
propeller
sent
us
down
the
long
grass
runway
and,
I
swear
to
all
that's
holy,
it
seemed
like
it
only
took
us
100
feet
of
runway
to
get
airborne.
It
took,
in
retrospect,
probably
300
or
400
hundred
feet
but
still
an
amazing
experience.
Once
airborne,
it
felt
like
there
was
no
way
this
double
winged
monster
could
let
us
down,
short
of
complete
engine
failure
and
as
we
climbed
to
what
seemed
like
an
altitude
of
2000
feet
and
sailed
above
a
lush
green
countryside
I
knew
that,
for
me,
this
was
the
ultimate
way
to
travel
from
one
place
to
another.
I
now
knew
what
it
was
like
for
Richard
Bach
and
the
Amis
in
the
Lafayette
Escadrille
of
WWI
to
push
through
the
skies
in a
wonderful
open
cockpit
bi-plane
with
the
wind
whipping
past
their
ears
and
the
feeling
that
if
you
had
a
big
enough
gas
tank,
you'd
never
come
down
from
the
skies
except
to
eat
and
a
very
few
other
things.
The
big
yellow
Stearman
that
Mike
Gerred
was
flying,
as
he
sat
about
eight
feet
behind
me
felt
so
solid
that
I
never
felt
any
yaw
sensation
through
out
the
entire
flight.
At
one
point,
Mike
jiggled
the
stick
to
ask
if I
wanted
to
fly
the
bright
yellow
bird
and
I
took
control
of
her
for
about
5
minutes
as
while
we
were
over
the
Susquehanna
River.
Wow;
here
I
was
at
the
stick
of
an
Open
Cockpit
Bi-Plane!
I
felt
like
a
kid
at
Christmas.
All
too
soon
Mike
took
the
controls
back
from
me
and
we
headed
home.
During
the
30
minute
ride,
Mike
made
sure
that
he
did
plenty
of
steep
bank
maneuvers
along
with
some
roller
coaster
pitch
up
and
pitch
down
maneuvers.
I
could
have
spent
all
day
up
in
that
big
yellow
Stearman
just
gamboling
about
the
sun
drenched
sky.
I
had,
before
I
met
Mike
in
person
asked
him
over
the
phone
if
he
could
do
some
barrel
rolls
and
maybe
a
vertical
loop
during
our
flight.
Sadly
he
had
to
tell
me
that
aerobatic
maneuvers
such
as I
was
describing
required
that
I
have
a
parachute
during
the
ride
as
well
as
parachute
training.
Still
the
30
minute
ride
in
the
big
Stearman
was
a
dream
come
true.
It
beat
the
heck
out
of
riding
on
the
back
of
Dick
Stover's
Triumph
motorcycle
back
in
1958
and
it
beat
the
hack
out
of
riding
in a
speedboat
at
40
mph
off
Conneaut,
Ohio
in
1955,
both
terrific
experiences,
but
not
open
cockpit
bi-plane
rides.
While
Mike
and
his
assistant
were
doing
preflight
I
walked
by a
pilot
who
had
just
flown
his
single
engine
Cessna
in
from
Delaware
about
30
minutes
earlier
and
he
smiled
at
me
and
said,
" I
really
envy
you
going
up
in
that
bi-plane
with
Mike."
His
implication
was
real
clear
and
my
bi-plane
ride
today
fulfilled
all
it's
promise
and
then
some.
Take
care.
:-)
Thrills abide on hot-air ride
Stunt-flying balloon pilot savors fun of introducing
first-time passengers to skies
The
Baltimore Sun July 22, 2007|By
Cassandra A. Fortin | Cassandra A. Fortin, Special to the
Sun
Hot-air balloon pilot Michael Gerred often witnesses the
anxiety of first-time passengers. The 51-year-old Bel Air resident understands the nerves.
But for him, the basic balloon ride is a simple pleasure.
What's difficult, even nerve-wracking, is maneuvering a
balloon close enough to grab an envelope resting on a pole
sticking up 20 feet from the ground.
"It gets the adrenaline going," Gerred said of the stunt,
called the "convergent navigation task exercise." "It's a
great feeling to know that what you've done worked, when it
could have just as easily failed."
Gerred's charter ride business - Harford-based Light Flight
Balloons Inc. - is the main aspect of his career as a
balloon pilot. But during the past 27 years, he has piloted
hundreds of flights in races and stunt-flying competitions
as well, becoming a well-known name in balloon-flying
circles. For the past three years, Gerred has performed
the envelope stunt at the Flying Circus Air Show in
Bealeton, Va. "Some people come within arm's length of doing it, but
Mike is the only one who has actually done it at our
festival," said John King, president of the event. "And the
fact that he's done it three years in a row is just
amazing." For about five years, Gerred took part in competitions
all over the region. By his reckoning, he has won 14 races,
including at the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning where he
competed against about 115 other balloons, and has placed in
the top three in 25 other races, he said. But for all competitive flying Gerred has done, he still
relishes taking paying customers up to experience balloon
flight for the first time. "There's no place like home," Gerred said on a recent
evening as he headed skyward from a field near Bel Air with
four passengers. Hot-air ballooning is more of an art form than a science,
Gerred said. "You have to use the wind to your advantage to get the
balloon to go where you would like it to go," he said.
Gerred's passion for aviation began when he started
flying at age 15. He grew up near the Patuxent River Naval
Air Station, where his father worked. When Gerred wasn't
flying, he was building model airplanes. In 1974, at age 18, he joined the Naval Air Reserve.
After one year of active duty, he went back to the reserves.
He took a job at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital as a
mental health worker from 1976 to 1980 while working on a
biology degree from what was then Towson State University.
During that time, he fed his fascination with aviation by
purchasing an airplane, a 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champ.
One day
in 1980, Gerred struck up a conversation with a balloon
pilot about that type of flying. All it took was one flight
in the balloon for Gerred, who had never seen one before. He began taking balloon-flying lessons and in 1984
purchased his first hot-air balloon for $10,000. He recently
placed an order for his 14th, he said.
Despite its long tradition and reputation for beauty, the
sport of ballooning has suffered in the wake of the 2001
terrorist attacks, which led to surging liability insurance
costs and tight restrictions on private aviation of all
types.
Aerostar International Inc., a major manufacturer
in the industry, made about 100 balloons a year in the late
1990s. But the Sioux Falls, S.D., company manufactured only
15 last year, said Martin Harms, product manager. The
company, a subsidiary of Raven Industries Inc., known as a
pioneer in the sport, is moving to get out of that product
line altogether, he said. The cost alone could be enough of a barrier to learning
the sport. A balloon can cost from $15,000 to $100,000. But those who are active in the sport are a fervent
bunch. The Balloon Federation of America comprises more than
3,500 members who are hot-air and gas balloon pilots and
crew, said Becky Wigeland, curator at the National Balloon
Museum in Indianola, Iowa. "In Iowa, there are some businesses that are in their
third generation of balloon pilots," said Wigeland.
In a horse pasture near Pylesville on a recent evening,
Gerred prepared to take a group of four people on a charter
ride. Among the passengers were Cynthia and Jason Simon,
Forest Hill residents who were looking for an unusual way to
mark their 15th wedding anniversary. To get started, Gerred and Joe Young, a crew member who
also is a balloon pilot, attached the balloon to a large
wicker basket lying on its side. They spread out the balloon - referred to as an envelope
- and turned on a large inflator fan that partially filled
the envelope with cold air. Using a propane burner, they
shot bursts of hot air into the balloon. As the hot air
filled the balloon they slowly pulled it to a standing
position. The passengers climbed into the basket with Gerred. Young
unhooked the balloon - 75 feet tall and 60 feet wide and
named the Carousel - and watched as it headed skyward.
Young, a crew member for Gerred since 1996, put the
equipment into a van and started to follow the balloon.
"Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, you don't decide where you are
going to go - you are at the wind's mercy," Young said as he
gave chase to the balloon. The biggest challenge is
finding a place to land, said Young, who started flying for
Gerred in 2003. "When you leave the ground, you have to be
thinking, `In an hour's time where will I land?'" Young
said. Gerred makes about 175 charter flights a year. But in all
his years of flying, only two local land owners have denied
him permission to land. Cooperation of the landowners is the
most important part of the business, Gerred said. So once on
the ground, he ends every trip with a champagne toast that
includes the landowner, the passengers and crew.
The goodwill gesture is part of a tradition that began more
than 200 years ago when the first balloons landed in France,
he said. "The farmers were scared when they saw the
balloons. They would come running out of their barns with
pitchforks because they thought the passengers and crew were
demons," Gerred said. The balloon pilots brought along
French champagne to prove they were from France.
MIDAIR MARRIAGE PROPOSAL
The
Baltimore Sun June 06, 1993|By
JoAnne C. Broadwater | JoAnne C. Broadwater, Contributing
Writer
It was almost dark in the fallow cornfield where pilot
Michael Gerred had landed his hot-air balloon after taking
two first-time passengers on a one-hour ride above the
rolling countryside of north Harford County. The balloon had been deflated and Mr. Gerred fired up the
burners in the basket, illuminating the night as he lifted
his glass and offered the traditional champagne toast of a
balloonist:
"The winds have welcomed you with softness. The sun has
blessed you with its warmth. You have flown so high and so
well that God has joined you in your laughter and set you
gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth. May your
skies always be blue, your winds fair and your landings
soft."
Just a few hours earlier, the passengers and a
crowd of friends and relatives had gathered in a
Forest Hill field to watch Mr. Gerred, owner of
Light Flight Hot Air Balloons of Bel Air, and
his ground crew chief, Jonathan Anderson,
inflate the enormous balloon. They stretched
out the fabric of the vividly colored balloon on
the ground after attaching it with stainless
steel cables to the basket, which was laid on
its side. Mr. Gerred then turned on a gas-powered
inflator fan and 1,200 yards of vertically
striped red, orange, yellow, green, blue and
purple fabric began to swell with air and take
shape. Twenty minutes later, a six-story balloon
towered over the barley field. "It's beautiful," said Selene MacGillivary, a
22-year-old nursing student at Harford Community
College. Her boyfriend, David Gorrell -- a
23-year-old accounting major who graduated
recently from the University of Baltimore --
planned the balloon ride as a surprise for her. Mr. Gorrell requested that the balloon be
launched from a field on the 194-acre Harford
County farm owned by his parents, Sandy and
Wilson Gorrell. "He's just so romantic," Miss MacGillivary
said. "I never know what to expect." Minutes later, the two climbed into the
basket, which is 5 by 4 1/2 feet and can carry
five people. The burners roared, heating the air inside
the balloon. The couple was lifted into the sky
as the balloon began to drift north with the
wind. Their hot-air balloon adventure had begun.
For those left on the ground, a different
sort of adventure was getting under way. Their
job was to track the balloon to its destination
in a "chase" vehicle, assist with the landing,
help the balloon travelers celebrate and provide
transportation ho
Sounds easy enough. How difficult
can it be to track a 70-foot-tall
balloon with a diameter of 60 feet?
Mr. Anderson, the ground crew chief,
quickly packed up the chase van and
set off after the balloon. Within
minutes, it disappeared, hidden by a
forest. Mr. Anderson kept driving,
choosing roads based on experience
and the direction of the wind."He flies 10 miles, I drive 30,"
Mr. Anderson said.
Excited observers often stopped the chase van, which is marked with
the balloon company's name, keeping the crew informed of the
balloon's whereabouts. "People always ask, 'How can you lose a
balloon? It's so big,' " Mr. Anderson said. "But ideal flights are
at treetop level or below. You can grab leaves as souvenirs. How
many people have a leaf from the top of a tree? When the pilot goes
low and the trees are high or if he goes deep in a valley, you can't
see him." Radio communications between the pilot and ground crew are
minimal, but midway during this trip, the pilot reported: "Be advised we have a wedding proposal and an acceptance."
The balloon was floating at an altitude of 700 feet when Mr.
Gorrell popped the question and placed a diamond engagement ring on
Miss MacGillivary's finger. He had planned for the moment since
November, when he scheduled the flight with Mr. Gerred. "I was so happy I could've jumped up and down, but I didn't want
to jump too high," said Miss MacGillivary, who wanted to keep the
words that they exchanged private. "He was the perfect romantic
gentleman. And the balloon ride was breathtaking. It was the best
experience I've ever had in my life. I don't think anything could
ever top this day."
Hot-air balloon passengers often use the flight to honor a
special occasion -- a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a graduation,
a marriage proposal or even a wedding. Mr. Gerred's Light Flight Hot Air Balloons is the only company
that offers charter rides in Harford County and one of only a few
full-time companies in the state, he said. Flights may be scheduled for any time of year, but May, June,
September, October and early November are the most popular months.
Daily launches are made the first hour after sunrise and the last
hour before sunset. The cost is $175 per person.
"Every time the basket lifts off, the excitement of the
first-time passenger rubs off a little bit," Mr. Gerred said. "We
flew last winter when there was snow on the ground. It was quiet and
we counted nine deer. It was like flying in Colorado." Mr. Gerred selects a launch site from three dozen locations
scattered around Harford County, based upon wind direction and
speed. Decisions about whether to fly and where to launch may be made
right up to flight time and many passengers must reschedule due to
unsafe weather conditions. Only 65 percent of Mr. Gerred's 200 to 250 yearly charter flights
are actually made on the first date scheduled. "You have to watch the weather constantly," he said. "We're very
conservative. It's better to be on the ground wishing you were
flying than flying and wishing you were on the ground."
"You cannot steer a balloon," he continued. "You can change
direction by moving to a different altitude. But a lot of the
control of the flight occurs before takeoff. The selection of the
launch site is the determining factor in where you're going to be." When the flight is almost over, the pilot surveys the countryside
below for a suitable field in which to land.
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