Words by William Ennis (JStoness)
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A goofy jester in the sky.
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Heating the balloon in preparation.
Where are you going today? That's a great question to ask, especially when you've signed on for a balloon ride at the Gatineau Balloon Festival. The answer, of course, is riding on the wind!
The first festival in 1988 had 47 balloons. What a change the years have wrought! They have had up to 150 balloons at some point, and the number varies from year to year. Balloon owners come from many countries and are always ready to launch when the weather is safe. They must be so disappointed when they come all that way and the weather prevents much flying.
The balloons rise from the open field of the Parc de la Bai in Gatineau. The attendance at the show runs around 200,000 people, and many of them are not interested in balloons. They come for the other planned events.
There is a large bandstand, and many prominent bands and musical groups are invited. Be forewarned, the sound stages are set up to broadcast extremely loudly everywhere in the park, and there is nowhere you can go to escape it. It goes on till late at night.
The family stage offers entertainment for those who are interested in magic, or puppets, ventriloquism, acrobatics, and other youthful attractions.
There is a large midway with spectacular rides as apparently, the merry-go-round is not exciting enough anymore. Thrillseekers can be subjected to riding upside down, or sideways with a large number of g-forces on your body. Or they could be hoisted up to the stars, and allowed to plummet downward at great speed, and almost no g-forces. These rides are designed to scare and are probably rated as to which produces the loudest screams. If the line-ups mean anything, the noisiest rides had the longest ones.
There are many sections of the festival that provide family fun for the younger ones, including a playground section with several inflatable play structures. Many families like to stop at the reptile zone where they can view a whole host of lizards, tarantulas, snakes and turtles, and maybe an alligator.
The Arts and Crafts Big Top features a wide assortment of handmade items. Here you can get out of the traffic zone of meandering people, and inspect what is being offered in a more relaxed area. Are you interested in stained glass, or homemade preserves, a piece of jewellery, or a dress? This is a good place to stop.
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But truthfully, the festival is mostly about the balloons. When we attended there were dozens of colourful balloons, joined by a dozen weird-shaped balloons. I had risen very early to catch my own ride but twice the balloon rides were called off because of weather. The ceiling can be too low because of clouds, or even fog, to go up. These pilots are VFR pilots, meaning visual flight rules apply. They must be able to see where they are going, and don't use instruments. It can be too windy. You might be able to get up, but descending could be a problem because the wind could push the big balloon as you land and drag the basket dumping out the cargo. Also, in this locale, the winds could be in the wrong direction. You are not allowed to fly across the seat of government.
Finally, on my third attempt, it seemed as if the weather might cooperate, although the warning flags were up because the wind was rising a little. I watched as they pulled the balloon from the trailer, stretched it out and fastened on the basket and propane heater. They usually hold open the mouth of the balloon and direct the wind from a large fan into the balloon canopy. Slowly the fabric begins to extend, lifting a little off the ground. Then, the propane heater injects flame into the opening and the heat begins to cause the balloon to lift above the basket. The pilot and the customers climb into the tied down balloon while they wait for the launch okay.
All systems were go, as without any sensation of moving, we slowly lifted above the field. The watching faces below simply shrank away, and we were on the way. If you are lucky, the balloon bypasses any of the close landing points, and then you are in for a good ride. As we drifted aimlessly along we had time to view the accompanying horde of balloons. Some would rise, while others descended. It was up to all of us to act as lookouts for balloons getting too close. A rising balloon cannot see what is directly above as it rises, and if there is one under us, rising fast, we must avoid it by rising too. Some of the most interesting balloons were the oddly shaped ones. We have seen Mr. Peanut, a flying pig, a green frog, and a couple of honey bees that appeared to be holding hands.
After a long, very scenic flight, we crossed the Ottawa River and touched down in a farmer's field. While waiting for the truck and trailer to retrieve us, the pilot offered us a traditional glass of champagne. That was a really, great trip, and the pilot was terrific.
One special night at the show, the balloons are heated and tethered and the flame is turned on and off to light up the canopy. This ‘night glow' part of the show is watched by thousands in bleacher seats, and is possibly the highlight of the balloon show… apart from the ride, that is.
It's a perfect show for campers. The RV Park holds about 1000 rigs, but fills up fast. Reserve early if you plan on going. Having your own lodgings on-site means you can go back for a rest whenever you feel the need.
The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival lasts five days and is held each year on the Labour Day weekend. If you don't have too far to drive in order to get back home to work in the new week, it would prove to be a very rewarding end to the summer.
For Information:
http://www.montgolfieresgatineau.com/en/hot-air-balloons/desjardins-lift-offs1/
http://www.montgolfieresgatineau.com/en/about-festival/how-reach-us/