30 colorful hot air balloons will take to the skies in Metamora, Michigan August 28 & 29, 2009 as part of the Metamora Country Days festival. The event site is located at E. Dryden Rd and N. Oak Street in Metamora about 1 mile east of M-24. The first flight is scheduled for 5pm on Friday, August 28 and the second launch on Saturday also at 5pm. Of course all flights are weather permitting. There will be plenty for kids to do on Saturday, including pony rides, a petting zoo, inflatables, face painting and much more. A bike decorating contest begins at 10:30 a.m. at Chocolate Inked Sweet Shoppe.
Live music continues throughout the day on Saturday including a show by R&R Doubletake at 1 p.m. High Street Shelter performs at 8 p.m. A fireworks display at dusk is planned for Saturday night. For more information visit:
http://www.metamorachamber.com or call 810-678-6222.
Ballooning is an incredible experience for both those on the ground and those in the gondola itself. Those who operate hot air balloons in Michigan love to share it with anyone daring enough to take flight. As an avid hot air balloon pilot since 1982 and fan of Michigan's natural wonders, Scott Lorenz has been fortunate to see the beauty of Michigan from a slightly above the treetops.
"Just about every year we fly directly over a great blue heron rookery located on an island in Kensington Park's Kent Lake near Milford. It's pretty incredible to see dozens of these giant birds with their six-foot wing spans hovering around their nests. We've peered down directly into their bushel basket sized nests with one or two eggs," says Lorenz, President of Westwind Balloon Company.
http://www.westwindcos.com/balloon/ Lorenz has flown some notables too including Lila Lazarus from FOX-2 along with a passenger whose last wish was to fly in a balloon, which was all caught on tape by the FOX-2 helicopter in hot pursuit. Legendary Detroit guitarist Josh White even brought his guitar along for a concert in the air. "There's never a dull moment in this business."
What's the best time to go? Hot air balloons fly in Michigan May thru October. Lorenz says "springtime is nice, but summer's pretty cool too and you can't beat the fall colors in October!"
Most balloon rides last about one hour and Lorenz flies over the woods and streams of Kensington Park. He and several other pilot friends meet at Park 'n Ride area off Milford Road and I-96 (exit # 155) about 2 1/2 hours before sunset. From there he'll launch helium balloons, determine the wind direction, then take a short drive to one of nine launch sites in the area that give the best views and best landing sites downwind.
"Sometimes the landing can be like taking an elevator ride and others can be a little more exciting that's why great care is taken in making the 'go' or 'no-go' decision on each flight based upon the weather," says Lorenz."
What to wear? Lorenz suggests passengers wear tennis shoes and jeans. He says the air temp "upstairs" is within a couple degrees of ground temp so it's not a factor. Cameras and video cameras are highly recommended to preserve the once in a lifetime moments while flying over the countryside.
Flights cost $695 for a private ride which is two passengers and the pilot. All flights are pre-paid. Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover and PayPal are accepted. Gift certificates are available.
To really appreciate all that Michigan has to offer, call a balloonist and schedule a flight today, because if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you … the view is better from above.
To Schedule a Flight contact:
Westwind Balloon Company- Plymouth, Michigan, Flying over Kensington Park, Brighton, South Lyon and Milford. 734-667-2098
http://www.westwindcos.com/balloon Scott Lorenz, Pilot and Owner.
For Hot Air Balloon Rides in Michigan Contact:
Westwind Balloon Company- Plymouth, MI, Flying over Kensington Park, Brighton, South Lyon and Milford. 734-667-2098
http://michigan-hot-air-balloon-rides.com/ Scott Lorenz, Pilot and Owner.
About Scott Lorenz
Scott Lorenz, President of Westwind Balloon Company, has been a commercial balloon pilot since 1982, and has logged 1,450 + hours as pilot in command in a hot air balloon. Scott's memorable ballooning experiences include: Flying over Niagara Falls, The Great Wall of China, Disney World, the Olympics in Calgary, St. Wolfgang, Austria, Saga, Japan, the Grand Prix in Spain, co-piloting one of two balloons for Mike Howard's Guinness World Record "balloon walk" flight at 19,000 feet, a 20 hour-361 mile Gas Balloon flight with Gordon Boring and handling media relations for Kevin Uliassi's Round the World balloon flights. Lorenz and his balloon exploits have been featured by FOX-2 News, Hour Detroit and The Detroit Free Press. A balloon flight on Westwind Co. was named "most creative date" by It's Just Lunch. Westwind Balloon Company is a member of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and the Southeast Michigan Balloon Federation (SEMBA).
http://michigan-hot-air-balloon-rides.com/