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The National Hot Air Balloon Championship is this weekend in Nebraska's Panhandle, a huge event that's expected to attract 10,000 visitors a day and inject more than a $1 million into the local economy. Nebraska Stories producer Kay Hall got a preview, and a balloon ride during a recent visit to Scottsbluff.
Mike Johnson is commercial pilot. His aircraft of choice is a three story tall hot air balloon. He’s preparing for a flight at Mitchell Airfield, which is just west of Scottsbluff. In the summertime, the best time to fly a balloon is at sunrise.
“Weather’s the biggest thing. We're constantly looking at weather. We've got like four different weather stations that we go to and look at,” said Johnson. ”Winds are a big thing. We would just want to look at everything as closely as possible and make the best decision we can, whether we're flying or not.”
Balloon rises near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. (Photo by Kay Hall, NET)
Designed with a colorful, geometric pattern, the balloon, or what balloonist call the envelope, is unfurled across the grass. An industrial fan begins to blow cool air into the bottom of the flat balloon. Once inflated, Johnson ignites the burner and blasts a couple shots of hot air into it. The envelope then lifts off the grass and when upright, it’s time to get in. But before going up, Johnson gives passengers instructions on landing.
“When we get ready to land, we're going to face the direction of travel,” he said. “Brace yourself, you're going to flex your knees, and you're going to hold on from these straps. Don't reach over the bolster, because if we do have a high wind landing and we set down, we could go over on our side and I don't want any hands or limbs or anything hanging out.”
The 250-pound, brown wicker basket holds up to four people and two propane tanks that holds the fuel that heats the balloon, which gently floats upward. It’s only a few hundred feet off the ground and traveling at whopping 10 mph. From a distance, passengers see Scottsbluff National Monument. Below, row upon row of lush irrigated crops. A herd of cows stare quietly as the balloon floats by.
“The one thing that you can't forget when you're flying a balloon is to fly the balloon,” said Johnson. “You can't get distracted. It's easy to get distracted when you're looking around and everything's so beautiful and peaceful and calm. You always got to remember you're flying.”
Johnson is one of a handful of balloon pilots who’ve flown over Pikes Peak in the Colorado Rockies.
"We were so high that 17,999 feet, that you could actually see the curvature of the Earth. It was so cool,” he said.
Johnson isn’t the only balloon pilot in the family. He was actually taught to fly by his wife, Colleen. And they’re both Colorado transplants having moved to here because of Colleen’s involvement in the Old West Balloon Fest.
Landscape of Nebraska's Panhandle from a hot air balloon. (Photo by Kay Hall, NET)
“I was driving through Wildcat Hills and it was sunset and I called my husband and I said, "Babe, this is like gorgeous. You're not going to believe it." So I ran the festival for the first two years from Colorado,” she said. “And then we decided we wanted to retire here. We loved it so much.”
Colleen Johnson is extra busy this year because not only is she preparing for the annual Old West Balloon Fest, she’s also helping the communities of Scottsbluff and Gering prepare to host the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship.
“One of my good friends, we were all sitting around talking and he's a very good competitor, and he said, "Hey, why don't you bid for Nationals?" I didn't even know you could do that,” Johnson said. “I brought it back to our board and they were completely 100% onboard.”
The Twin Cities were among the top finalist which included communities in Wyoming, Iowa and North Carolina. Race officials visited the area in December of 2017.
“And we had this huge presentation with all the mayors of our little cities and police department, everybody. And so the site team was like, "Wow. Nobody's ever rolled out the red carpet like this for us," she said.
The good news came about a month in January 2018.
View through the gondola of a hot air balloon. (Photo by Kay Hall, NET)
“Definitely putting the spotlight on Western Nebraska. And again, just highlighting how beautiful it is here, and history as well,” she said.
The national balloon race is projected to bring $1.2 million to the Panhandle area. Attendance is expected to be 10,000 people a day.
“A little shot in the arm for our community, which is awesome,” Johnson said.
Some 50 pilots from 34 states will be competing and the winner will represent the United States in the international competition held in Poland next year.
Back in the balloon with Mike Johnson, he shares one final thought before he lands.
“If you had asked me 10 years ago would I be living in Nebraska, I would've said, "No way." But I love it here. This is home now,” he said.