Community Corner
Big Hot Air Balloon, Small Basket
North Canton Patch Editor John Deike offers a firsthand account of the 2013 Hall of Fame Balloon Classic, and what it's like floating above the ground in a cramped nylon and polyester basket.
Jason Provost and I slowly sailed 1,000 feet above North Canton on Friday while in a small basket attached to a big hot air balloon.
The liftoff was part of the 2013 Hall of Fame Balloon Classic.
The two-man eagle's nest wobbled as I contorted to shoot photos and video above Interstate 77.
But Provost, an experienced airline pilot, was poised and in control, which helped me almost pull off the cool journalist demeanor.
I was Fonzie up until the end when he reminded me we'd experience a routine crash landing.
Besides the initial thwack on dewy grass in an open field, it wasn't all that bad.
Provost and I emerged from the 3-foot-high, homemade basket unscathed.
Granted, the basket was safe and certified; yet it still had the word "Experimental" on the front, which, ironically, summed up the second time every flying in a hot air balloon.
But, yea, I'll do it again next year.
To see a few clips from the flight, click here.
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