♪ >> IN BALLOONING, MOST PEOPLE
ARE AFRAID OF THE UNKNOWN. THERE'S A EXCITEMENT.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF STRESS. BEING A PILOT DEFINITELY MAKES
ME LOOK AT THINGS IN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, ESPECIALLY A
BALLOON PILOT, BECAUSE WE MAY SEE A LANDING SPOT OUT AHEAD OF
US AND CALL THAT PLAN A, BUT THE WINDS MAY CHANGE OR SOMETHING
MAY CHANGE AND WE MAY LAND ON PLAN P OR Q DOWN THE WAY.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE WITH THE WIND, AND NOT BE
TOTALLY SET IN YOUR WAYS. I'M ANDY RICHARDSON.
I'M A LOCAL HOT AIR BALLOON PILOT IN BLOOMINGTON.
AND I'M A HOT AIR BALLOON MANUFACTURER.
I GREW UP A MILE SOUTH OF OLIVER WINERY AND BILL OLIVER HAS FLOWN
HOT AIR BALLOONS SINCE 1976. >> WE MAKE A WHOLE WIDE RANGE OF
WINES. I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW DID
A HOT AIR BALLOONIST GOT INTO
WINERY. I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN
BALLOONING AS A KID AND I READ BOOKS ABOUT BALLOON.
I CONSIDERED IT TO BE THE ULTIMATE ESCAPIST ADVENTURE,
JUST TO FLOAT AWAY. AFTER MY FIRST FLIGHT, I WAS
OBSESSED. I MEAN, REALLY!
THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO. I WAS 14 AT THE TIME.
THE WINERY WAS GROWING. IT NEEDED SOME PROMOTION, AND
MADE THE RIGHT SALES PITCH TO MY DAD AND WE GOT A BALLOON.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MAKING WINE AND CONSUMING WINE AND
FLYING HOT AIR BALLOONS, THEY ARE JUST REALLY JOYFUL
EXPERIENCES. >> WE WOULD SEE THE OLIVER
WINERY BALLOON FLY OVER ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND.
I GOT INTRIGUED WITH IT AT A REALLY, REALLY YOUNG AGE AND I
WOULD GO DOWN TO THE WINERY ON THE WEEKEND AND ASK IF THEY
NEEDED HELP ON THE CHASE CREWS AND BILL WAS ALWAYS SUPER
GRACIOUS AND ALWAYS WELCOMED PEOPLE BEING THERE TO HELP.
AND I VIVIDLY REMEMBER MY MOM SAYING, THIS IS A ONCE IN A
LIFETIME DEAL, ENJOY IT. AND AS SOON AS I TOOK OFF, I
THOUGHT, I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME THING.
I WANT TO DO THIS FOREVER. I ENDED UP NOT WANTING TO BUY A
CAR WHEN I WAS YOUNG. I WANTED TO BUY A BALLOON.
SO I SOLD POP CANS AND MOWED LAWNS AND DID ANYTHING I COULD
TO SAVE A DIME AND BOUGHT A BALLOON WHEN I WAS 14.
IT WAS HARD TO EXPLAIN TO MY PARENTS THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO GO
WORK A REGULAR 9 TO 5 JOB, THAT I WANTED TO WORK FOR MYSELF AND
BUILD AND MANY OF HOT AIR BALLOONS.
THROUGH JUST A WEIRD STROKE OF LUCK, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
BUY ADAM'S BALLOONS AND SINCE 2015, WE HAVE GROWN INTO ONE THE
LARGEST BALLOON MANUFACTURERS IN THE U.S.
>> ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I MET SOME PILOTS AND WENT OUT CREW
NOR THEM ONE DAY AND WAS ABSOLUTELY HOOKED.
I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT AND I HAVEN'T MISSED A FLIGHT SINCE.
IT'S IN MY BLOOD. IT'S MY PASSION NOW.
>> WE DO A LOT OF CORPORATE LOGOD BALLOONS AND THE ART
BALLOONS. WE OFFER SPECIAL SHAPES.
WE ARE BUILDING A SPECIAL SHAPED GORILLA THAT WILL HEAD OVERSEAS.
WE TAKE THE RAW GOODS AND TURN THEM INTO AIRCRAFTS.
WE GET BOLTS OF FABRIC AND WE CUT THE PANELS OF THE HOT AIR
BALLOON. >> WE GLUE THE APPLIQUE DOWNS
AND SINGLE NEEDLE THEM ON THE
PANELS. >> AND FROM THERE IT COMES OVER
TO MY DEPARTMENT, AND I SEW IT TOGETHER AND I ASSEMBLE ALL THE
PIECES OF AIRCRAFT TO TURN IT INTO THE HOT AIR BALLOON.
>> SO RIGHT NOW, I'M WORKING ON PANEL FOUR.
THESE ARE THE FLAMES FOR THE LITTLE ART WORK.
THIS IS NYLON, RIP STOP NYLON. VERY LIGHTWEIGHT BUT DURABLE.
I CUT THE YELLOW PANEL FIRST AND I CUT THE RED PANEL AND I CUT
ALL THE FLAMES OUT WITH A RAZOR KNIFE AND WE GLUE DOWN THE EDGES
AND THEN I WILL TAKE IT OVER TO MY MACHINE AND I WILL SINGLE
STITCH ALL THE EDGES TO HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT UNLIKE A QUILT. JUST BIGGER PIECES.
>> AND THEN AFTER WE GET DON'T SOWING IT, WE TAKE -- SEWING IT,
WE TAKE IT OUTSIDE AND TEST INFLATE IT.
♪ SO YOUR AVERAGE SIZED HOT AIR
BALLOON WILL CARRY A PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS.
WE HAVE BALLOONS THAT CARRY 12 TO 14, 16 PASSENGERS FOR THE
RIGHT COMPANY AND WE TAKE BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARY, WEDDING
PROPOSALS, DATES. WE FLY LOCALLY HERE OVER MONROE
COUNTY, AND THE SCENERY HERE IS JUST FANTASTIC BECAUSE WE ARE
RIGHT NEXT TO THE HOOSIER NATIONAL FOREST AND BROWN COUNTY
STATE PARK. THIS IS JUST EXTREMELY SCENIC.
SO IT MAKES FOR FANTASTIC VIEWS WHILE WE'RE FLYING.
>> I HAVE FLOWN ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY. THIS IS BEST PLACE I HAVE EVER
FLOWN IN. IT HAS RIGHT COMBINATION OF
INTERESTING TERRAIN AND WE ARE MIDCONTINENTAL IN TERMS OF OUR
WEATHER PATTERNS. WE GO ON LONGER FLIGHTS AT
TIMES. >> AND IN BALLOONING, YOU ARE
COMPLETELY AT THE MERCY OF WINDS.
IT'S A FUN CHALLENGE EVERY TIME YOU FLY.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FLYING HOT AIR BALLOONS SINCE 1783.
SO IT'S AN OLD TECHNOLOGY. >> THERE'S NO WAY TO STEER A
BALLOON ONCE YOU TAKE OFF, OTHER THAN HOPING THAT WHEN YOU CHANGE
THE ALTITUDE, YOU CAN FIND A DIFFERENT WIND DIRECTION.
WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME BEFORE EVERY FLIGHT LOOKING AT MAPS AND
LOOKING AT WIND DIRECTIONS TO DECIDE THE PROPER SPOT TO TAKE
OFF FROM. THE BALLOONING IS A FAIR WEATHER
SPORT FOR SURE. SO WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAUTIOUS
ABOUT WIND SPEEDS AND THUNDERSTORMS OR RAIN.
WHILE WE'RE FLOATING THROUGH THE SKY, IT'S ALMOST TOTALLY SILENT.
EVERYTHING ABOUT IT JUST SEEMS SO PEACEFUL.
AWE WAY FROM THE HUSTLE AND THE BUSTLE ON THE GROUND.
AND NOBODY CAN BUG YOU WHILE YOU ARE UP THERE.
IT'S JUST YOU GET TO RELAX AND ENJOY IT.
SO AS LONG AS THERE'S NO OBSTACLES YOU CAN FLY A FOOT OFF
THE GROUND OR YOU CAN FLY 10,00. YOU CAN PICK LEAVES OUT OF THE
TOPS OF THE TREES. YOU CAN SEE WILDLIFE.
YOU SEE DEER. YOU SEE FOXES.
YOU SEE RABBITS. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE BEING IN A
BALLOON AND FLYING OVER PEOPLE. >> THE POOL LOOKS NICE.
♪ >> PEOPLE COME OUT OF THEIR
HOUSE AND THEY GET THEIR CAMERA. THEY WILL GET THEIR KIDS, AND
EVERYBODY STANDS THERE AND
WAVES. AND IT'S JUST SO COOL TO SEE SO
MANY SMILES ON PEOPLE'S FACES. MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT,
BUT WE CAN HEAR EVERY SINGLE THING THEY SAY ON THE GROUND.
SO THEY'LL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS SAYING OH, I'M
SURE THEY CAN'T HEAR US, AND WE WILL YELL DOWN, YES, WE CAN.
>> WE'RE FLYING OVER HOUSES AND YOU WILL OFTENTIMES GET A KID
THEY JUMP ON THEIR BICYCLE. I'M ONLY GOING 5 OR 8 MILES PER
HOUR. YOU GET THIS SMALL PACK OF
CHILDREN ON THEIR BIKE CHASING YOU DOWN AS YOU FLY OVER.
>> HOT AIR BALLOONS NEVER LAND WHERE WE TOOK OFF FROM.
ONE OF MY FAVORITES TO DO IS LAND IN AND AROUND HOUSING
EDITIONS. >> BECAUSE WE GET KIDS.
YEAH, YOU CAN TOUCH THE BALLOON AND YEAH, YOU CAN GET IN THE
BASKET. >> I WILL PROBABLY GO ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THESE APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
>> AND I THINK IT'S JUST THAT KIND OF CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE
HAS BEEN SO REWARDING, AND REALLY HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT
KIND OF EWE MANTY, BECAUSE WE END -- HUMANITY, BECAUSE WE END
UP CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE THAT IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES WE NEVER
WOULD BECAUSE WE LANDED IN THEIR BACKYARD.
WE HAVE THESE GREAT CONVERSATIONS AND OFTENTIMES
THEY TELL ME WAY MORE ABOUT THEMSELVES THAN I EXPECT.
I JUST BECOME A FRIEND OF SORTS. >> IT'S A REALLY, REALLY UNIQUE
JOB AND IT'S REALLY REWARDING IN A LOT OF WAYS.