JENNY: THE 35TH FESTIVAL OF
BALLOONS IN TIGARD KICKS OFF
TODAY.
KEN: AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND
KOHR HARLAN LIVE THIS MORNING.
CHECKING OUT ALL THE BALLOONS IN
THE PREPARATIONS TO GET THEM UP
IN THE AIR.
KOHR?
KOHR: THEY HAVE HAD AN ISSUE
WITH THE WIND THIS MORNING, SO
THEY ARE GOING TO DO THE
TETHERED FLYING.
OH MAN, HOLD THIS
MIC, WILL
YOU?
THIS IS ALWAYS THE CRAZY PART,
GETTING IN.
OK.
THAT WASN'T TOO BAD.
THAT IS NOT TOO BAD.
HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS MORNING?
I'M GREAT.
KOHR: READY TO FLY?
IT IS A GOOD MORNING TO
TETHER.
KOHR: OK, LET'S GIVE IT SOME
GAS.
THEY HAVE TO PUT EXTRA PROPANE
IN THE BALLOON HERE, GIVEN THE
WEIGHT LOW THEY ARE PULLING.
DO YOU WANT ME TO GET OFF?
NO, WE SHOULD BE GOOD.
WE WERE PRETTY COOL SITTING HERE
ON THE GROUND.
KOHR: THIS IS A LITTLE
EMBARRASSING.
LOOK UP AT THE RE/MAX LIGHT
THERE -- THE WIND IS BLOWING A
LITTLE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THIS
MORNING, SO THAT IS PREVENTING
THEM FROM DOING ANY FREE FLYING
THIS MORNING.
THEY WOULD FLY INTO THE PORTLAND
AIRPORT AIRSPACE.
WE ARE STILL ON THE GROUNDS --
THIS IS TOTALLY EMBARRASSING,
ACTUALLY.
THE BALLOON FESTIVAL TODAY,
TOMORROW, AND SUNDAY.
YOU CAN ENJOY A LOT OF THINGS
FOR THE KIDS TO DO.
EVERYONE WITH A PRICE OF
ADMISSION GETS A TETHERED RIDE
-- WE ARE BEGINNING TO LIFT OFF
A LITTLE BIT THERE.
SORRY TO USE OF SO MUCH OF YOUR
PROPANE HERE THIS MORNING.
OH, IT'S OK.
WE HAVE TO GET IT TO AROUND 200
DEGREES AT THE TOP OF THE
BALLOON TO GET OUR LIST.
KOHR: YOU ARE FROM CENTRAL
OREGON, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT
SOME OF THE JOYS OF DOING THIS?
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
KEEPS IT REALLY FUN FOR ME,
ESPECIALLY AT THESE FESTIVALS,
YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE
OUT, MOST OF WHICH YOU HAVE
NEVER EVEN BEEN AROUND A BALLOON
BEFORE.
I FEED OFF OF THEIR EXCITEMENT,
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT KEEPS IT REALLY FUN.
AND JUST THE FLYING ITSELF,
BECAUSE WITH BALLOONS YOU
ARE
NEVER GOING FROM A DESIGNATED
POINT A TO POINT B.
DO ARE GOING WITH THE WIND
DIRECTION, AND IT ALWAYS KEEPS
IT INTERESTING AND NEW.
KOHR: INTERESTING AND NEW WOULD
BE WHEN YOU ARE LAND, ISN'T IT?
TAKEOFF IS THE SAME,
BUT IT IS
INTERESTING WHEN YOU LAND?
YOU WANT TO LAND SAFELY.
KOHR: SO YOU TALKED ABOUT
CROOKED RIVER CANYON, AND
PROVOKES A KNOWER THAT IS,
FLYING OVER THERE MUST HAVE BEEN
A BEAUTIFUL TRIP.
YEAH, IT IS SPECTACULAR.
CENTRAL OREGON IS A GREAT PLACE
TO DO A BALLOON FLIGHT.
WE HAVE THE VIEW OF THE CASCADES
AND THE DESERTS WE FLY OVER.
KOHR: THANKS FOR HAVING US UP
THIS MORNING.
SHOW US SOME OF THE SURROUNDINGS
AT COOK PARK IN TIGARD.
WE HAVE PROBABLY USED OF TWO
THIRDS OF THE SKY PROPANE TANK
TO GET MY LARGENESS OFF THE
GROUND.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL VIEW FROM UP
HERE AND A GREAT WAY TO SPEND
PART OF YOUR WEEKEND, AT THE
TIGARD FESTIVAL OF BALLOONS.
JENNY: WE KNEW THEY WOULD GET
YOU OFF THE GROUND EVENTUALLY.
KOHR: THERE ARE TWO TANKS IN
HERE.
I THINK HE HAS ONLY USE ONE OF
THEM SO FAR.
KEN: ONE QUESTION BEFORE WE
LEAVE YOU, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME.
HOW MUCH CONTROL DO THEY HAVE?
KOHR: HOW MUCH WHAT?
KEN: HOW MUCH CONTROL THE THEY
HAVE OVER DIRECTION AND STEERING
THAT THING?
KOHR: THEY ARE AT THE MERCY OF
THE WIND.
WHEN THE WIND IS BLOWING IN
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AT
DIFFERENT ALTITUDES, YOU CAN GO
TO ONE ALTITUDE AND GET BLOWN IN
ONE DIRECTION, AND THEN ANOTHER
AND GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION,
BUT YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE
WIND, RIGHT?
YOU ARE
EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE GET THE WIND LAYERS AND
ALTITUDES, AND THAT IS HOW WE
GET OUR STEERING.
SOME DAYS YOU HAVE BETTER
STEERING THAN OTHER MORNINGS.
TYPICALLY, WHERE I FLY, I GET A
GOOD VARIATION OF WIND DIRECTION
AND CAN USUALLY NAVIGATE TO THE
SPOT THAT I LIKE TO GET TO.
KOHR:
WE WOULD BE GETTING PUSHED
TOWARDS PORTLAND AIRPORT THIS
MORNING IF WE GO UP, BUT THAT IS