GREENVILLE 2005
For full-size copies of any pictures, email me at boodayour_drawers@charter.net (remove your_drawers before emailing!)
Tracks for all flights.
Flight 1. On the second weekend in September we flew in a little festival at the Greenville, MS airport. We had misadventures with the truck on Saturday morning, which overheated as we were leaving the pilot briefing. Turned out to be a dead water pump. Bad news is that there were many further complications from the overheating. Good news is that I found a real angel of a Chevy mechanic, who came in on his day off, ferried me to a place where I got a good, new water pump for less than $70, and installed it for $25 labor. So we were able to catch the second flight, which was on Sunday morning.
We prepare to launch southeast of the airport, about halfway to Leland. Nothing here but cotton. Hunter (left) is an exceptionally enthusiastic local boy scout. He really wanted to fly and I made a point of doing whatever I could to get him in the air. His friend and mom flew too, very light load for three passengers. His mom's life story is pretty incredible, battling back from all sorts of adversity growing up in the Delta. Greenville 2005, first flight, pre-takeoff
I used to fly a lot in Greenville, many years ago. But this was my first flight there in nearly four years. The last one in 2001 was pretty infamous...probably my worst-ever landing...dragging into a large tree and a weedy beanfield at high speed. Fortunately this flight was much nicer. Here we go, up, up... Greenville 2005, first flight, takeoff
...and away. These first photos are Pam's. She solo chased, and did very well, considering she'd never been to Greenville before. Greenville 2005, first flight, aloft
My passengers, with the airport (GLH) in the distance behind them. That's where the first target was.

We flew southeast to northwest, right to left on the track chart. We flew very low...I never got over 360 ft. above the ground. Greenville is so flat and there's so little in the way of ground obstructions that you can do that. All the steering I needed was in those 360 feet. You can see from my sine-wave profile, I was doing a lot of steering, and it worked.		 Greenville 2005, first flight, passengers aloft
There was a general airshow at the airport, but only the balloons flew this early in the morning. Greenville 2005, first flight, airshow
Pam catches me coming out of the sun on the first target. Greenville 2005, first flight, silhouette
The first target was very complex. We had three beanbags and a plastic ring. One beanbag had to be thrown at the X, and two others in two (of four possible) different geometric outlines just outside the X. Finally, there was a pole, and the first ringer got a hefty cash prize. There was a ringer both flights. Not me, though. Here I pass the target, going nuts, tossing everything I could... Greenville 2005, first flight, first target approach
...and in doing so, I forgot to slow my rate of descent, and hit the ground...not too hard, but it disqualified all my throws. Greenville 2005, first flight, bounce
Looking back on the complex target. The geometric shapes were two triangles and two rectangles. I hit the rectangles almost perfectly, darn it. Greenville 2005, first flight, target lookback
On we flew to the second target. There were two second targets, but we were obviously heading for the one just beyond the county line road. Here, egrets rise over a small canal as we look at Dan Martindale's balloon over the second target in the distance. Greenville 2005, first flight, between targets
Again I got a good throw...and again I hit the ground, disqualifying myself! So I landed in the next field. I was the next-to-last balloon, and as I landed the guy just behind me, some fellow from Tennessee in a another pretty Lindstrand, leapfrogged over me. Greenville 2005, first flight, leapfrog
So my place in the competition wasn't too great, but at least we enjoyed the break Natchez afforded. It was only a couple of weeks after the hurricane, but we had nothing to do at home but sit amidst the rubble waiting for the adjustor.