Freedom Flight voyage lands at army reserve

by Janelle Von Pinnon

news@thenewsleaders.com

Anyone who was out on the calm spring evening of May 6, may have spotted a black exclamation point dotting the sky.

During that time, the husband-and-wife team of Jim and Diane Tuorila of St. Cloud, neighbors of Newsleader publisher Janelle Von Pinnon, joined a ground crew of approximately 10 to launch the Freedom Flight Prisoners of War/Missing in Action hot-air balloon from Whitney Park. For those who missed it last weekend, it will also fly for the Governor’s Fishing Opener this weekend.

While curious gawking bystanders watched with fascination, the crew unloaded the wicker basket, the burner and the ripstop nylon material, which stretched nearly a third of a football field in length and looked like an overgrown earthworm.

Diane walks around the perimeter of the launch site prior to inflating the balloon to warn spectators that when the burner is ignited it’s quite loud and may scare pets and young children.

With a bright yellow flame and a thunderous whoosh of air, the ebony material becomes animated as it starts to billow and sway.

While the balloon slowly fills with hot air generated from the propane-gas burner, the three or four ground crew members, who are responsible for tethering the crowning line so the balloon doesn’t fill too quickly, slowly hand-over-hand release the 110-foot rope until the balloon is upright.

After approximately a half-hour prep time, pilot Jim, along with three passengers, climb into the gondola for take off and with a few more puffs from the dragon-breathing flamethrower, the party lifts off. From the ground, it looks as though it barely clears the grove of trees nearby.

The calm 7-mph northerly breeze allows the slow drift of the balloon over the trees and power lines. The pilot must keep the contraption under 10,000 feet to avoid having to use oxygen.

The chase crew, including Diane, hop into their vehicles and start wending their way toward the VA and follow the balloon to a park near Westwood school. The balloon touches down for a few minutes, then with another few blasts from the furnace continues its journey southwestward.

The crew questions among themselves where the pilot hopes to land, then jumps into their cars again and continues to follow the flight pattern. Though the ground crew is in constant contact with the pilot by radio, the balloon is at the mercy of the wind direction and no one knows exactly where it will land.

All along the way, witnesses seem startled but then smile and wave as the balloon drifts quietly over them, many not realizing it’s there until they hear the roar of the burner igniting.

After nearly an hour, the balloon has floated along CR 134 and starts to slowly descend near St. Joseph. The ground crew has parked outside the Army Reserve fence watching the trek unfold. Diane explains the pilot is lowering the balloon among some trees to slow it down and once he “hops” the trees, he will then land in the field nearby.

Being there are no roads to where the balloon alights, the ground crew tramps a quarter mile through the field then grabs the balloon tether and “walks” the travelers to a destination point where they can all then disassemble the apparatus and begin the strenuous task of tearing it down.

Another half hour goes by while some tend to separating the basket from the balloon then dismantle the burner from its lodging, the others slowly letting the air escape from its trappings as the balloon deflates to its earthworm stage again. Once the balloon is on the ground, a fiberglass gizmo specifically made to help squeeze the air out of the balloon, is physically pulled steadily but unhurriedly from the lower end of the material to the opening at the top of the balloon so as to release the air and allow for the balloon to be “bagged” for transport. Then all parts are hoisted into the support vehicle, which houses the equipment between flights.

The entire crew participates in the christening of the passengers with a spray (and then a glass) of champagne, a scattering of grass clippings over their heads to show they’ve safely returned to Earth, a pinning ceremony and a recitation of the Balloonists’ Poem (see below) to commemorate their experience.

Jim says a short toast about the main reason the balloon flies: to honor the thousands of men and women who have been and may still be prisoners of war or missing in action. He says of the hundreds of hot-air balloons which rise on occasion all over the nation, only four in the world (those hailing from St. Cloud) honor the POW/MIA soldiers, past and present.

With the sun setting in the west, the crew says their goodnights then heads to their respective homes to dream of the next flight.

Balloonists’ Prayer

The Winds have Welcomed you with softness.
The Sun has blessed you with its warm hands.
You have flown so high and so well
that God has joined you in your laughter
and set you gently back again
into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

Fun facts about hot-air ballooning.

• Freedom Flight was Jim Tuorila’s idea; he’s piloted since 1989. The other local pilot is Luke Cesnik, who’s been piloting for 25-plus years.
• Jim is the self-proclaimed local expert regarding prisoners of war and missing-in-action veterans. He says he thought a hot-air balloon would be a unique way to honor vets and also would help people remember the experience, whether flying or witnessing.
• The first launch of the Freedom Flight balloon was held shortly after Veterans’ Day in 1989; the first passenger was a WWII POW Henry Sha from St. Cloud.
• Freedom Flight has four operable hot-air balloons, which travel nationwide and participate in various events to deliver their message.
• Average cost of a balloon, which carries a pilot plus four passengers, is roughly $40,000. This price includes the envelope (the balloon), a gondola, fuel tanks and instruments, but does not include any ground-support equipment or chase vehicle.
• The balloons are made by Cameron Balloons out of Michigan.
• The balloons are nine stories high, 60 feet wide and hold 105,000 cubic feet of hot air.
• The pilot must have at least 10 hours of flight time in free balloons, which must include six flights under the supervision of an instructor. The private pilot must pass a written test, an oral test and a flight check prior to being issued a private pilot’s license. The second rating is a commercial pilot.
• During the flight, the pilot’s only ability to steer the balloon is the ability to climb or descend into winds going different directions. Thus, it’s important for the pilot to determine what direction the wind is blowing at altitudes other than the balloon’s altitude.
• It takes roughly 20 gallons of propane for an hour-long flight; $300-$400/flight including the wear and tear on the balloon as well as insurance and maintenance.
• The average life expectancy of a balloon is roughly 500 flight hours, which if used approximately 50 hours a year, amounts to a 10-year span.
• Freedom Flight has been represented roughly 25 of the 28 years of its existence at the Albuquerque (N.M.) International Balloon Festival held in early October each year.
• Freedom Flight is a non-profit 501c3 organization supported solely by private and business donations. To donate, contact Jim or Diane at jd2rala429@charter.net.