Plano Balloon Fest

A PILOT AND THE 600 POUND BEAR

Bimbo® bear special shape hot air balloon.

The Petrehn family name has been, for many decades, connected with ballooning and John Petrehn recalls, “My first flight in a hot air balloon was when I was just a couple of years old and could not event see over the side of the basket. My father was the pilot.”

John became an FAA licensed balloon pilot at the age of only 16 and is currently the #4 ranked pilot in the world. “Ballooning is my full time job, profession, career, hobby, and obsession,” explains the owner of Magniflight hot air balloon company based in Houston.

Among his more than 50 awards, John won the 2006 World Hot Air Balloon Championship held in Tochigi, Japan and again in 2010. The 19^th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship took place in Debrecen, Hungary and John was among top competitors from five continents and 33 countries.

Although John and his highly experienced chase crew typically log 100 flights a year, this will be their first time launching Bimbo® bear here in Plano, the Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas. “It is a magical feeling when you lift off, especially in the beautiful Bimbo® bear balloon. The crowd loves the special shape and always send us off with a loud cheer,” states the pilot.

Bimbo® bear is a brand new special shape hot air balloon, representing the Bimbo Bakeries USA company and Bimbo® brand sweet baked goods, which

is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Standing 105 feet tall, the Bimbo® bear is 78 feet wide and weighs nearly 600 pounds.

This iconic white bear made its debut in July at the 34th annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning and will be a magical site to see September 23-25 at the 2016 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival. www.planoballoonfest.org

Just look at the cute Bimbo® Bear’s face and say “Beembo.”™ It’s been pronounced this way in countries all over the world for over 65 years. – Bimbo Bakeries USA

Bimbo Bear and Golden High hot air balloons at the 2016 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival Photo credit: The League Lady — Bimbo Bear and Golden High hot air balloons at the 2016 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival | Photo credit: The League Lady

More information about the Bimbo brand is available at www.bimbousa.com. View more photos of Bimbo Bear hot air balloon at the 2016 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival on our Facebook page.

“DEAR PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL…FONDLY HEATHER WARD”

On this day, September 19th we wish a happy anniversary to Chris and Heather Ward who graciously shared their story in this letter:

Dear Plano Balloon Festival,

It was September 19th, 2008; and my boyfriend Chris and I were driving to this hot air balloon festival that I had never been to before. He was a ham radio operator, so he had assisted in past years with the balloon recovery and retrieval chase crews. We got stuck in traffic and his normally very calm personality was no where in site. Chris was getting agitated like we were on some time schedule. He told me he had arranged for a photographer to meet us there and take some “couple pictures” of us. He said I should get my hair and nails done, and wear black and white because the balloons are so colorful.

So, we met Chris Vouras of Dallas Digital Events. He explained that he had a videographer that was new and training for events of all kinds, so I would see him with a camera here and there. My Chris’ best friend, his wife and their son was there taking in all the sites as well.

We got to our pictures. Then my Chris up and disappeared! We could not find him for what felt like an eternity. I was just chatting with the photographer and Chris’ best friend and finally he appeared and said we were going on the balloon field. I am an avid rule follower, so I did not like this plan. I should add, I had just had surgery on my leg that month before and was able to walk some but was in a wheelchair the majority of the time. So, he pushed me across the field to this beautiful balloon, which we now know is called the Chameleon II owned by David and Mary Ann Hawkins.

The photographer turned my chair and said he wanted to get some pictures of just me for a moment because the lighting was beautiful. Balloons were inflating all around us, as they were preparing for the evening “Glow.” All the sudden, my Chris appeared and asked me if I could stand for a moment because he had something he wanted to talk to me about. He had a stuffed turtle in his hand, dressed in a tuxedo. He started saying a lot of wonderful things, I was crying, and then he asked….”Would you be my wife?”

Chris Ward proposing to Heather on the launch field at the 2008 Plano Balloon Festival. — Chris Ward proposing to Heather on the launch
field at the 2008 Plano Balloon Festival.

He opened the ring box, I gasped and said YES! Then he said the sneakiest part of all, “And you know what, all of this was caught on tape for us to have!” Stinker! He had arranged all of this, and I was blown away! The balloons went up all around us, we took photos on the field as the balloon glow was happening and I just kept staring at my ring in awe. Chris had it custom made for me to include sapphires, my birthstone, and the month he proposed.

We parted ways with the professional photographer and videographer, and took in the rest of the evening. We bought shirts to help us always remember the 2008 Plano Balloon Festival (like we could forget), he bought a pin and we had junk food. It was awesome. I even saw a lightening bug for the first time that evening!

I created a photo book of our engagement story so we wouldn’t forget anything over the years and our video was given to us when we got our wedding video back. Our engagement video is now on YouTube.

Flash forward now, 8 years later. We got married on 07/08/09 and have been married for 7 years. We have two beautiful children who are the lights of our world. Our 4 year old daughter tells everyone she can that she can’t understand why her mommy and daddy did not invite her to their wedding. LOL! We have an almost 2 year old son, as well.

We plan to come back to the 2016 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival so our children can experience this magical place; and for the Hawkins’ of the Chameleon II to meet our kiddos. Thank you for all the planning and preparations you all do to put the festival together every year. You never know when your efforts will change someone’s life and that night in 2008, mine changed.

Fondly, Mrs. Heather Ward

Volunteer to Crew with Hot Air Balloon Pilots Sept 23-25

Pilots participating in the 2016 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival are in need of crew volunteers the weekend of September 23-25, 2016. Each hot air balloon requires a minimum of three people and up to 15 depending on the size of the balloon.

No experience is necessary for this hands-on opportunity to assist with the unloading, set-up, inflation, launch, landings and deflations. Volunteers who register quickly may attend the free crew training session being held with several balloons and pilots on Sunday September 18^th at Oak Point Park. Volunteers working two shifts will also receive a 2016 Crew t-shirt featuring the “Dazzling Autumn Skies” logo.

Shifts typically range from 3 to 4 hours and balloon coordinators indicate all crew members should be able to push, shove or lift up to 50 lbs. Teenagers ages 15-17 can volunteer with a parent or guardian and community service hours may be earned for Eagle Scouts, Young Men’s Service League, and many other organizations. All volunteers will meet at Collin Creek Mall and ride with the assigned pilot, and their hot air balloon, to and from the launch field.

Evening flight crews will be invited to enjoy a catered dinner and the Sunday flight includes brunch for all pilots and volunteers. This year there will be random drawings on Friday and Saturday nights for $500 worth of gift cards to local restaurants and movie theaters.

The deadline to register as a balloon crew volunteer is September 18, 2016 and you may either email VolCrew@planoballoonfest.org or sign-up online: http://www.planoballoonfest.org/p/getinvolved/volunteers/registration

Timelapse video of Balloon Chase Crew by Chadwick Stelzl:

THE DOLPHIN IS A “SHE” BALLOON

Jason Myers, pilot and owner of The Dolphin Balloon Photo credit: The League Lady — Jason Myers, pilot and owner of The Dolphin Balloon
Photo credit: The League Lady

The Dolphin balloon owner Jason Myers is participating as a pilot for only the second time at the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival. Jason has volunteered as a crew member for other pilots for more than 10 years and currently resides in McKinney, Texas. Last year Jason won 4^th place in the Plano Balloon fly-in competition and was one of 40 balloons to set a World Record at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium for the “Most Hot Air Balloons Inflated Indoors.”

“My first flight in a hot air balloon was September 12, 1981 when my Aunt Gayle flew my Dad and I from Silver Springs Park in Stow to Brimfield in Ohio. It got me hooked with a love for aviation and sport of ballooning,” recalls Jason Myers. “In the pilot logbook under ‘Nature of Flight’ my Aunt Gayle simply wrote, ‘Fun.’ I recorded ‘coolest thing ever done’ in my mental logbook.”

According to Jason, The Dolphin is a “she” balloon because female dolphins are lighter than males, and in ballooning, the lighter the better. Manufactured by Avian, The Dolphin is 60,000 cubic feet and a Falcon II. The two dolphins swimming around were hand sewn onto the balloon in the basement of a church by friends and family. There are more than 400 round “water bubbles” that his Aunt Gayle meticulously positioned and the light blue, green, yellow, and dark blue colors represent the ocean, land, sun and sky.

“I started flying and taking lessons when I was 16 years old. I flew as a student pilot for many years and finally completed my Private Pilot’s license for Lighter than Air (LTA) classification in 2013.”

Jason adheres to a strict 3-Strike Rule explaining that if that many things go wrong before a flight then it’s best to stop the negative pattern before getting in the air and not fly at all.

On the flip side, hot air balloon newbies, upon completion of their first flight, receive the traditional glass of champagne (or sparkling cider) and Balloonist’s Prayer recited as the toast. Concealed in The Dolphin basket, Jason always carries a sentimental memento of his Aunt Gayle, who lost a battle to cancer in 2001.

“I get a rush of excitement every time I lift off. The feeling of leaving the ground and becoming airborne is a rush that continues with every flight.”

Sharing a love of ballooning with the community is what Jason believes is the best part about the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival. He enjoys answering questions about the balloon and the look in the eyes of children when they come up to the basket, watch the glow of the burners, and feel the heat.

“There’s something magical about the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival because of the excitement and energy that it brings to people as they watch the balloons inflate, stand up, and lift-off into the sky,” explains Jason Myers.

Jason regularly drives The Dolphin to nearby fields within Collin County and logged approximately 30 flights in 2015. He also owns and flies a larger Cameron balloon, that is 105,000 cubic feet, the “A.M. Sunrise” named for his daughter Abigayle Marie. Outside of ballooning Jason is a Product Specialty Manager at Great Southern Wood that manufactures treated lumber and distributes construction material.

This summer The Dolphin inflated at Oak Point Park and below is a live video in real-time of Jason Myers and his balloon. Make plans to see The Dolphin swimming on the field September 23-25, 2016 at the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival www.planoballoonfest.org.

Plano Balloon Earns Texas Festivals Awards of Excellence

Plano Balloon Festival Inc. brought home seven dazzling awards of excellence from the Texas Festival & Events Association (TFEA) annual conference and marketing competition. These five awards were presented to Jo Via and Jessica Jackson on behalf of the Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. for the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival in the category of events with a budget over $750k:

Jo Via and Jessica Jackson TFEA Awards Plano Balloon Festival Inc — Jo Via and Jessica Jackson at TFEA Accepting Awards of Excellence on behalf of Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.

Gold 1^st Place Best Social Media
Gold 1^st Place Best Organization Website
Gold 1^st Place Best Promotional Brochure
Silver 2^nd Place Best Event Website
Bronze 3^rd Place Best Promotional Poster

TFEA Award of Excellence for Best Organization Website, Best Social Media, and Best Promotional Brochure presented to Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.

Additionally, two awards were received for the Plano Balloon Festival Run Series, Half Marathon, 5K and 1K Fun Run in the category of events with a budget between $75k – $250k:

Silver 2^nd Place Best Miscellaneous Clothing – Youth Runner Capes
Silver 2^nd Place Best Other Merchandise – Finisher Medals

“Recognition, by those we consider peers in the Event Industry, is always a positive endorsement of our marketing efforts. Credit is given to two individuals that are committed to producing at the highest level, Dan Stables, Stables Creative Group, and Cece Liekar-Campanini, The League Lady. These two companies play a critical role in the marketing success of the Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.” – Jo Via, Executive Director, Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.

The TFEA Kaliff Marketing Awards recognize excellence in marketing campaigns that promote events and festivals across the State of Texas. “The competition recognizes the creativity and professionalism of the TFEA industry. A record number of 488 entries were received in this year’s competition and Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. stands out among their peers every year. TFEA congratulates Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. and all the award winners across the state,” comments Kay Wolf on behalf of the Texas Festivals & Events association. TFEA is an official affiliate of the International Festivals & Events Association, the premier professional association supporting festival and event leaders worldwide.

September 23-25, 2016 the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival will be held at Oak Point Park showcasing this year’s theme: “Dazzling Autumn Skies.” A full schedule of the festival activities, performances, and launch times may be found at www.planoballoonfest.org and volunteers may sign-up for a shift using the online form: http://www.planoballoonfest.org/p/getinvolved/volunteers. Runner registration for all races is available at www.pbfraces.org.

Connect with Plano Balloon:
Facebook: Plano Balloon Festival
Facebook: PBF Races
Twitter: @planoballoon
Instagram: #planoballoon
Pinterest: PlanoBalloon
YouTube: Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.

About Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.
The Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 organized in 1987 for the purpose of staging a premier community-based and family-oriented hot air balloon event, offering other local non-profits volunteer opportunities within the Festival operations. The Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. makes a direct impact on the Collin County community by dispersing funds to participating non-profit agencies and has donated more than $2.5 million since inception.

View the full list of 2016 TFEA Marketing & Communication Award Winners in pdf format.

Safety First, Adventure Second

Guest contributor: Susan Zacheis

“Safety first” has always been my motto as an overprotective mother of two. In addition to being a neurotic mother, I am also afraid of heights, so the thought of being miles above the ground in a hot air balloon was a little terrifying. However, my sense of adventure prevailed through the research for this blog.

I got up bright and early on a recent Saturday morning to be part of a volunteer crew training session with some of the pilots and their balloons. It was a beautiful sunrise at Oak Point Park with not a bit of wind, or so I thought. Keith Berry, pilot of “Highly Cool”, said they wouldn’t be able to hold the balloon competition because of the windy conditions. I was quite surprised and notably the first clue that these guys might just follow my “Safety First” motto. Continue reading “Safety First, Adventure Second”

Honors Show Plano Is The Balloon Capital of Texas

This summer the Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. received an incredible list of honors during the marketing awards competition at the annual Texas Festivals and Events Association (TFEA) Conference in Austin, Texas. The awards given were for marketing materials designed for the event last year that was themed “Paint the Skies.”

More than 430 entries were submitted across this great State of Texas and we are so proud to have been recognized in multiple categories for our marketing efforts. The 1st Place honors included: Event Website, Best Promo Brochure, Best Misc Printed Material, Best Event Photograph, and Best Other Merchandise. The 2nd place honors included: Best Event Poster, Best Event T-Shirt Design, and Best Hat. The 3rd place honor was for Best T-Shirt Design.

This year the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival includes a new theme “Alive with Color” to be held September 19-21, 2014 at Oak Point Park in Plano, TX. Additional details and the schedule of events for the festival are available here: http://www.planoballoonfest.org/event-information

Read the full press release published via PR Newswire Services on July 28, 2014: “Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. Receives Texas Marketing Awards”

Five Winning Photos “Alive With Color”

The InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival & Run held its first annual photo contest this summer and the judging concluded with five winning photographs. The contest was co-sponsored by AlleeOops Photography, owned by award-winning photographer, Janelle Twyford-Sylvis, who also serves as a member on the Plano Balloon Festival Inc. Board of Directors.

“AlleeOops Photography is proud to be a part of this new element of the festival. The winning photos reflect different aspects of ballooning and the emotions we all experience when we see them take flight,” said Janelle Twyford-Sylvis.

Adult (18 and over) professional and amateur photographers from across the nation submitted digital entries online through CallForEntry.org. The panel of judges convened at Corner Wines in Plano to vote for the top images in each category and the following winners were selected:

Most Creative – Amy Leone

Best Technical – Kelsey Kruzich

Best Elemental – Bre Fitzgerald

Best Aerial – Tayla Arbisser

Best of Show – Cece Liekar

The winning photographs will be printed and mounted by BWC Imaging, used for a touring photo exhibit, and on display September 19-21, 2014 at the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival & Run.

Celebrating more than 35 years as a community non-profit, the Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. anticipates that thousands of new pictures will be captured this year by attendees. Photographers are invited to participate next year in the 2015 photo contest that will include new categories for additional age groups (17 and younger). The schedule of events for the festival may be found on the website: www.planoballoonfest.org.
Social tags

Facebook.com/planoballoonfestival

Twitter: @planoballoon

Instagram: #planoballoon
About Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.

The Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 organized in 1987 for the purpose of staging a premier community-based and family-oriented hot air balloon event, offering other local non-profits volunteer opportunities within the Festival operations. The Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. makes a direct impact on the Collin County community by dispersing funds to participating non-profit agencies and has donated more than $2.5 million since inception.

Plano Balloon Festival Photo Contest

Professional and amateur photographers from across the nation have an opportunity to participate in the 2014 Inaugural InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival photo contest sponsored by the Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. and AlleeOops Photography. Media is limited to photography.

Digital photos must be submitted online through CaFE https://www.callforentry.org/ no later than July 15, 2014 along with the $28.00 fee for one entry. The two entry fee is $35.00. Entrants agree to enter their images via digital transmission at a maximum of 4000 pixels on the longest edge, 300 dpi.

Judging will take place on July 17, 2014 and winner notification will be no later than July 21, 2014. Winning images will be printed and mounted by BWC Imaging. These prints will be used for a touring photo exhibit and promotion of the event. The top five winning photographs will be on display at the festival September 19-21, 2014.

Entrants grant Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. the license to promote the festival using their photos.

Five Categories:

1) Under 18 (17 and younger) – Overall for Age Group

2) Under 18 (17 and younger) – Most Creative or Unusual in this Age Group

3) Adult (18 and older) – Overall for Age Group

4) Adult (18 and older) – Most Creative or Unusual in this Age Group

5) Overall Plano Balloon Festival Photo Contest Winner

For additional questions contact:

Janelle Twyford-Silvis: Photo Contest Coordinator 972-679-5742

Jo Via: Festival Executive Director 972-867-7566

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