Monica Simmons, President of the Cordele-Crisp Chamber of Commerce announced today that the Chamber and the Cordele-Crisp Tourism Committee are bringing hot air balloons to the 68th Annual Watermelon Festival. The event will kick off behind Chick Fil A on June 9 at 10:00 for the Watermelon Days Festival Ribbon Cutting.

There will be tethered rides (meaning a rope will be tethering them to the ground) starting at 7:00 p.m. for $10 per person and $5 for 10 and under per child. They will then move to Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park Saturday June 10th for more tethered rides at 7:00 pm. Private flights are available for $175 per person by calling (229) 947-1257 or (850) 529-1943.

BALLOON FACTS:

• Have you ever wondered what keeps a hot air balloon flying? The same principle that keeps food frozen in the open chest freezers at the grocery store allows hot air balloons to fly. It is a very basic principle: Hot air rises and cold air sinks. So while the super-cooled air in your grocer’s freezer settles down around the food, the hot air in a hot air balloon pushes up, keeping the balloon floating.

• A hot air balloon has three major parts: the envelope, the burner, and the basket.

– The basket is where passengers ride. Usually made of wicker, baskets protect the occupants and are lightweight and flexible.

– The burner is positioned above the passenger’s heads and produces a huge flame to heat the air inside the envelope.

– The envelope is the colorful fabric bag that holds the hot air. When the air inside the envelope is heated, the balloon rises.

• To descend, the pilot allows the air to cool and the balloon becomes heavier than air. The pilot has complete control of the up-and-down movements by controlling the heat in the envelope.

• Once airborne, balloons just float with the wind. It is true that the pilot does not know where the balloon will land ahead of time, but that does not mean he cannot control the landing!

• Before the balloon is launched, the pilot knows which way the wind is blowing so he knows which way the balloon will go. The air is in layers, and the different layers may be moving in different directions. Therefore, even though the pilot cannot steer the balloon, he can move up and down to find a layer of air that will allow the balloon to change direction. Some days the amount of change is very small; other days the balloon may be able to actually turn around and fly in the opposite direction!

• During the flight, the chase crew follows the balloon. The chase crew is usually in radio contact with the pilot, and the crew’s job is to be at the landing site when the balloon touches down. This can be quite an adventure in itself! After the balloon lands, the crew packs the balloon back into the chase vehicle and everyone returns to the launch site.

• One of the most important parts of being on a chase crew is dealing with the public. When the balloon is landing, the chase crew asks the landowner for permission to retrieve the balloon.

• We are borrowing someone’s land every time we take off and land, so we are very careful not to disturb or damage someone’s property. We thank the landowner, and by the time the crew is leaving the landing site, most balloonists are already planning their next flight!

• We are very excited to be including Hot Air Balloons as part of the Watermelon Festival this year.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, the balloons will be offering tethered rides ($10 per adult and $5 per child).

On Friday, they will be at Chick fil A at 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday; they will be at Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park at 7:00 p.m.

All ballooning activities take place within the first few hours after sunrise and the last few hours before sunset and are very weather dependent. Balloons need clear skies, good weather and winds of 6 knots or less to fly or tether.

There are a limited number of balloon flights available as well.

For more information regarding going for a flight, contact Monica Simmons at the Cordele- Crisp Chamber 229-273-1668 or Ben Drennan at 850-529-1943.

Flights are $175 per person and last 45 minutes to an hour.