Balloons Over Anderson

05/20/2024

Pilots , please get signed up if you have not already!! We look forward to another fun event in 2024!!

If you have not applied to attend our wonderful event please do so soon! Contact Cancer Association at 864-222-3500.

05/20/2024

This made doing a balloon glow possible during the middle of the day. 3:13 PM 4-8-24 Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH

05/20/2024

This image of a total solar eclipse was made at 3:13 PM on April 8th at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. If you look closely, you can see three hot air balloons at the far end of the field doing a balloon glow in the middle of the day! The McDonnell Douglas F-104 jet in the foreground was pretty cool also. :) No photoshopping happened here. I had to decide whether to be close to the balloons for the glow or near the jet during totality! Jet won this time. Next eclipse at Wright Patterson is in 375 years.

05/20/2024

HEADS UP!

The Hot Air Affair - Rising Above Cancer event is four days and will be happening Friday afternoon to Monday morning over the Labor Day weekend in Sept. All of the activities for this festival will take place on the balloon launch field near the Anderson Civic Center. If you wish to participate in some fashion with this event as a vendor or volunteer, contact the Cancer Association of Anderson at 864-222-3500. They will be happy to see if you can join the fun. 🙂 The rest of us can come and party.

Since all of the vendors and activities will be up on the field there will be no restrictions on when the vendors can offer their products. Last year the county put a lot of restrictions on the vendors near the amphitheater. And we will have a lot more port-a-pots!!

09/24/2023

We are out here on the Civic Center Launch Field at 7:31 am laying out balloons. Come on out for the magic.

09/24/2023

This is well worth the drive.

🎈 Up, Up, and Away! 🌄

Get ready for a weekend filled with soaring adventures, breathtaking views, and unforgettable memories.

📆 Mark your calendars: October 20-22
📍 Location: Statesville Regional Airport

Get your tickets: https://www.carolinaballoonfest.com/tickets.html

📸: Bill Leach

09/23/2023

Derrick O'Shields and some of his friends are looking to fly from the Anderson Civic Center launch field in the morning Sunday the 24th (looking at afternoon too) if anyone would like to come out. Likely meeting around 6:45am. Feel free to come out! Great photo ops and kids love us. Remember, weather has the last word.

09/07/2023

Hot Air Affair After Dark - On Sunday night there were a gazillion people on the launch field to see what the Hot Air Affair looks like after dark. It was looking plenty good. This series consists of group shots of synchronous burns by the pilots. There was plenty of colorful magic for all who came to make the 2023 edition of the Hot Air Affair - Rising Above Cancer a grand success. Save Labor Day 24 for an even bigger better Hot Air Affair.

09/07/2023

One of the inspiring attractions at the Hot Air Affair - Rising Above Cancer midway was the St Baldrick's Foundation tent where supporters had their hair and beards cut off, one follicle at a time, to beat childhood cancer. The Foundation provides financial support to cutting edge research seeking treatment and cures for cancer in children. They had a lot of fun advancing some of the most serious work on earth. Three professional barbers from Sports Clips got to charge their batteries and cut it all off! It seems they rather enjoyed themselves.

09/06/2023

The Hot Air Affair was not able to launch Sunday morning because of dense patchy fog and convection currents, but that did not keep pilots from doing static displays of these magnificent creatures of the sky. We had many of our pilots inflate and give a visual treat to those coming out to the field at first light.

09/04/2023

The best photos are gifts. 🎁 They are received, not taken. Two of our Hot Air Affair pilots were out for a splash and dash on Monday morning.

09/04/2023

Here on Monday, we are having a brilliant sunrise with unusual intense colors. The Hot Air Affair Rising Above Cancer is in fine form today.

09/04/2023

Field was just opened for flight so we will lay out and inflate here beginning at 7:05. We expect nice flights this morning (Monday).

09/03/2023

Sunday afternoon evening launch was perfect. Our fleet of balloons flew over Anderson, so many people were able to see our airborne magic. The Hot Air Affair Rising Above Cancer balloon festival has been an epic success.

09/03/2023

It's getting real purdy out here. Pilots are getting ready for our finale balloon glow. We have a billion people out here having a good time.

09/03/2023

Morning flight (Sunday) has been called off but we have lots of balloons inflated on the field.

09/03/2023

We are on a hold for morning fog. We got a bonus while waiting- a fog bow!

09/03/2023

Hot Air Affair will have flights this morning (Sunday). Pilots will begin inflation on launch field in about 20 minutes (7:00 am).

09/02/2023

We are in pilot's briefing and have a green flag for flight. Pilots will start laying out between 6:15 pm and 6:30 pm. You have time to watch a mass ascension of thirty balloons. We will have a glow following. Then we have great music from "No Speed Limit" and the exceptional "Combos Kings." It's all free. We have a fleet of great food trucks for your dining pleasure.

09/02/2023

This series is from our Saturday morning precision fly in. Pilots select a location a specified distance or greater away from the field and attempt to fly into the field and drop a bean bag on an X in the center of the field. We had eight pilots elect to launch from the field and take passengers to the west. Twenty two pilots elected launch sites east of the field and flew into the field to drop their bean bags. We had balloons in the sky for nearly two hours, giving the town of Anderson a serious visual treat as most of the balloons flew over the main commercial road in town.

09/02/2023

This is what first light is looking like for us here at the Civic Center. Hot Air Affair balloons will be inflating within 20 minutes. It is 7:16 am.

09/02/2023

We have a green flag from flight master here at 6:36 am at pilots briefing. We will fly! Check in for passengers is happening now. 6:40 am.

09/02/2023

We are gonna have an epic day at the Hot Air Affair. Glorious sunrise beginning here on field. Climate is perfect. Pilots briefing is just starting here at 6:30.

09/02/2023

We can almost guarantee a green flag from the flight master at the morning pilot's briefing which means an inflation and mass ascension at sunrise from the Civic Center launch field. Aviation weather is looking very good for next three days. Come out about 6:45 AM and experience the magic.

09/02/2023