SAB event invites students to fly with veteran balloon operators

The Student Activities Board’s “Fly High With SAB” event had Columbia, MO based company Balloon Stormers offer students a ride in a hot air balloon Sept. 22 and 23. The tethered balloon took off from a field near the Truman State University tennis courts to rise above the treeline and offer students a view of campus to the north.

Student Activities Board special events committee member and historian Lizzie Wingrath said she was satisfied with the results. 

“I’m really happy with that [event],” Wingrath said. “I thought the vendor we chose was great. I’m really happy with the turnout, and I’m happy that the event actually happened.” 

Weather did pose some challenges for the event, said Wingrath. The first day faced a 30-minute delay due to wind, but conditions improved and the event was able to start on schedule for the second day of flying.

Students who attended the event flew with pilot master Janice Sines, a 54-year veteran of the industry who has flown in locations all across the United States and in several other countries as well. 

“In our first year, we had our balloon in 14 states,” Sines said. “But we’ve flown in Inner Mongolia, China, in Puerto Rico, … Costa Rica [and] Taiwan.” 

According to Sines, the balloon that Truman students had the chance to fly in is named “Kaleidoscope” and is just one of several balloons owned and operated by Balloon Stormers. 

Sines said a tethered ride has some major differences from a high altitude untethered flight. She said when you’re up really high in the air, you don’t feel any wind, because you’re moving at the same speed as the air around you.

“It’s a good time,” Sines said. “Everyone ought to do it at least once.”