Hot air balloon thrills passengers, captivates spectators in Alexandria
Hot air balloon pilot Bob Pulaski has a fear of heights. So he reasoned that if he learned to fly a balloon, he would get over it.
That was over 40 years ago and he still has a fear of heights.
"But I'm stuck with the equipment, so I have to fly," he said. "It's something to do. It's unique."
The balloonist and his crew brought his balloon, the Ski Lift, and set up in the field next to Huckleberry Brewing Company Saturday night and offered balloon rides for $10. The balloon captured the attention of many motorists driving by, especially those with children.
Milana Patel, 3 1/2, was all smiles as she excitedly waved to onlookers below as she and her dad Parry Patel floated up in the air.
"She loved it," said her dad Parry Patel. "She wanted to go again."
"It was fun and scary at the same time," said Makenzie Walters, 13, who rode in the balloon with friend Aleigha Doyle, 12.
"It felt cool up in the air," said Aleigha.
George Lyles rode with his grandsons Braxton Blanchard and Maddox Munro. The balloon gave them a view of the top of the buildings in the Alexandria Mall area, said Braxton.
While living in El Paso, Texas, Pulaski said he was working outside when he saw a balloon fly by and the idea to learn how to fly a balloon popped in his head. He found a balloon business in the Yellow Pages.
"An old Polish guy in El Paso taught me how to fly," he said. "The first time out, it seemed to come natural. I was told I needed to fly. I was good at it. It worked out. It didn't take long."
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Now that he has years of experience, Pulaski is now passing on his knowledge to new balloonists. Catherine Jakobs has been his student for about a year. She said there are a lot of facets to learning how to fly a balloon. A lot of reading is involved and she has learned that weather is not necessarily a balloonist's friend.
A couple of weeks ago, Pulaski said they had to land in the Rush Funeral Home parking lot in Kingsville because the wind shifted. Balloons float on wind currents which are influenced by the rotation of the Earth. Winds turn to the right while the spin of the Earth pushes winds to the left. This is known as the Coriolis effect, said Pulaski.
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Because of this, Pulaski has to think about where to land. For passengers it's a nice ride, said Pulaski but not for him.
Saturday morning he was flying towards LSUA but ended up near Rosalie Road over two miles away.
In the years he's conducted flights, there have been weddings and even a funeral on his balloon.
"Yes, I've actually done a funeral," he reiterated.
Pulaski has also been to competitions where he says he can make a little money.
In a couple of weeks, he will be going to one in Lakes Charles and then the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview, Texas.
Another thing Jakobs has learned is that ballooning makes people happy.
"It definitely brings a smile to people having a bad day," she said.
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Hot air balloon takes ride passengers to new heights in Alexandria
