Thurston Classic takes to the skies this weekend

Jun. 14—Father's Day weekend is nearly here and, fittingly, Meadville will be full of hot air.

Balloons, that is! Hot air balloons will, weather permitting, light the night on Thursday and fill the skies the following three days as the Thurston Classic returns to the Tool City for the 33rd time.

The fun begins Thursday with the Joyce Stevens Memorial Night Glow just after sunset, which will take place at 8:56 p.m.

"We're looking forward to putting on a show," Balloonmeister Alex Jonard said Tuesday of the kick-off event that features a line of balloons illuminating at ground level like so many jumbo-sized paper lanterns.

Eight of the 18 balloons attending the Thurston will join in the Night Glow. Pilots will fire off their backup burners, igniting jets of raw propane to send an explosion of brilliant orange flame into the balloons.

"That's what gives it the glow," Jonard said.

The primary burners, in contrast, aerate the propane fuel before it is ignited, resulting in a hotter but less breath-taking display.

As the engines roar and the crowd reacts, the pilots have a relatively leisurely time inside their respective baskets.

"Usually it's fairly easy unless it's windy outside," said Jordan Cox, pilot of Chris P. Bacon, this year's featured character balloon. "It's harder on the crew — they help hold the basket down and they control the balloon with the crown line."

Taking off at night "would be bad," Cox said. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules would require special lights for a night flight, but it's not so much the requirements or the flying that would detract from the experience, it's the need to land at some point.

For those who prefer to land safely, being able to see where you're going is a key part of making that happen. That's why, according to Jonard, those who do take off in the dark usually do so shortly before sunrise.

At the Night Glow, on the other hand, there's no danger of any inadvertent liftoffs, according to Jonard, who has participated in the Thurston Classic every year it has taken place since 1988.

As the event's balloonmeister again this year, he should know. The role — often known by the more informative but less lofty sounding "event director" at other balloon events — means Jonard has already arranged for an FAA waiver that allows the balloons to fly lower than usual limits and assisted with the layout of the field at Allegheny College's Robertson Athletic Complex. This weekend, he'll lead pilot meetings before each flight throughout the weekend, help with weather checks and more.

"You sort of oversee the whole thing to make sure the event gets off the ground, no pun intended, without any snags or snafus," he said, "and everyone has a safe, enjoyable time."

Safety is evident at the Night Glow in the form of restraint systems that connect each balloon to its transport vehicle to prevent it from ascending into the night sky if the crew's efforts to wrangle the basket somehow prove inadequate.

"Each time we glow, we wait a little bit to let the balloons cool down or let the pilots exhaust some hot air out the top to make sure they don't leave the ground," Jonard added.

With the balloons tethered to earth, many of the thousands who have assembled in recent years on the hillside overlooking the spectacle will be at balloon level, according to Mary Ann Benacci, part of the team that organizes the classic each year.

"Any place on the hillside is good," she said Tuesday. "It's like stadium seating. No matter where you're sitting, you have a perfect view of all the balloons."

For those in the baskets, the view as they look across the field to the crowded hillside isn't bad either. Many of the spectators have the same reaction as Benacci, whether it's their first Thurston Classic or their 33rd.

"I'm like a kid. I still can't believe when I see a balloon in the air," she said. "You can't help but smile and just love it."

YOU CAN GO

The Joyce Stevens Night Glow kicks off the 33rd Thurston Classic at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday at Allegheny College's Robertson Athletic Complex, 204 Park Ave. Admission is free. Shuttle bus service is available to transport visitors from parking lots to the viewing area. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own seating. Inclement weather may lead to cancellation. Thurston Classic events continue Friday with balloons departing from the complex at about 6 p.m. Sanctioned races, in which pilots toss bean bags at a target on the ground, will take place in the morning and evening Saturday and in the morning Sunday.

—More information: Visit thurstonclassic.com.

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.