History:
In 1783, the French aristocracy discovered the gentle art of drifting on the wind. Today the adventure of floating aloft to a destination unknown is still unique. Sport ballooning is a group adventure. It is not just the pilot who is an "aeronaut". Friends, neighbors, and the whole family can get involved in the fun. Passengers like to help with balloon inflation, and even landlubbers enjoy tracking the meandering course of the balloon with the retrieve vehicle.
Organized meets include several Federation Aeronautique International (Switzerland) sanctioned national and international competitions, as well as smaller balloon rallies held throughout the U.S. each year. Events in this country are governed by The Balloon Federation of America. Events include distance/time tasks, fox and hounds contests, various navigational events, even leaf-picking contests. Most tasks test the aeronaut's ability to locate specific air currents going in a given direction and to control the balloon so that it remains in a desired air current, it is not unlike sailing in three dimensions.
In addition to formal competition there are frequent rallies at local "balloonports" throughout the year. Balloonports provide an ideal location for balloon inflation and storage and also hold frequent "just for fun" events. Sport ballooning really includes each and every flight, for ballooning means joy and adventure for every participant. People are incredibly thrilled to see a balloon ascend. The size, the colors, the sheer spectacle is without equal. Today's aeronaut experiences the excitement that early explorers and barnstormers created wherever they went.
