Stars and stripes above the hills of Park City. Photo: Niels Jensen
A few balloons wait for the go-ahead to take off. Photo: Niels Jensen
A lone balloon drifts off into the hazy skies beyond Park City. Photo: Niels Jensen
Balloons start taking off from the country club on the day before the official event. Photo: Niels Jensen
All colors represented above the hills of Park City. Photo: Niels Jensen
A balloon pilot displays extraordinary control over the water. Photo: Niels Jensen
Fall leaves compliment the rising balloons Photo: Niels Jensen
Park City resort as backdrop. Photo: Niels Jensen
Holding on to the rope connected to the top of a balloon as it rises. Photo: Niels Jensen
Miles Fish takes in the rising balloons while being held by grandfather Craig Moline. Photo: Niels Jensen
Miles Fish with grandfather Craig Moline. Photo: Niels Jensen
A Wyoming balloon catches the rising sun as hikers wind their way up the hill for a better view. Photo: Niels Jensen
Perfect weather and calm skies contributed to the success of the event. Photo: Niels Jensen
Pilot Ted Hunsaker of Arizona and his racing balloon. Photo: Niels Jensen
A crowd gathers around for a demonstration of the gas filling of a balloon. Photo: Niels Jensen
The event was full of activities for kids. Photo: Niels Jensen
A couple of classics rise together. Photo: Niels Jensen
A balloon makes its way to its landing area behind Treasure Mountain Middle School. Photo: Niels Jensen
The deflating process begins. Photo: Niels Jensen
Pilot Ted Hunsaker wraps up for the day. Photo: Niels Jensen
Threading the needle for a landing in the midst of the crowd. Photo: Niels Jensen
Pilot Don Stockley and his balloon “Moonshine.” Photo: Niels Jensen
Poor weather threatened to derail the Autumn Aloft event in Park City last weekend, but when it came down to it, the skies cleared and the sun came out to provide a great weekend of flights. Autumn Aloft hasn’t occurred regularly for 20 years, but was back for the second straight year. Pilots from Utah and surrounding states converged on the country club and the fields behind Treasure Mountain Middle School, which are a couple of the remaining places where pilots can still take off and land in the area.
Autumn Aloft started out chilly. Thirty degree temperatures in the shade of the hills soon gave way to a perfect, sunny day with blue skies and calm conditions overall. Ideal conditions for balloon flight. The crowd wasn’t deterred by the early start time or the cold temperatures. They were excited to experience what had been missing for so many years in Park City. The event is a rare one in that the crowd is not separated from the activity. Balloons were inflated feet from where individuals were standing. Pilots had to thread the needle a little to land, but once down, they spent a good deal of time interacting with the kids and adults alike on the ground. You could see the wonder in the eyes of children as the array of colors took off and as the pilots sent streams of fire into balloons to propel them towards the sky. Autumn Aloft was a success by all accounts, which will hopefully keep it alive for years to come.
Your donations allow us to share underrepresented stories for FREE!
