Our Vice President had worked closely with Deana earlier this year to put together a "Hike Above The Clouds" for our club as a spring event. Deana came to visit our club and share with us some fun facts about hot air ballooning. 

 

Fantasy Balloon Flights, Inc. is a full service professional hot air balloon company. They have been flying in the beautiful Lower Hudson Valley area since 1984. This year they are proudly celebrating their 38th consecutive year in business with a 100% safety record! Husband and wife team, Ken and Lana Smith, own and operate Fantasy Balloon Flights, Inc. They are both FAA Licensed Commercial Pilots with over 75 years of combined flying experience. And, what is really unique about Ken and Lana is that they have His and Hers Aerostar Balloons, custom-crafted especially for them. Hot air ballooning includes factors such as the exceptional quiet (except when the propane burners are firing), the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed. Typically hot air balloons fly between around 500 and 2,500 feet up to speeds of approximately 10 miles an hour and the ride is about 1.5 - 2 hours long. The landing is a bit tricky as well since there is no easy way of steering the balloon. One can land typically in a preplanned area but no specific landing can be planned as a result. 

 

 

 

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District Governor Carl Hassett also came to visit our club, drop off the this year's District Pins and give us a few words of encouragement after the rough year Rotary had as a whole. This year, as everyone knows, has been different and DG Hassett has not been able to make his rounds as every other DG in the past. He donated $21 Happy Dollars because this was his 21st in-person meeting and it so happened that we had 21 members present!!!

 

 

 

 

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