BALLOONISTS HOPING FOR CLEAR SKIES

Balloonists at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport are looking for clear skies and calm winds this morning.

The third and final balloon race of the Cape Girardeau Balloon and Arts Festival will be held at 6 a.m. today.

"We keep close watch on the weather," said Rob Schantz, a promoter of the Cape Girardeau races. "Clear skies with a light wind up to about eight knots are ideal for ballooning."

Without cooperation from the weather, the final races could be canceled.

"If a race is put on hold, it's because it is necessary for safety reasons," said Schantz. "Our philosophy is that its's better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air rather than being in the air wishing you were on the ground."

The weather has been good for the first two legs. More than 40 balloonists representing 15 states are in Cape Girardeau for the 5th annual event.

Rob and Jetta Schantz, who own and operate a business of hot-air balloon sales, service, instruction and show promotions, have presented the races each of those five years.

"We've grown to love the Cape Girardeau area," said Schantz Saturday. "It's a great area and the people here are great."

The festival offers a number of other activities, including aerobatic plane demonstrations, the Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II, games for youngsters, musical entertainment, aircraft on display and balloon races.

More than 4,000 people had filed throughout the turnstiles by mid-afternoon Saturday and were still flocking in. The the largest crowd of the weekend was expected Saturday night, with band entertainment at the Air Evac Hanger and tethered balloon rides.

Admission to the festival grounds is $2 for ages 7 and up. Parking is free.

"We should surpass 1995 totals when about 6,500 people attended the activities," said Gene Riegle, an event chairman.

Two display aircraft which were not included on the original schedule were a P-51 Mustang and a T-6 Texan.

The last of the three competitive balloon begins today at 6 a.m.

Points are accumulated during the three races to determine winners, who will share in $10,000 worth of cash prizes. The prizes will be awarded at 10 a.m. today at the Drury Lodge.

The races are those referred to as "Hare and the Hounds" races.

Jetta Schantz, who holds the world record for the duration flight in a balloon of 15 hours and 11 minutes, serves as the hare this weekend. She is also the chief scoring officer for the competition.

Schantz, who has competed in her share of balloon competition, lifts off prior to the "hounds" (contestants), and places a target on the ground. The hounds then take to the air and attempt to fly over the target throwing a market toward it. The pilot whose marker lands closest to the center of the target wins.

The marker is a small bag of sand, about four ounces worth, attached to a six-foot streamer. "The idea, of course, is for the pilot to get as close to the target as possible."

"A race can be won by a marker thrown a hundred feet away, or a few inches," said Rob Schantz. Actually, the term "balloon race" may be misnomer. It's really a test of the pilot's ability to maneuver the craft. The race is not one of speed but accuracy.

This is not the case in all balloon racing.

"We like the hare and the hounds races here," said Schantz, "but depending on weather, we may have to go to what is called a 'Watership Down' race." This race calls for balloonists to lift-off and fly toward a predetermined target, attempting to throw a bean bag closest to the target within a set amount of time. Pilots are awarded points on time and accuracy.

Points collected here also count in national competition.

Many balloonists compete in about 20 competitive meets a year.

Leaders after the first two races are Robert Burroughs of Tuscaloosa, Ala., flying "The Toy:" Jim Wolters of Holts Summit, Mo., flying the "Missouri Lottery;" and Julian Tune, of Gallatin, Tenn., flying the "Air Bag!" Rounding out the top five going into today's competition are Pat Newell of Noblesville, Ind., flying the "Nearly Perfect Sunshine, and Jack Holland, of McLean, Ill., flying the "Gone With The Wind."

Eleven of the 44 balloons here this year are from Missouri, including one local entry -- the "Freedom Bird," piloted by Steve Spradling and John Friedrich of Jackson.

Balloon racing is a relatively modern sport. Although the first hot-air balloon made its initial flight more than 200 years ago in 1778 at Paris, France modern-day racing didn't really start until the late 1960s.

There are more than 5,000 licensed balloon pilots in the U.S. Pilots have to qualify for a private hot-air balloon license issued by the FAA. The license is not difficult to obtain. A person has to have 10 flight training hours and pass a 40-question FAA test and a flight test with an FAA examiner.

Hot-air balloons vary in size from 31,000 square feet -- enough to carry one person -- to 500,000 cubic feet, large enough to carry 32 people. They range in height from five stories to 16 stories.