HOT AIR BALLOONISTS COMPETE FOR FUN AND PROFIT

Even in an era of jet planes and the space shuttle, the fascination with man's oldest form of flight known to man remains strong.

It was in 1783 when two brothers, Joseph and Ethene Montgolfier, sent up an unmanned, smoke-filled balloon in Annonay, France. A few months later, the first manned flight in a smoke-filled balloon was launched.

Until the invention of the propane burner in 1961, hot air balloon flights were limited to rural fairs, where smoke from a coal or wood fire was used to inflate the envelope, or bag, with hot air.

As the air cooled, the pilot parachuted back to earth as the balloon fell to the ground.

Today, the propane burners have replaced the smelly fires and synthetic fabrics have replaced the woven paper envelopes that held the hot smoke, making it possible for more people to enjoy the thrill of safe, prolonged, balloon flights.

Al Muir and Tom Atwell, both of Houston, Texas are balloon enthusiasts. The two balloon pilots were in Cape Girardeau to participate in Balloon Fest '94 at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.

While many balloonists fly as a sport and hobby, Muir and Atwell fly balloons for a living. Their Houston-based company, Pretty Balloons Unlimited, offers for-hire balloon flights, hot air balloon advertising and promotions, and balloon pilot training.

Muir, 50, has piloted balloons for 20 years. "When I was 15, my uncle took me to see the movie, `Around the World in 80 Days,'" said Muir. "The part of the movie I remember best was when David Niven and his valet flew over the Alps in their balloon.

"The valet reached out and grabbed a handful of snow from a mountain peak to cool a bottle of champaign. It just captured my imagination. From then on, I wanted to fly a balloon."

After a hitch in the Navy and a few years working as a senior engineer for a New Hampshire computer company, Muir finally got his chance in 1971, when he helped the chairman of the Balloon Federation of America land his balloon in a farm field. "He gave me some books on ballooning and that's how I got into flying balloons," said Muir.

In 1971, it cost about $5,000-$6,000 to buy the envelope, wicker basket, propane gas tanks, propane burner, and flight instruments. Today, the same package costs $16,000 to $18,000.

That is why most balloonists have either corporate sponsors or their own balloon business.

Atwell was working in a Texas oil field when he saw a hot air balloon and thought it would be fun to fly. "I had already decided I wanted to be a crop duster pilot," said Atwell. "But after watching the balloon, I figured it was a prettier way to fly and a lot more peaceful."

Atwell went to Houston, where he met Muir, who taught him how to fly a balloon. After getting his license to fly a balloon, Atwell went to Long Island, N.Y. to fly.

He returned to Houston because of the limited number of days for flying in New York's climate.

Muir said training for a private or commercial pilot's license to fly a hot air balloon isn't much different than training to become a fixed-wing aircraft pilot.

"To get your commercial pilot's license, you have to have a lot more hours of flying time, because the commercial license also allows you to train private pilots to fly a balloon," Muir explained. "We cover the same stuff that a fixed-wing pilot has to know, such as weather, emergency procedures, and federal air regulations, because balloons fly under the same regulations as fixed-wing aircraft."

Although a hot air balloon goes where the wind takes it, Atwell said the pilot still has a lot of control over where the balloon will fly.

"You can change direction by going up or down to find a crosswind," he explained. "One way to find a crosswind is to drop some shaving cream and watch which direction the wind carries it. That's why we always carry a can of shaving cream on a flight. Another way is to watch the balloons ahead of you."

Muir and other balloonists travel across the United States each year to compete in a racing circuit similar to the stock car racing circuit in the Southeastern United States.

"The only difference is the race car drivers make more money than we do," Muir said.