WEATHER BURSTS BALLOONISTS' HOPES; BALLOON PILOTS ALL HAVE HORROR STORIES ABOUT WEATHER'S EFFECT

They were all set to take off -- several balloon pilots committed to taking reporters up for a Thursday evening media flight.

Then the rain started. And stopped. And started again.

By the time all the storm fronts moved through, it was too late for a real flight. For sponsor's sakes, the pilots inflated their balloons and hung advertising banners out.

No one seemed too crushed about the turn of events. After all, weather is what balloonists care about second-most, right after power lines.

"We're more aware of the weather than any other type of pilot," balloonist Dale Wong of Rancho Cucamongo, Calif., said. "We're so dependent on it because there's no steering in here."

Wong, a 15-year veteran of balloon piloting, and about 40 other pilots are in Cape Girardeau for Balloons & Arts Festival '95, which spans today, Saturday and Sunday. The event caps off with several competitions.

Due to weather, Thursday turned into a night simply to inflate the balloons and chat with curious folks who wandered over for a closer look.

For a balloon to become buoyant, there must be 135 degrees difference in the air temperature inside it and outside. The inside temperature must get even higher for the balloon to fly, Jodie Smith of Chino, Calif., explained.

Balloon flying is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, and pilots must pass written and practical examinations before becoming licensed. Included on the tests are questions about weather and its affect on flying.

The knowledge is vital, as almost every pilot has a horror story about how wind, rain or lightning almost got them. Smith's involves a wind shear near Reno, Nev., that caught him at about 8,000 feet. His balloon began dropping at about 1,600 feet a minute for nearly two minutes, but Smith got control.

One of Wong's horror stories is set over Cape Girardeau.

At Balloon Fest '93, Wong was chosen to fly a television news anchor on a night flight between storms. They were up in the air when 45 mph winds hit.

"I looked up and there wasn't a balloon over me," Wong said. "We were headed toward the floodwaters in Illinois. I was trying to be really cool because the anchor was there, but I was sweating bullets."

Other balloons landed in muddy bean fields, but Wong put his down in the middle of someone's backyard.

"The anchor didn't mind at all," Wong said. "She asked if we could go up again!"