WHAT'S UP

A B-2 Stealth bomber fly-by, former national champion balloonists and the women's world altitude balloon record-holder will be among the attractions at Balloons & Arts Festival '95 to be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

More than 50 hot-air balloons and balloonists from across the United States, Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands will participate in the annual festival at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Admission is $1 a person a day, with children 6 and younger admitted free. Parking is free.

Though flights for the media are scheduled at 6 p.m. today and at 6 a.m. Friday, the festival officially begins at 5 p.m. Friday with the opening of arts, crafts and concession booths, followed by a corporate balloon flight at 7 p.m.

Balloons sponsored by Pontiac, Mr. Goodwrench, AC Delco, GMC Trucks, Wehrenberg Theatres, Missouri Lotto, Old Milwaukee and Mr. Peanut will participate.

Tethered balloon rides will be available for $5 each.

A "balloon glow," the dramatic effect the burner has on the balloon's envelop at dusk, will operate from 7 to 9 p.m., and a "Battle of the Bands" Hangar Dance will be held from 8:30 to 11 p.m.

The bands include Papa Aborigine, Dillagence, The Begin, Van Gogh's Ear and Turner Up.

The competitive balloon races will launch at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. There will be one local entry, a balloon owned by Jon Friedrich of Gordonville and to be piloted by Steve Spradlin, who lives near Fruitland.

Spradlin, like all the pilots in this weekend's races, has a commercial license, which requires 35 hours of flight time plus written and oral exams and a flight test given by an FAA instructor.

The Cape Girardeau event also requires 100 hours in the air as a pilot.

Friedrich, an electrician, bought his balloon a few years ago and is working on his private pilot's license.

Friedrich calls his balloon "Freedom Bird."

Live entertainment is scheduled between races (see schedule). Performing will be the River City Ramblers Dixieland Band, Vodville Entertainment Company, Paul Mesner Puppets, Jamasaurus Country Bluegrass Band, parachute demonstrations, experimental aircraft and Air Evac.

An Air Force F-16 Mini Jet replica will be on display, and an Air Force B-2 Stealth bomber will perform a fly-by at noon Saturday.

The B-2 is the world's most technologically advanced bomber. The visiting aircraft, named "The Spirit of Washington," will come from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

The bomber recently flew from Whiteman AFB to The Netherlands, then to an appearance at the Paris Airshow. A new crew immediately boarded the B-2 on landing and, without shutting down the engines, flew it back to Missouri.

The two flights, completed in more than 24 hours, were part of a "Global Power" mission intended to demonstrate the plane's ability to go anywhere in the world.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, a Navy FA-18 Hornet, the kind of plane used by the famed Blue Angels, will conduct a flight demonstration. Also set up during the festival will be the Reactor Motion Simulation Theatre, which will show the live-action film "Fly With the Blue Angels." Viewers will feel as if they are in the cockpit of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

Parachutists are scheduled to drop from the sky at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday.

Children's arts and crafts activities will be provided from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Antique and custom cars will be on display as well.

Hot-air balloon rides also will be available for $165 a person. The untethered flights usually last one to one and one half hours, with the balloon carrying six to eight people.

These rides must be arranged in advance by calling the Arts Council office at (314) 334-9233.

The final races will launch at 6 a.m. Sunday.

The Cape Girardeau competition is scheduled less than a month before the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships in Columbia. Successful competitors will receive points toward the Nationals and will share $10,000 in prize money.

Awards will be distributed at a ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Drury Lodge.

Balloons and Arts Festival '95 Schedule

TODAY

6 p.m. -- Media flight, various Cape Girardeau locations

FRIDAY

6 a.m. -- Media flight, various Cape Girardeau locations

5-9 p.m. -- arts and crafts, souvenirs, food concessions, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport

5 p.m.-dusk -- Aircraft displays and aerial demonstrations

7 p.m. -- Corporate balloons flight

7-9 p.m. -- Tethered balloons flight and balloon glow

8:30-11 p.m. -- Battle of the bands and hangar dance, AirEvac Hangar

SATURDAY

6 a.m. -- Competitive balloon flight #1/sponsor flight, Airport Launch Field

6 a.m.-dusk -- Aircraft displays and aerial demonstrations

9 a.m.-7 p.m. -- Arts and crafts, souvenirs, food concessions, antique and custom car displays, Air Force F-16 Mini jet replica on display

9-10:30 a.m. -- Tricycle races and casting contest

9:30 a.m. -- parachutist demonstrations

11 a.m.-5 p.m. -- Airplane and helicopter rides.

11 a.m.-3 p.m. -- Children's arts and crafts activities, AirEvac Hangar

11 a.m. -- Paul Mesner Puppets, AirEvac Hangar

11:15 a.m. -- Country/folk round dancing

11:30 a.m. -- AirEvac demonstration

Noon -- Vodville Entertainment Company, AirEvac Hangar

Noon -- Air Force Stealth B-2 fly-by

12:30 p.m. -- Parachutist demonstration

1 p.m. Vodville Entertainment Company

1:30 -- George Andre Freebird 300 Aerobatics

2 p.m. -- Navy FA-18 Hornet flight demonstration

2 -- Paul Mesner Puppets, AirEvac Hangar

2-4 p.m. -- Richard Renner, Vodville Roving Entertainment

3 p.m. -- River City Ramblers Dixieland, AirEvac Hangar

4 p.m. -- Jamasaurus Country Bluegrass, AirEvac Hangar

5 p.m. -- River City Ramblers Dixieland, AirEvac Hangar

5 p.m. -- Parachutist demonstration

6 p.m. -- Competitive balloon flight #2

SUNDAY

6 a.m. -- Competitive balloon flight #3

6 a.m.-noon -- Aircraft displays and aerial demonstrations

9 a.m.-noon -- Antique and custom car on display

10 a.m. -- Awards ceremony, Drury Lodge