Wed, Jan 08, 2003
AApex Sunrides Announces A New "Special Shape" Balloon
Aapex Sunrides, the company that owns and operates
the US Flag Balloon, has announced the newest special shape
hot air balloon in the United States. Commissioned by Barry and
Teri DiLibero in July of 2002, the decision was cemented to honor
100 years of powered flight, or Heavier than Air flight for
2003.
'What to build' turned out to be a difficult process.
Trying to express the magic of flying with wings, while not flying
with wings... In the past century, human flight has evolved
from basically an aerodynamic wooden birdcage with a 4 cylinder
engine that produced less horsepower than many of today’s
garden tractors to rockets. Speed has changed the way we look at
flight.
In commissioning this project, the big question remained, "All
of the advancements, achievements and milestones in one century of
flight, how is it possible to demonstrate this history in
conjunction with the world’s oldest, simplest form of human
flight?"
The decision was a difficult one. It was finally decided that it
would have to follow the actions of the fathers of powered flight.
By taking the oldest form of winged flight, the glider, just as the
Wright brothers did, and adding the most powerful form of
propulsion, the rocket engine; the history of flight can be brought
together from beginning to present day.
So... at the end of January, 2003, the Space Shuttle PATRIOT hot
air balloon is scheduled for completion. At present, Aapex believes
it will be the tallest Special Shape balloon registered in the
United States. Towering over all other aircraft, PATRIOT will be
available for balloon events, airshows and special events starting
in May, 2003.
More News
Aero Linx: International Business Aviation Council Ltd IBAC promotes the growth of business aviation, benefiting all sectors of the industry and all regions of the world. As a non->[...]
"During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off-season, we made the determination that 'Lil' needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth-cove>[...]
Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offer>[...]
Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production a>[...]
Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for >[...]