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Property owners needed for landing zones
A pilot comes in for a landing near a pumpkin patch during the 2018 sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Balloon Fiesta. The Balloon Fiesta has launched its 鈥淴 marks the spot鈥� campaign, encouraging property owners to welcome balloon pilots to land on their property.
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X marks the spot for balloon landings.
The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Balloon Fiesta launched its 鈥淴 marks the spot鈥� campaign on Tuesday to encourage property owners to welcome balloon pilots to land on their property. People can pick up a large X, which signals that balloon pilots are welcomed to land.
鈥淧ilots are always looking for areas of the land and where they are welcome, and that鈥檚 where they want to land,鈥� said Jim Garcia, a board member for the Balloon Fiesta.
Fiesta officials said that as sa国际传媒官网网页入口 continues to develop and build, it can be harder for pilots to find a place to land.
Pilots will make a note of whose property they land on, and each day of the fiesta organizers will select one of those owners to receive a prize from the Hispano Chamber of Commerce. There will also be a 鈥渟taycation鈥� prize for an overall winner.
Garcia said economic impact studies show the Fiesta has about a $200 million economic impact on the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great revenue producer for many of our members, so we鈥檙e excited that we鈥檙e participating in this,鈥� Ernie C鈥檇eBaca, CEO of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
Property owners can pick the Xs at the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, 1309 Fourth SW; M鈥橳ucci鈥檚 Itallian, 6001 Winter Haven NW; Balloon Fiesta field, 4401 Alameda NE; and The PC Place, 9324 Menaul NE.
鈥淲hen balloon pilots cannot safely land, or they feel they are not welcome to land, balloon pilots are not going to fly,鈥� said Judith Nakamura, a balloon pilot and Balloon fiesta board president. 鈥淪o this program, X marks the spot with landowners who are welcoming pilots to land, is really a key program to the longevity of Balloon Fiesta as we know it here in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.鈥�
Nakamura said a good landing zone won鈥檛 have any power lines and it will have a way for a chase vehicle to drive up close to the balloon. A good rule of thumb for balloon pilots is to have 100 feet of landing space for every mile per hour of wind.
鈥淭he bigger the field,鈥� she said, 鈥渢he better.鈥�
