Snap: Balloon landing in Best Buy lot
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Around 10:30am, Thursday, January 6.PHOTO BY WICK HUNT
Hook contributor Wick Hunt snapped this image of a hot-air balloon making a pinpoint landing in the Best Buy parking lot as the balloon owner took a son on a training flight over a becalmed Charlottesville.
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One of the joys of living in Charlottesville, walking early in the morning and seeing these beautiful flying machines gliding effortlessly over the landscape of Charlottesville, with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop.
So? Where’s the story HOOK? Was this a Planned or Unplanned event? Was anybody injured? was Property Damaged? Where and What is the story here? Very Poor Reporting, In Fact I can’t even call it Reporting.
It’s just a Snap o’ the Day, dude. But here’s what the photographer reports: “I was gassing up the car at Kroger when I noticed the balloon. It was much later in the morning than they usually remain out, and it was lower over the city than usual– almost motionless. Then I noticed it was drifting toward the nearby power lines and then a jet flew right over it approaching the airport. I turned away, and when I turned back the balloon had disappeared. Clearly it had landed, and in an area closely bracketed by U.S. 250, U.S. 29, hotels, fast food joints, power lines etc. I hopped in the car and headed down 29. The pilot said they had planned to fly to the Pantops area, but the winds were erratic, and so they were up much longer than usual, and that it turned into a much better training flight for his son than he had planned. It was clearly not the planned landing site, but masterfully done, between cars and light poles. His ground crew was there to help. I pointed at the power lines, and he said, “You definitely want to stay away from them.” He then said “You ought to come up with me sometime.” Given that landing, I might be inclined to.”
What’s up with the moderating?
Perhaps if The brief photo Caption had Featured random capitalization, then TJB would have Been more Satisfied.
I would have thought that most people could figure out that this was at best case scenario a borderline emergency landing. Especially since it’s only 50 yards from a major and heavily traveled intersection.
hawes, a ballon trip is quite a thrill.
But ski-flying is much more exciting!
This video is absoluely amazing!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwWLnaME0CI
Thank you, Mr. Hunt, for this snap o the day and the following story. OH SNAP!