If you think Whitsett is a boring place, think again! About twenty-minutes drive away from Whitsett, a balloon rally took place over the weekend. It was held at Cederock Park in Burlington. Roughly twenty balloons and balloonists gathered for a balloon race. They arrived not only from North Carolina but from a few states away to compete in the 3 rd Annual Al Co Vets Balloon Race.

  Bands played music, there were venders of all kinds, food, and concessions. All the money raised will go to helping Veterans. The Al Co Vets are also sponsoring a home in Alamance County to help with homeless Veterans and Veterans recovering from sickness or are in a dire situation.

   A hot air balloon race consists of competitions such as “Hare and Hound.” This is when a balloon is designated to be the Hare balloon, which is the first balloon to take off. It takes off just a few minutes before the other balloons and once it has been airborne for a while, it lands, next the crew puts a large cloth X on the field. The other balloons have to navigate from where they took off to get to where the X is on the field and throw a bean bag on the X. Whoever gets the closest to the middle of the X, gets the
highest score.

   The winner of the competition wins a monetary award and/or trophies are given out for the first, second, and third places. In some of the larger balloon events where there are more balloons, there are other competitions such as grabbing a key off of a tall pole, which is stuck in the ground. The pilot; in this case, wins a car or truck!

   August 4, 2023 marked my 40 th year of hot air ballooning. No story about hot air ballooning would be complete if I didn’t include the history of hot air ballooning in Whitsett.

   I was about 23 years old when I first started ballooning. I was living in Whitsett at our family apartment on Highway 70 and working at a restaurant in Burlington. A gentleman came in almost every day and I usually waited on him. He had a hot air balloon in the back of his truck. Every day I would ask him for a free balloon ride. Every day his answer was the same, “ It costs $100.00 to ride.” I finally gave in after a few months and told him I would pay for a balloon ride. I took my first ride and was instantly hooked! Though I remember my legs shaking while we were flying, the view was unobstructed and
beautiful. I had flown in several other types aircraft prior to this point but this was different. The next week he asked me if I wanted to serve as a crew member for his balloon team. Of course, I took him up on it, which began my career in ballooning.

   I was on a crew for Crazy Bob’s Balloon Team. The man I was dating at the time was driving the balloon chase vehicle. (The Vehicle that helps retrieve the hot air balloon). The vehicle was similar to a hearse, but with advertising on the side. Our neighbor on the hill called my parents to see who had died. She lived close enough to see the hearse but too far away to see the advertisement on the car. Chase vehicles come in all kinds. One guy uses an old fire truck. For the last 40 years, I have hosted many travelers that were going from one place to another. I was the half way point the Northern States and Florida. My house became such a regular stopping place,that some of them called me “Whitsett.”

    Bob and Sue Montgomery; who have now passed, took their anniversary flight over Whitsett. I remember her saying she would never look at Whitsett the same way as she had before. She got to see her house, Town Hall, and the Fire Department. And said it was all so pretty. Their son Mark Montgomery and I are the two balloonist that are from Whitsett. He was on the crew for the balloon when his parents flew.
   

    One Fourth of July, the balloonist had a party at the Brothers’ homeplace on Coleman Drive.  There were about 40 balloonists there. We had egg rolling, toilet paper rolling, and other competitions. I remember it being so hot that day. Our main event for the evening was to inflate about twelve balloons from the field beside our house. The weather didn’t cooperate but as usual, people saw the balloon baskets and trailers so they became interested in what was going on and wondered who owned those
hot air balloons. Hot air balloons are gorgeous lit up in the evenings! When they are lit up like that, it I called a “glow” or a ”twinkle.” 

   I have flown over Whitsett in hot air balloons a few times myself. It is a different perspective when you see the area from above. I am always proud when we go to a balloon race and someone tells or mentions me being from Whitsett.

    In many ways the immediate lay of the land in Whitsett has not changed in the last forty years.  Many balloonist that are traveling still stop by to see the beautiful Victorian homes as well as to come by to see me and some of my family members. I have had many wonderful memories from flying over different places, but the one that sticks in my mind the most, was when I flew over my hometown of Whitsett!

   Al Co Vets Balloon Race is just a year away, but next weekend there is a Balloon Rally in Statesville, North Carolina. If you go, who knows, you might just meet some of the folks who have passed through and stayed in Whitsett on their travels to and from their homes far away.

Who says Whitsett is a boring place? You just haven’t seen it from my perspective.

Soft Landings Always,
Susan Brothers McKinney