Great Lakes & Ohio Championship

Well, the weekend was a success!!! Thirteen balloons came together at the Birk Lake Invitational for the first FAYA Great Lakes and Ohio Championship. Friday evening began with a wonderful cook-out with Michigan corn and then 8 balloons took to the skies for a fun flight. Everyone had a great flight and Tammi Clinger made a new friend, Loretta, at Phil's landing site. Capt. Willy Lavigna had no trouble piloting his balloon; it was the trip back to propane that was the challenge. There was lots of fellowship following the flight before heading back to the hotel and campsites.

Saturday morning was perfect for flying. Bubba called a two part task: FIT and MJDG. The target for the FIT was just north of Birk Lake and the measuring team said it was spectacular standing on the dock watching the balloons make their approach. The MJDG were irregular intersections so there was lots of chatter on the radio about where to put the markers. Defiance can be a challenging place to chase with the river and few bridges, but everyone was found in quick order and returned for Mimosas and

more donuts before heading into Bud's for some bacon and eggs.

There were all kinds of activities Saturday morning. More than one clay pigeon bit the dust - enough that the local law enforcement showed up to see what was going on. Not to worry, he took down Jody Leatherberry's name and social security number and nothing must have come up on the computer because he left without making an arrest. There was lots of lounging on the dock, some swimming with Walter, corn hole, hillbilly golf, and stories galore.

Saturday night was a hog roast with Ohio corn and other sides. Jim Wolfe had 3 pieces of pie before filling his dinner plate and finished with a 4th piece of pie. I think that might be why he opted not to fly Saturday night and instead played the role of landowner. The winds were a bit brisk and some people decided to fly to the Indiana border before landing. A few more landowner friends were made and Capt. Willy's crew maintained their tradition of taking out at least one mailbox a year. More fellowship after the flight before crashing.

Sunday morning we awoke to rain which was probably a good thing as most people appreciated the opportunity to go back to bed. The awards ceremony was held at 8:00 and Phil Clinger was presented with the Tom Tyler Memorial trophy. This is to be a traveling trophy designed and handcrafted by Jim Birk and will be brought back to Defiance in 2008. Jim Birk won the Ohio Championship and received a FAYA official ball cap.

Friends came together from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida to enjoy what we have missed about ballooning. Good friends, good food, and good flying. It was so much fun listening to pilots talk on the radio and give the people behind them tips on where to find the right winds. Landing and launch sites were shared and crews helped each other pack up. There were no "near misses" even with lots of close drops on the X. Nobody filed a protest even though measurements were made to two different intersections at one of the MJDG. Everybody chipped in to pay for the propane and food. I can't tell you the last time I had this much fun. My face actually hurt from smiling so much.

To Jim Birk and Dick Rudlaff who made this event a reality - thanks. To all of the pilots that participated, you will receive a charter membership for FAYA. Look for information about dues and how to get your event on the FAYA schedule in the mail soon.

Patty