October 15, 1999 - Ballooning over Southington A spectacular Fall morning flight [Click on thumbnails to see full size pictures]
Movie (AVI format, no sound) file download (3Mb approx.)	The original streaming 1min 49sec video from NBC is no longer available (it was available only for 2 weeks on the MSNBC site). This link is to an AVI format recording (no sound) of the section of the video from about 0:15 through 0:32 (i.e., about 17 seconds long) that shows our balloon (most of the video featured the other balloons). It begins with a close-up of us in the basket, then zooms out to show the entire balloon. Download and play using Media Player or Real Player.
	Just after launch (we took off first!), a view of the other two balloons flying today. You can see the chase vehicles just below.
	The same two balloons, a little later.
	Who is this handsome guy? Santo Galatioto, our pilot and my esteemed instructor (<g>) , enjoying a gorgeous morning aloft.
	Robert Zirpolo's balloon, carrying 6 passengers. Mike Kirkwood, piloting the third ballon, carried a camera crew from Channel 30 WVIT (NBC Hartford, CT affiliate)
	Flying low, to check out the fall foliage. This is probably the best week of the Fall for leaf-watching in Connecticut.
	Back on the ground at our landing site just south of I-691, Santo and yours truly photographed standing in the basket by crew chief Steve Ushchak before deflation. The other two balloons, shown here in the distance behind our balloon, followed us in a few minutes later to land on the same site.
	Map showing launch and landing sites for this flight. Distance was approximately 5 miles in about 40 minutes.

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