Competitors in the U.S. Women’s National Hot Air Balloon Championship line up to throw their ammo on the target.
By ELIZABETH FERSZT
Contributing Writer
The annual Hot Air Jubilee balloon festival lands in Jackson at Ella Sharp Park on July 18-20. An added feature to this year’s event is the U.S. Women’s National Hot Air Balloon Championship, which began Monday and will continue through July 19. The USWNC is a competitive race and skills challenge for women balloonists.
According to the HAJ website, “The Women’s National Championships will feature competition flights spanning Jackson County, extending beyond the traditional footprint of the Hot Air Jubilee.”
“The women who compete for the chance to be crowned the National Champion are highly decorated and outstanding pilots from all over the country,” said David Seekell, HAJ board member. “We look forward to hosting these remarkable women in our community.”
“More than 15 female pilots across the country will converge on Jackson to vie for the title of the 2025 National Champion and potentially secure a spot to represent Team USA in the 2027 Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championships,” said HAJ.
“Competitive ballooning puts pilots to the test in distance, speed, and navigational precision. Each flight entails various competitive tasks, requiring pilots to skillfully utilize winds at different altitudes to guide their balloons to specific targets around Jackson.”
The first official flight was held Tuesday morning, July 15. Balloon pilots and their crews had to get permission to launch from various locations. They had the goal of choosing the best location to take off from to perform the tasks set out for them.
The Tuesday evening mass launch was held north of the airport at APEX Sports and Entertainment.
Many balloon enthusiasts had gathered at Ella Sharp Park, hoping that would be the location of the launch. One of those waiting was Deb Laske, a resident of Concord, who parked in the Ella/Hurst Planetarium lot, anticipating the show.
Laske is a former HAJ volunteer and hot air balloon lover. “This morning was the first competition for the women,” she explained. When asked how the pilots compete, Laske responded, “There are all sorts of judging criteria, some based on time, distance, and ammo.”
Ammo refers to sandbags or other weighted items that pilots have to drop on or throw at a specific target, literally marked by an X on the ground. “They get points for how close they are to the target,” Laske explained.
The next three flights, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Wednesday night were all cancelled due to the weather. The Thursday night launch was scheduled for after press time.
The Hot Air Jubilee itself begins tomorrow with an early morning launch. Both events will run concurrently Friday and Saturday with morning and evening launches, and the HAJ ends on Sunday with an early morning launch.
Many events will be held at Ella Sharp Park Friday and Saturday including craft booths, the Kids Kingdom, vendors, and an Auto Show. Friday and Saturday nights, pilots will set their balloons up at the park at 9 p.m. for a night glow.
For information, visit the Hot Air Jubilee Facebook page or www.hot airjubilee.com.
