Photos of the 2017 Great American Balloon Race
Published 10:54 pm Friday, June 2, 2017
- Jomin Davis, third from right, Adam Graham, second from right, and Graham’s 19-month-old son, Colton, take a selfie as balloons take off behind them.
The Danville-Boyle County Airport hosted the 28th annual Great American Balloon Race Friday evening. A total of 19 teams competed in the race, which was a “hare-n-hound” style competition. The “hare” balloon takes off first, and the competitors — the “hounds” — take off around 10 minutes later and attempt to follow the flight path of the hare. When the hare balloon lands, its team deploys a giant “X,” which the hound balloons attempt to drop bags of grass seed on. The closest bag to the center of the X is declared the winner.
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- Members of the Circle City Sidewalk Stompers brass band entertain the crowd early in the evening.
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- Bikers with the Wheelmen ride antique-style bicycles along the runway as a crowd lines up for tethered balloon rides.
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- Members of the Circle City Sidewalk Stompers brass band entertain the crowd early in the evening.
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- Bikers with the Wheelmen ride antique-style bicycles along the runway.
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- Members of the Circle City Sidewalk Stompers brass band entertain the crowd early in the evening.
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- Balloon pilots participate in a pre-race planning meeting outside a hangar.
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- Michelle Cummins, back left, waves to friends as she accompanies Trinity Jones, 7, left, and Titus Jones, 5, in a tethered balloon ride.
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- Bikers with the Wheelmen ride antique-style bicycles along the runway.
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- Bikers with the Wheelmen ride antique-style bicycles along the runway.
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- Hunter Sabells of Louisville holds down the crown line as the hare balloon inflates.
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- Hunter Sabells of Louisville holds down the crown line as the hare balloon inflates.
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- Laurent Nash of Stanford, right, carries his daughter, Hollie, 6, on his shoulders as they watch hot air balloons take off.
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- A member of the team in the “hare” balloon points shortly after takeoff.
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- Tethered balloon riders watch as balloons inflate and take off all around them.
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- Attendees watch and react as balloons take off.
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- A balloon pilot guides his balloon to a standing position in preparation for takeoff.
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- Jomin Davis, third from right, Adam Graham, second from right, and Graham’s 19-month-old son, Colton, take a selfie as balloons take off behind them.
Order prints of these and more photos from the balloon race here.
