News

2018 Balloons Over Vermilion News

4-10-18 Commercial News - Colorful Creations

Click here to read the article.

2-24-18 Commercial News - Hot Air Honor

Click here to read article.

2-23-18 Press Release - 2018 Student Host Class Announcement

Click here to read press release.

12-11-17 Independent News - Balloons Over Vermilion grants puts Kickapoo Rail Trail over top

Click here to read article.

12-7-17 Commercial News - Kickapoo Rail Trail received boost

Click here to read article.

12-6-17 News Gazette - Balloons Over Vermilion grant puts Kickapoo Rail Trail over top

Click here to read the article.

12-6-17 Vermilion County First - Balloons Over Vermilion Awards First Grants

Click here to read the article.

12-6-17 Press Release - Balloons Over Vermilion Presents A Christmas Gift to the County!

Click here to read the press release

8-17-17 The Sidell Reporter - Balloons to return

Click here to read article.

8-16-17 The Chronicle - BOV 2018 dates set

Click here to read article.

8-11-17 Vermilion County First - Dates Set for 2018 Balloons Over Vermilion

Click here to read article.

8-8-17 Press Release - BOV 2018 Date Announcement

Click here to read the press release.

2017 Balloons Over Vermilion News

7-16-17 VermilionCountyFirst: Organizers Look to 2018 After Successful Weekend

Click here to read the article.

7-16-17 News Gazette: It's Like a Race Car

Click here to read the article.

7-16-17 Commercial News: Balloons Over Vermilion Photo Page

Click here to see the pictures.

7-16-17 Commercial News: Balloons Over Vermilion Photo Page - Balloon Glow

Click here to see the pictures.

7-15-17 News Gazette Cover page

Click here to read the article.

7-15-17 Commercial News: Balloons Over Vermilion Photo Page

Click here to see the pictures.

7-15-17 News Gazette: It's Not so bad 1,500 Feet Up

Click here to read the article.

7-15-17 Commercial News: Pilots on Promenade

Click here to read the article.

7-14-17 VermilionCountyFirst: Splashdown! - During the 'Splash-n-Dash'!

Click here to read the article.

7-14-17 Commercial News: Balloons Over Vermilion Photo Page - Splash and Dash

Click here to see the pictures.

7-14-17 Commercial News: Grounds prepared for big ballooning event

Click here to read the article.

7-14-17 Commercial News: We Have Lift-Off!

Click here to read the article.

7-13-17 Hoopeston Chronicle: Second Balloons Over Vermilion starts Friday

Click here to read the article.

7-13-17 News Gazette: Festival's forecast: Favorable

Click here to read the article.

7-11-17 VermilionCountyFirst: Preparations Advancing for Balloons Over Vermilion

Click here to read the article.

7-10-17 News Gazette: Rediscover Danville- Balloons Over Vermilion

Click here to read the article.

7-9-17 Commercial News: Pilots a tightly knit community

Click here to read the article.

7-9-17 Commercial News: Lifting Away Balloons will again fill the skies

Click here to read the article.

6-30-17 Chronicle - Balloons Over Vermilion community events start to ramp up

Click here to read the article.

6-30-17 Commercial News: Balloon to kick off Rossville holiday weekend

Click here to read the article.

6-28-17 Press Release: Balloons Over Vermilion County Events Ramping Up

Click here to read the press release.

6-16-17 Commercial News: Balloon events set for the weekend

Click here to read the article.

6-7-17 Commercial News: Class sneaks peek of balloon event mural

Click here to read the article.

6-5-17 Press Release: Host Students Mural Project

Click here to read the press release.

5-25-17 Vermilion County First: Balloons Over Vermilion Attracting Community Support

Click here to read the article

5-21-17 News Gazette - Organizers Looking for Volunteers

Click here to read the article

5-4-17 Commercial News: Fans of balloons

Click here to read the article

5-4-17 News Gazette: Inner Journey

Click here to see the article

5-4-17 News Gazette: Class under the balloon top

Click here to read the article

4-26-17 Independent News: Balloons Over Vermilion adds new highlights to 2017 Festival

Click here to read the article

4-12-17 News Gazette: Young Artists let creativity take flight

Click here to read the article

4-12-17 Commercial News: Colorful Creations

Click here to read the article.

4-12-17 Vermilion County First: 'Good News' Campaign Attracts Young Follower

Click here to read the article.

4-10-17 News Release: Balloons Over Vermilion Host Students Design A Balloon Project

Click here to read news release.

2-27-17 Plans for Balloons Over Vermilion 2017 Taking Shape

Click here to read the article.

2-24-17 Commercial News: Balloons over Vermilion plans events

Click here to read the article.

2-23-17 News Gazette: Balloons over Vermilion putting kids to work

Click here to read article.

2-20-17 Press Release: Plans for Balloons Over Vermilion 2017 Taking Shape

Click here to read press release.

8-17-16 News Release: Balloons Will Be Back in 2017

Click here to read news release.

2016 Balloons Over Vermilion News

8-17-16 News Release: Balloons Will Be Back in 2017

Click here to read the article.

7-28-16 Commercial News - Successful Start

Click here to read the article.

7-17-16 Commercial News - Balloon School

Click here to read the article.

7-17-16 New Gazette - A Big Surprise

Click here to read the article.

7-15-16 Commercial News - Balloons accommodate people with disabilities

Click here to read the article.

7-16-16 New Gazette - Festival 'an event of the generations'

Click here to read the article.

7-15-16 New Gazette - Sky High

Click here to read the article.

7-15-16 Commercial News - Blasting Off!

Click here to read the article.

7-14-16 News Gazette - Vermilion Balloon Event Features a First for Pilot

Click here to read the article.

7-12-16 Pilot Tony Sandlin Press Release

Click here to read the press release.

7-11-16 News Gazette - Rediscover Danville

Click here to view the article.

7-10-16 News Gazette - Big Sneak Peek

Click here to view the article..

7-10-16 Commercial News - Editorial

Click here to view the article in The Commercial News.

7-10-16 Commercial News - Flying High: Balloons Ready to Fly for Inaugural Event

Click here to view the article in The Commercial News.

7-5-16 WDAN Newsmakers with Linda Bolton interviewing host pilots, Dean Carlton & Larry Owen

Click here to hear audio

6-30-16 Shuttle Information News Release

Click here to view Shuttle Information News Release

6-8-16 Balloon Community Events Get Underway

Click here for the press release

5-25-16 Fourth grade balloon ambassadors puffed up with excitement

Click here for the article in The News Gazette

5-25-16 Balloons Over Vermilion a Unique Learning Experience

Click here for the article on VermilionCountyFirst.com

5-18-16 Bismarck Henning 4th Graders to Get a Preview of Hot Air Balloon School

Click here for the press release

5-10-16 Balloons Over Vermilion: Plans still in Motion

Click here for the article in Commercial News.

5-1-16 Balloons Over Vermilion Entertainment Press Release

Click here for the Balloons Over Vermilion Entertainment press release

4-2-16 A Focus on Hot Air Balloon Safety

The Balloons Over Vermilion hot air balloon event planned for July at the Vermilion Regional Airport is still three and a half months away, but the men and women who fly the balloons and who provide the ground chase crew say they are already preparing for the event, and a major part of the planning is safety training. Safety is always paramount for hot air balloon pilots and their crews. For several years now, the Balloon Federation of America has held an Illinois -Indiana Safety Seminar before the hot air ballooning season kicks off. And for the last several years, the day long seminars have been held here in Danville. Recently, 90 pilots and chase crew members from seven states spent a day at Danville Area Community College hearing from experts in the field of hot air ballooning.

Local pilot Dean Carlton heads up the Balloon Federation of America and says safety is always their goal when pilots plan to fly. The group heard from chase crew consultant, Gordon Schwontkowski about accident review and management. He says out of 150,000 recorded hot air balloon flights in the last year, there only twelve reported accidents. And while most people think weather is always the culprit in hot air balloon accidents, Schwontkowski says it’s what pilots do about weather that may result in a safe flight or an accident….which is why training seminars like this are so important. He says the weather forecast is only the starting point for a flight, and pilots are called upon to take all of the data they gather about weather conditions and determine their best course of action in terms of flying or not and what course they are safest to fly.

Pilot Bill Smith spoke about some of his long jump flights – flying a hot air balloon long distances – saying that if a pilot becomes complacent, it can lead to over-confidence, which leads to mistakes, and that is why safety seminars are so important.

The balloon pilots heard presentations on everything from decision-making at 12,000 feet to what to do when the forecast is wrong and general flight operations.