Scanner Frequencies for the NOW DEFUNCT

Van Wert Jaycees "Hot Air Affair"

And other balloon monitoring tips


Balloon ascension

Up until 1999, The Van Wert Area Jaycees would sponsor their Hot Air Affair each August. . . a three-day hot air balloon festival held at the Van Wert County Airport in Van Wert, Ohio. From humble beginnings back in the 1980's when the field included a couple dozen balloons, the Hot Air Affair drew over 40 pilots from all over the United States. The estimated 25,000 visitors to the Hot Air Affair enjoyed several mass balloon ascensions, races and skill tests; a Saturday evening "balloon glow" at dusk; plenty of live entertainment; visits by life-flight helicopters from around the region; and lots of food!   Sadly, this annual event was abandoned several years ago and is no longer held.





SCANNER INFORMATION
The Jaycees coordinated their efforts during balloon races via a local SMR.  Here are the
frequencies for this 800 MHz trunked system that were used back then: 

856.1625   857.1625   858.1625   859.1625   860.1625 
Most of the action was caught on 859.1625


Cake-shaped balloon

Here are the confirmed pilot-to-chase crew frequencies (plus a couple of others)
from "back in the day":

FREQ     PILOT               BALLOON                       HOME
----     ------------------  --------------------------    ------------
151.625  Sue Korosa          The Stealth Balloon           Akron, OH
151.625  Joe Sprangel        Sunburst                      Jackson, MI
151.625  Dan O'Brien         Hog Heaven (shaped balloon)   Dublin, OH
151.625  Rick Cusick         Arrythmia                     Lima, OH
151.625  Dave Emmert         Cloud Nine                    Battle Creek, MI
151.625  John Click          Blue Horizon                  Lima, OH
151.625  Unidentified	     Rainbow Delight
151.625  Unidentified        Friend Ship
151.755  Unidentified              ???
151.865  Frank Conn          Purple Twist                  Van Wert, OH
151.865  Mike Conn           Greve Chrysler Pentastar      Van Wert, OH
151.865  Steve Bailey        Van Wert Nat. Bank            Van Wert, OH
151.895  Allen Baird         Pioneer Seeds                 Tipton, IN
151.925  Unidentified              ???
151.955  Ken Durkee                ???                     Bellevue, MI
151.955  Brian Couts         Corkscrew Too                 Battle Creek, MI
151.955  Wes Dickerson       Midnight Sun
154.570  Unidentified              ???
154.570  Ron Messenger       Drifter Too                   Battle Creek, MI
154.600  Dick Frederick      Elks "Say No To Drugs"        Xenia, OH
464.500  Unidentified	     Diamond Days
464.550  Frank Prell         Clown (shaped balloon)        Kentucky
464.550  Frank Prell         G-Wish (cake shaped)          Kentucky


Hog Heaven
General Tips For Monitoring Balloon Events
1.  Check with the locals for frequencies used by event organizers.
2.  Frequency counters really ARE handy devices!
3.  Most balloonists are found on the itinerant frequencies.  Check them first.
4.  VHF high band business frequencies (including the itinerants) are the best balloonist 
    haunts - the handheld radios are cheaper and more readily available than 400 MHz units.
5.  Don't hope to find balloonists' frequencies in an FCC database.  Most pilots' radios are
    unlicensed.  In fact, the list above features only two pilots 
    licensed to use their frequencies!
6.  DON'T get in the way of the chase crews!  They really DESPISE having spectators 
    creating mini traffic jams.  Hey, if you were driving a full-sized van pulling a trailer
    on a dead-end one-lane country road in an unfamiliar area, and discovered that
    you had to turn around to recover your balloon, you'd get irate if your efforts were
    thwarted by a line of spectator's vehicles!

Have updates? Questions? Comments? E-mail them to wbowery@bright.net.


Visit the Van Wert, Ohio Area/Northwest Ohio Scanner Directory for other Van Wert area frequencies.