Balloons unable to lift off because of winds

Balloon pilots cancelled the third day of the “Labor Day Lift Off” Monday due to strong winds.

Pilots said safety concerns kept them grounded after talking with flight services who indicated the winds were stronger than 20 mph at 1,000 feet.

“A balloon travels by the speed of the wind,” said Rachel Zimmer, a balloon pilot. “When it’s moving really quickly it’s not nearly as safe.”

Pilots also used a site called blastvalve.com that indicated the wind speeds were moving too fast. The site is made by balloonists for balloonists to use to make sure the weather is safe to fly.

A notice of the cancellation was posted on the lift off website, and within an hour the crowd cleared out.

“I was so sad!” said Lia Aga. “I have never seen a balloon fly in my whole life.”

“It’s really sad,” Josiah Oinelas said. “Now we have to wait another year before we can see it again.”

Although, there were still some families that stuck around and kept the positive spirit alive.

“At least I got to see the balloons float up,” said Markaya Aga. “They’re beautiful!”

Note: Balloon pilots said weather cancellations are pretty common – when wind speed reaches at or above 20 miles per hour.