Getting Involved With Balloon Stunts Like David Blaine’s

Hard work, but a great payoff

As a balloonist with a lot of fun friends, I often get to be involved with some pretty cool adventures. Like many others, I enjoyed watching David Blaine’s latest stunt, Ascension, where he was carried up to over 20,000 feet by a bunch of helium balloons and parachuted down after their release.

It probably gave you visions of the movie Up. For me, it gave me visions of past adventures.

Cluster ballooning, as it is called, is nothing new, though it is relatively unusual. Cluster balloon configurations are considered experimental aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A North Carolina balloonist Jonathan Trappe began his adventures with cluster ballooning fastening balloons to his office chair.

Trappe was not the first cluster balloonist I saw, but since he was from Raleigh, NC (though he spends much of his time in the Philippines), he has been the one who has kept my attention. He has done several fun stunts over the years, and I have been able to be both spectator and participant.

In March of 2012, I was involved in helping with one of Trappe’s adventures. A Japanese comedian Tetsuro Degawa (who jokingly jest telling us he was the Japanese Tom Cruise), came to my town with a film crew for a TV show. The goal was a cluster balloon flight with Trappe.

For this flight, a regular hot air balloon basket was chosen to hold the two during their adventure. Instead of a traditional hot air envelope (the balloon portion), a cluster of balloons filled with helium carried them.

My most significant memory of the night was how freezing it was — one of the coldest nights of the year. I was on a team that helped fill the massive helium balloons. This wasn’t your child’s birthday party. It was an all-nighter to fill balloons for the right-after-sunrise flight — a very cold all-nighter.

My original partner was overcome by the cold, so I found a stranger who had participated in filling these balloons once before. We made a great team — him with his knowledge and me with my small hands. It required patience and precision.

I tried wearing gloves but found tying the balloon could not happen wearing two. I’d take one off when ready to tie, and rush like mad to get it done and get my glove back on. It was awkward and torturous work. Though there were times when we wanted to stop (some did), we worked through the night. The two of us filled the last balloon in the morning.

As it got close to sunrise, we helped put the cluster together. There was a lot of camaraderie in the group of Americans and Japanese that gathered. We knew it was going to be something special.

Finally, dawn was breaking, and it was time to go. Cameras were in and on the balloon, and a camera crew shot from the ground. Several vehicles chased them to landing. Two hot air balloons flew up with them to begin but landed close to town. Gas-filled balloons can fly for much more extended periods than hot air balloons.

Trappe stopped after about an hour and let the comedian out of his basket, then flew off again for a much longer flight. Helium is quite expensive, and he didn’t want to waste the fuel or the opportunity. He forgot he had the film crew’s expensive camera equipment on board.

I love watching Blaine land on his feet after all went well with his stunt. Arizona looked beautiful from the sky, and the balloons looked beautiful flying over Arizona. Originally Blaine had wanted the stunt to be over New York City, but weather conditions forced the move to Arizona.

A large team of people was monitoring every aspect of Blaine’s stunt. Planning was a couple of years in the making. He had to get a balloon pilot’s license (required by the FAA) before he could do this stunt but is by no means an experienced balloon pilot. Blaine did some of his training in my community in North Carolina, but I was not aware until this afternoon, even though it involved close friends. Balloonists are good secret-keepers.

Blaine also had to get his license for sky diving for the event.

It all paid off. Another stunt successful.

Kim McKinney loves balloons of all kinds, the adventures that accompany them, and those who tell the stories. She would have gladly been part of Blaine’s stunt if given the opportunity, but can’t wait to hear from her friends who were involved in the training. She enjoyed watching from home.