MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Beau Dube' son of the "Just Ducky" balloon pilot Kelly Dube' keeps the balloon from blowing over due to the wind during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. Hot air balloons were not able to launch Saturday afternoon due to the wind but two balloons inflated for a short period of time. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

“Come over here and hold this,” Jack Edlinger yelled to the other two passengers and myself, beckoning us to the hot air balloon’s side-turned basket at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds.

We hurried forward and lifted the edge of the balloon flaps up as he torched heat out of the burner, our balloon slowly filling up with hot air following our neighbor’s.

The flames whipped past our hands, drawing sweat on my forearm as my muscles strained to keep it in place–necessary discomfort to get the ride at “Balloonfest, Airshow and So Much More” off the ground.

Before long, the balloon floated into the sky, and Edlinger flipped the basket, telling us without prompt to jump in — and we did. I lost a camera lens cap as I lifted my legs into the basket.

Later, I learned I was lucky. Hot air ballooners are incredibly selective in the weather conditions they choose to go up. Many first-timers often have to reschedule before they’re able to get up in the air.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent A member of the Dialed Action Sports Team performs stunts high in the air during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday.The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

I stood at 6′, and held my body weight lowered most of the time, given the mouth of the basket reached just below my hip. The other occupants were only slightly shorter–and I worried a strong gust of wind could whip me over and plummet me to the ground if it so cared.

But as we soared above the trees outside the Lycoming County Fairgrounds’ perimeter, all I could feel was comfort. Later, Edlinger explained the basket and balloon moved with the wind–meaning we did not feel anything. Einstein’s rules of relativity played themselves out well, on that ride.

I snapped picture after picture on our way in the cramped basket, cringing and ducking my crown as he ignited the burner for altitude. We bore south from Hughesville, toward Clarkstown, with the wind.

A fellow passenger yelped as the basket skidded the treetops at a clearing a few minutes along our journey, but the basket was hardly jostled. We gained more altitude, passed over Muncy Creek and Cox Run, before we floated over a field of pumpkins, striking out a dotted pattern similar to orange Skittles.

We slowly descended to a farmer’s field touching Shoemaker Road outside of Clarkstown, the bottom of the basket brushing the comb tips of corn as it glided.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent London Bradley, 3, daughter of David and Megan Bradley of Muncy makes her self at home in the cockpit of a Huey helicopter during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. The helicopter is owned by Bill "Moon" Mullen of Pocono Pines, PA. Both Moon and the helicopter served in the Vietnam war. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

We graced over the road, at that point, and the basket skidded to a stop on the gravel. It did not have the chance to break into the rows on the road’s other side.

After that, Edlinger and the two other passengers left the basket, leaving me alone, camera around my neck, as the basket heaved up off the ground. That was the scary part — being alone in the basket as I relied on the others to anchor me to the ground.

Edlinger instructed me to pull the burner’s trigger to keep the flames going, keeping the balloon inflated long enough for the group to walk the basket — and myself — toward the chase van, Edlinger’s car that was parked down Shoemaker Road.

When we were close enough to the van, we grounded the basket permanently and let the balloon deflate before packing it up. We took a 10-minute ride back to Hughesville, speaking and reflecting on the experience.

With feet firmly planted back on the ground, Jonathan Bergmueller will continue to cover courts, police and fires in Lycoming County.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Shoppers stroll past venders during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent BMC's race down the track during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Children play inside a partially inflated hot air balloon during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent A stunt plane does "the hammerhead" during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lance Hall, 9, son of James Hall, Jr. and Kristin Blair of Williamsport tries his hand at the Heavy Equipment Rodeo with the assistance of Ryan Peck of the Pennsylvania College of Technology during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show at the Lycoming County Fair Saturday. The weekend show included the Rodeo as well as many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent A skydiver with Geronimo! Sky Diving Team guides his parachute to the landing zone in the infield of the Lycoming County Fair during the annual Balloonfest, Air Show Saturday. The weekend show included many events for the family in the air and on the the ground.