Love, and Balloons, are in the Air at Temecula's Balloon and Wine Festival

At Lake Skinner, amongst the early-morning hustle and bustle of the first day of the 2015 Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival on Friday, May 29, David Ball and his wife Lauren found themselves back at the scene of their first date almost 20 years ago. The Cherry Valley couple reminisced on that day in 1997 when their first date jitters were soon replaced by a fascination with hot air balloons. "I bought a balloon because it looked like so much fun," said David, a retired computer consultant. "(David) was already interested in hot air ballooning, which is why he wanted to come here for a date," Lauren shared. She recalled her love of hot air ballooning, which grew out of a request for her help from a balloonist during her first date with David. "He let me hold the rope while he was doing the inflation. I was hooked." After Lauren retired from her position as director of social work at Loma Linda University's psychiatric hospital, the couple, who regularly traveled across the United States and even internationally - visiting Chile and Taiwan - has been able to do more hot air balloon flying, they explained. The annual three-day Balloon and Wine Festival in Temecula, started in 1983 by commercial airline pilot and balloonist Walt Darren and event organizer and fund raiser Evelyn Harker, combines hot air balloon flights with wine tastings, culinary presentations and entertainment and each year attracts thousands of visitors from throughout Southern California to Lake Skinner for the event. "This is one of our favorite events," said David as he worked to heat up his hot air balloon, a smaller model known as a sport balloon. "There's lots of entertainment. This crowd you see here, we pretty much know all of them and see them at other events. We're kind of a big family, all the various pilots and crew. It's a fun thing to do. Some people do sailboats, some people do sand buggies, and we do balloons." David explained that in order to fly a hot air balloon, one must obtain a pilot's license. David is commercially rated, which allows him to take passengers on balloon rides, he explained. In fact, the first balloon he bought was a large commercial balloon with a basket large enough to hold four. In 1997, it cost $28,000. Though he doesn't do much commercial flying anymore, explained Laura, commercial pilots are also flight instructors. "He gave me lessons so that I could become a commercial pilot. It's sort of like teaching your wife to drive, but more so, and he keeps instructing me all the time," she laughed. Now that they're both retired, said David, the couple regularly travels to make hot air balloon flights. As part of the Southern California Balloon Association, a recreational club, David and Lauren travel across Southern California, she explained. "We get together about once a month and fly somewhere in Southern California. We try to pick fun, interesting places, and the communities usually love it," said Lauren. She said people "get thrilled" to see the morning sky full of hot air balloons, especially because that's not a sight one sees every day, or even very often. Last weekend's Wine and Balloon festival in Temecula wrapped up on Sunday, May 31, and will be back again next year. If you would like to ride the Gypsy Spirit, contact Dave and Lauren Ball, of Cherry Valley, at 909-747-4163. You may also contact them by email at mtnflyer2@gmail.com. [END] David Ball, of Cherry Valley. Crew Chief Helen. Passengers Mark & Alvin. Ballooning. One of our favorite events because lots of entertainment & wine tasting, so we're here with our RV for the weekend. 1997 - got into ballooning. Bought my first balloon. We've actually... my wife. Our first date was here. So i bought a balloon because it looked like so much fun and we’ve been doing events like this all over Western US. Have to have a pilots license. Or private or commercially rated. I’m commercially rated so I can take passengers. Lauren and I are both retired. We did a lot of these events all over the US. I was a computer consultant and Lauren was a social worker (a director). Lauren: We’ve been able to travel internationally (chile & Taiwan 2x). So fun lifestyle. David: Ballooning… this crowd that you see, we pretty much know all of them and we see them at other events and so we’re all kind of a big family, all the various pilots & crew we gather for these events… it’s kind of a fun thing to do. Some people do sailboats, some people do sand buggies, and we do balloons. Brand new one (sport balloon, a small balloon): about $30,000. Now, I had a bigger balloon that I used to do commercial rides with that I bought in 1997 that was a 4 passenger basket, and I paid $28,000 for that back in 97. Lauren: About the same as having a boat or dune buggies. David: You have to have a truck, then a lift tank on the back. Propane comes with it (balloon). Lauren: When he leaves and flies away, we chase him with the truck because he can’t predict where he’s going to land. When you’re a commercial pilot, you’re also a flight instructor, so he gave me lessons so that I could become a commercial pilot. Sort of like teaching your wife to drive, but more so. And he keeps instructing me all the time. David: This balloon is called Gypsy Spirit and the one we had before was Gypsy Drifter. And the company that I used was Gypsy Flights Adventures. I don’t do commercial flights anymore. Now that Lauren is retired, we just travel doing events. Lauren: So Cal Balloon Association. Rec club. Get together 1x/mo and fly somewhere in So Cal. Fun interesting places. And the communities usually love it. They get thrilled, when all of a sudden, in the morning, all of a sudden… like in Lake Los Angeles or Lancaster… David: Just 1 trip this morning but sometimes we do what are called multiple hops. We’ll fly for a little while, change passengers, that kind of thing. Tape 2: Lauren: He was already interested in hot air ballooning, which is why he wanted to come here for a date. But then one of the balloonists said, Can you help? And let me hold the rope while he was doing the inflation, and I was hooked. Other than you have to get up too early, but you get used to that after a while. It’s all about naps in the afternoon. Was Director of Social Work for Loma Linda University Hospital’s psychiatric hospital. The wind is doing different things at different directions, so when you saw him take off, he started to go that way… This is a tricky place to fly because it’s a wildlife preserve so even though there’s lots of property you cant land in a wilderness area, you have to land on a road or in this park. And then once you leave, all the wineries, all that is restricted now. They’re picky about their grapes, they don’t want you to land… On every event they give you a map of what they call red zones, the places where you’re not allowed to be. And this map looks mostly like it’s red. And so that’s why we’re doing a park flight today, for the media.