For those who wanted to brave the early summer morning chill and give up possibly the only day that they are able to sleep in on a weekend the Porterville Air Show at the Porterville Airport was the place to be if you had a young son, daughter, grandson, grand-daughter, neice or nephew visiting and wanted to capture this attention and allow his imagination to wonder what was really out there to explore.
This weekend last weekend Saturday, June 13, 2009 Porterville, Ca hosted to the Eagle Mountain Airshow. Unlike many other airshows this one offered early risers the opportunity to walk around the planes, gates opened at 6:00 am with a scheduled hot air balloon lift off just after 6:30. I was able to take photos in the early morning light and talk with some of the owners/pilots. Many of the air crafts featured in this airshow were older than myself and had interesting stories about how it was that they were purchased or restored, this airshow was a car show for air plane owners, with many highly polished planes on display.
Though the hot air balloon’s never made it off the ground one company was brave enough to put theirs together in hopes that the winds both at the higher altitudes and along the ground would subside allowing for a launch and safe landing. There is something peaceful about the loud roar of a hot air balloon in the morning, perhaps it is the peacefulness upon which they would soon float given the correct conditions and the time of the morning that plays host to the hot air balloonists often in the air before many have even rolled out of their bed’s or had their morning cup of coffee.
I wasn’t able to stay long but for the time that was there I was able to see and partake in the portions of the airshow that I would find enjoyible. For those interested there were bi-plane and helicopter rides, there was pleanty to look at without looking at it from above.
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