Forest Park Balloon Race Program 2018

56 The Great Forest Park Balloon Race • Presented by PNC Bank History of Ballooning Continued from page 54 The Second Gordon Bennett Trophy Cup Race was held on Oct. 21, 1907, and along with a visit by President Theodore Roosevelt and the Veiled Prophet Parade and Ball, helped make October, “the greatest month in St. Louis since the World’s Fair.” The St. Louis Aero Club also sponsored an airship contest in conjunction with the Gordon Bennett Trophy Cup Race of 1907, and Capt. Thomas Baldwin, who thrilled St. Louis crowds in 1904 with his California Arrow, brought two airships. Another contestant who entered two airships was a young man from Columbus, Ohio, named Cromwell Dixon. Dixon, who at 15 billed himself as the “youngest inventor and aeronaut of experience in the world,” built both the Dixon Airship and the Sky Bicycle with his own hands, although his mother had sewn the seams of the envelopes for him. This amazing young aeronaut was undoubtedly the sentimental favorite of the people of St. Louis. The German balloon, Pommern, was declared the winner of that race with a distance of 873.4 miles to Asbury Park, New Jersey. St. Louis played host several times to the Gordon Bennett Trophy Cup Race, once in 1910 and the last time in 1929. In the intervening years, many balloon races were held in St. Louis and the big bags of hydrogen or coal gas were a common sight over the city as they rose out of Forest Park and other launch sites. National and international balloon races were held almost annually, and all of this activity may have led to the establishment of Scott Field in 1917 as a lighter-than-air training base. It certainly led to the establishment of Lambert Field, when St. Louis Aero Club became the only aero club in the United States to possess its own permanent aviation field in 1910, Lambert Field/Kinloch Park. Ballooning continued in St. Louis into the 1930s, but with the crash of the Hindenburg, lighter-than-air activity drifted into oblivion here as well as throughout the rest of the country. With the development of the hot-air balloon in the 1950s by Ed Yost, Don Piccard and other pioneers, the numbers of balloons flying began to multiply. The first modern-day balloonists in the area in more than 30 years were Nikki Caplan and Robert Esch, and John O’Toole. At that time there were about 200 balloons — in the world. Most people had never seen a hot-air balloon. They were still truly unique. The first modern day balloon race held in St. Louis - ultimately becoming what we know as The Great Forest Park Balloon Race - was founded by renowned balloonists Nikki Caplan and John O’Toole in 1973. There were six balloons and a dozen or so spectators. In 1976 the small event was transformed into the beginning of a St. Louis tradition by Don Sarno and Henry Fett, whose passion and hard work set the stage for the Race to come. In 1977 Sarno and Fett partnered with the whimsical Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company – four enthusiastic young balloon pilots and partners: John Marlow, Dan Schettler, John Schaumburg and Ted Staley – who took over the Race from Don and Henry – and have continued and grown this beloved tradition as a free event for the St. Louis community. Don and Henry remained Race partners for seven more years until 1984. The MRBTC boys, Ted, Dan, John and John have managed the balloon race exclusively for the last 35 years. The 1977 race was held on Cricket Field and had an attendance of approximately 2000 spectators. There were 28 balloons. By 1984 The Race moved to the golf course. There were 38 balloons and the crowd was estimated at 8 -10,000 people. Don Sarno played a very important role in growing The Race in the early years. His most important accomplishment was in convincing Bob Hyland of KMOX to not just cover the race but to sponsor a balloon in the race. Don flew the KMOX balloon at the race and at numerous other events and galas around the city. Hyland became a huge supporter of the race and KMOX continues to be a Race sponsor to this day. The Fab Four (as Marlow, Schettler, Shaumburg and Staley were later dubbed) continued on to grow The Great Forest Park Balloon Race to incredibly new heights - introducing the tremendously popular Balloon Glow (aka: The Gaslight Glow) in 1991, being honored to have the Race inducted into the Library of Congress in 2000 and hailing as the most well-attended single-day balloon race in the country. Annually, nearly 150,000 spectators enjoy the Race and Glow with thousands more “oooohing” and “ahhhing” at the beautiful balloons taking flight across the Great St. Louis area. The history of the Race is rich with good friends and great family traditions. Now in its 45 th year, The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is the second oldest in the United States, second only to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Continued on page 58