Crew members of the balloon Smokey Bear huddle under a shelter Friday morning at Simard Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston waiting to hear the news about the morning launch. “We would be called Soggy Bear this morning” quipped one of the crew members.

LEWISTON — Instead of preparing their balloons for launch Friday morning, pilots gathered under cover on the main stage at Simard-Payne Memorial Park to talk about the elephant in the room — the sopping wet, drenched-in-rain elephant.

Heidi McCarthy of Auburn, left, patiently waits in a steady rain Friday morning at Simard Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston for her ride that never lifted off at the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Steve Ness, in green shirt talks to Last Penny pilot Bill Colyer and his crew. “Steve is the glue that keeps us all coming back every year.” said Colyer who has been comig to the festival since the first one 27 years ago. Ness Oil in Auburn is where the pilots fuel up their tanks to heat up their balloons. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

After an initial delay just before 6 a.m., the pilots decided to call off what was supposed to be the first launch of this year’s Great Falls Balloon Festival. It would turn out to be the first of two canceled rides for the day.

A small crowd and would-be crew members waited under rain jackets, umbrellas and tents as the rain picked up around 5:30 a.m.

“None of us saw this coming,” said Jim Rodrigue, of Lewiston’s Androscoggin Balloon Adventures, a 20-year veteran of ballooning. “We were expecting maybe fog, but not rain.”

Rodrigue said a combination of not wanting to get their equipment wet and low visibility led to the decision to cancel. Typically pilots pay attention to wind and how well they would be able to see in the air before making the decision to launch. They watch weather reports closely.

Pointing at the nearby smokestack downtown, Rodrigue said pilots need 1,000 feet of visibility above the closest object. “We’d need 1,000 feet above the top of that.”

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In certain cases pilots may decide to launch in less-than-perfect weather, such as broken clouds or slightly overcast, he said. But Friday morning’s rain, while only expected to last until just after 8 a.m., was more than they were willing to risk.

Unfortunately, at 7 p.m. pilots decided to cancel the evening launch as well, despite optimism earlier in the day about the weather clearing up.

Dottie Gravelle jokes with other crew members of the balloon Last Penny as they hang around Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston after the Friday morning launch was washed out.

“(We don’t cancel) too often,” Rodrigue said. “We usually get off to a good start, and have a good time. Not today.”

There was no word Friday evening on whether Saturday’s flights would go on. However, rain was forecast for much of the day.

People who purchased tickets for the morning or evening flights can email rides@GreatFallsBalloonFestival.org for information on how to exchange tickets for another time slot.

Pilots agreed to stay until Monday morning when another 6 a.m. launch will added to the schedule.

Angie Robinson directs traffic in the pouring rain at the entrance of Simard Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston as balloonists, crews and a few hardy spectators leave the park after Friday morning’s launch was washed out. Robinson has been volunteering at the festival for the past eight years.


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