2012 Canowindra Balloon Challenge
The dates have now been announced April 14th to 21st 2012. This will be a competitive Hot air balloon event with up to $10,000 in prizemoney. There will be a keygrab, balloon glow and night markets.
Queensland Tour
We are off to sunny Queensland with the Kookabura Balloon for the next two weeks. It is a promotional tour to publicise the launch of The “Treehenge” project which is a project to re-afforest degraded farm lands across Australia. The Kookabura Balloon has been “adopted” as the mascot for the project with the story line that the Kookaburra is looking for his home amongst the gum trees.
To access the Canowindra Challenge 2010 Programme please click on the image below.
You can also read more about the setup for the Canowindra Challenge 2010 by visiting the main Canowindra Challenge page.
Updated Canowindra Challenge Programme
To view the latest updated details of what’s happening in Canowindra April 5th to 11th have a look here or to see the Official programme here.
All pilots wishing to attend are reminded that your registration forms are due in now.
Please note a change for the master briefing to 3.00pm Monday 5th April not Sunday as previously circulated.
Another change is that students with instructors and low hour pilots may attend as non-competing “Fiesta” attendees with free registration.
Hot Air Ballooning with MotionX-GPS
Hot Air Ballooning with MotionX-GPS
Tony is a hot air balloon pilot, taking flight from scenic sites in Colorado near the Rocky Mountains. He uses MotionX-GPS to create tracks for sharing with clients, and to maintain a logbook of his flights. Using the MotionX’s easy sharing features he can email track stats to clients with a link to view the track in Google Maps, as well as post directly to Facebook to share with friends. He uses the GPX file from the email to create graphic elevation profiles using uTrack and stunning 3D flight profiles in Google Earth.
Tony told us, “I am using Fullpower’s MotionX-GPS app for tracking our pleasure balloon flights in beautiful Colorado. I use the track recorder page to help track fuel usage during the flight. Most of our clients like to know how high we got and how far we traveled on the flight. MotionX-GPS makes it so easy to let them see all of the specifics of the flight they just took. I normally post the flight to my Facebook page before we even have the balloon packed up. If you are looking for an app for any outdoor activity, MotionX-GPS is for you.”
And how about this guy??
Sky Writing with MotionX-GPS
Del Olson has been flying a 1949 Cessna C-140A airplane and using MotionX-GPS in a very unique way. He has been skywriting with the GPS track! Here are a few pictures, his track details and an account of his most recent flight.
Read more at courtesy of EDUPOV and Mobilisethis
Could this be the future of judging balloon competitions?
All participants in the 2010 Canowindra Challenge are guaranteed of free software for i-phones and Google phones that will incorporate “Live to Web” applications.
Freshly grown gourmet
Story courtesy of Canowindra News
Hospitality students hosting a Lunch on the Lawn last week didn’t let water restrictions or the heat get the better of their event last week, creating their own unique interpretation of the theme.
Supported by Canowindra companies such as Gaskill Greens, Jo Robson, Swinging Bridge, Toms Waterhole, TAFE students from the Cowra campus played an integral role in the Sydney International Food Festival held throughout October.
They hosted a 100 Mile Lunch on the Lawn, utilising produce and wines from producers in a 100 mile radius.
“But because there was no beautiful lawn outside, we brought the lawn in,” laughed Dianne Johnson Head Teacher Lachlan Cluster, at the inside, air conditioned event.
To read the full story click here
Fingers crossed for final
Canowindra News Article
Three businesses in the Central West have been nominated as
finalists in the 2009 NSW Tourism Awards.
Canowindra’s The Old Vic Inn, Balloon Joys Flights and the Black Sheep in of Molong, are in the
running for the 2009 NSW Tourism title.
For the Old Vic Inn, this is the second time they have been finalist, actually winning the state wide
competition last year.
This is the time Graham and Jan Kerr of Balloon Joy Flights have been in the state awards.
“We were very excited to find out we were finalists. It is fabulous for business and nice to be recognised,” Mrs Kerr said.
International interest grows
New enquiries have come in today from USA from balloonists who are coming south of the Equator next March and April. They will start by attending New Zealand’s long running balloon event:
Balloons over Waikato
New Zealand’s premier hot air ballooning event!
24-28 March 2010
This post will serve as an initial invitation to all New Zealand balloonists to attend our
Canowindra Challenge 5th to 11th April 2010
Of course Leeton will also be hosting a balloon event over Easter which is 2nd to 5th April 2010.
19 days of almost non stop ballooning!!!!
Balloon festival is up, up and away
INTERNATIONAL EVENT: Graham Kerr says a new international balloon festival could attract thousands of visitors to the region.
BY LISA COX —Central Western Daily Orange NSW
The challenge, which will involve a week of hot air balloon competition and at least $15,000 in prize money, has already attracted interest from balloon pilots from the United States and Japan.
Based on previous balloon festivals in Canowindra, organisers predict the event could attract as many as 4000 visitors to the region and generate tens of thousands of dollars for the local economy.
“Canowindra’s been synonymous with ballooning and is recognised as the balloon capital of Australia,” challenge organiser and chief pilot at Balloon Joy Flights Graham Kerr said.
NSW Tourism Awards Finalist
Balloon Joy Flights has just been announced as a Finalist in the NSW Tourism Awards. This follows on from our recent win in the Inland Tourism Awards. The Gala presentation is to be held at the Sydney Convention Centre on November 19th 2009. Our friends from The Old Vic Inn and The Black Sheep Inn are also finalists. This means that us three local “Kids from the Bush” are up against the Big boys now. Wish us luck by leaving a comment to this posting.
