Early Saturday, hot air balloon teams converged in the Shreveport–Bossier area for the opening day of the two-day Louisiana State Ballooning Championship, offering locals the chance to see colorful envelopes drift over the Red River valley and to watch pilots compete on precision tasks.
Pilots met at a Bossier City hotel before dawn to learn the day's task and inspect the target layout. After the briefing, crews fanned out to find suitable launch sites. Before committing, pilots released a small helium "pi ball" to read wind direction and strength — a routine step that helps them place openings in the sky where they can best meet competition objectives.
Competition tasks tested both accuracy and touch. Crews stretched the balloon envelope and pilots took off from a mandated distance, then aimed to place two different markers on set targets on the ground. One marker carried a streamer, the other was a tennis ball.
- Launch window: pilots fly two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset to take advantage of calmer winds.
- Minimum takeoff distance: one mile from the target.
- Markers: a streamer-equipped marker and a tennis ball tossed toward separate ground targets.
Local commercial pilot Michael Gullo, who flew a balloon nicknamed Main Squeeze, described the mix of competition and community that comes with events in this region. He said he enjoys both the flights themselves and the public-facing glows at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, where burners light up the baskets for evening shows and families can get close to the balloons.
"I love doing it because all the kids come out and come up. We can let them in the basket and take pictures of them with burning (firing the burners). It’s just their face lighting up."
Gullo also spoke about his mindset during competition: while focused on the task, he said the flight experience and introducing first-time passengers to ballooning remain the chief pleasures. "I’m serious in my mind, but as far as win or lose, I just enjoy the flight," he said, adding that he is also "very competitive."
What locals can expect
Beyond the championship itself, the weekend included public-facing elements of the Red River Balloon Rally. The rally provides tethered ride opportunities and up-close viewing, while the championship brings balloons aloft across wider parts of the sky — a combination that draws families and aviation enthusiasts to communities on both sides of the river.
| Event | Feature |
|---|---|
| State Championship | Precision tasks, timed morning and evening flights |
| Red River Balloon Rally | Tethered rides, public glows at Louisiana Downs |
For Shreveport residents, the spectacle offers a familiar summer rhythm: early-morning takeoffs, the slow drift of colorful balloons against the sky, and evening glows that draw crowds. Organizers and pilots say safety and wind conditions shape each day's schedule, so observers should plan for windowed flight times and check local updates if they want to watch or ride.
