Alf Erickson's World of Balloons

The CB Fleet
The Corkscrew-Balloon Fleet at Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland
January 2000

The Balloons

Corkscrew-Balloon I - Specifications | Construction | Inflation
Corkscrew-Balloon II - Plans | Construction
Corkscrew-Balloon III - The Full Story
Corkscrew-Balloon IV - Construction | First Inflation

The Journals

In October 1995, my first balloon soared through the French skies.
In January 1996, we flew a series of missions at Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland.
In June and July 1996, we went to Italy and France.
In August 1996, it was Prague and Switzerland.
In October 1996, it was France again, this time with the new balloon.
In January 1997, we returned to Chateau d'Oex for the annual event. This time we took both balloons.
In May 1997, we took Balloon I to Ireland and had several lovely flights over the Emerald Isle.
In July 1997, we went back to France and the charms of the Loire.
In August and September 1997, we went on a month-long trip to Bern, Prague, Salzburg and Burgundy.
In October 1997, I returned to Burgundy with my daughters Annie and Lisa.
In January 1998, the 20th Annual Swiss Alpine Balloon Festival took place at Chateau d'Oex. Again, I brought both of my balloons.
In May 1998, I returned to Burgundy with Annie and her sons.
In June/July 1998, I was back in Siena, Italy for ballooning and the Palio.
In August 1998, we were in and around Prague.
In September 1998, we moved on to Austria.
In January 1999, I had two balloons at the Chateau d'Oex festival.
In June, 1999, my balloons flew in the Burgundy and Loire regions of France.
In August 1999, there was another Palio in Siena ... and more ballooning.
In August 1999, after the Palio, I ballooned in France once again.
In January 2000, three Corkscrew Balloons attended the 22nd Annual Festival in Chateau d'Oex ... although one never left the ground.
In August 2000, Burgundy was the location for Watcharee's first balloon flights.
In September 2000, we visited Oslo, Lillehammer, and Stockholm.
In January 2001, we were at Chateau d'Oex again.
In May/June 2001, we ballooned over Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
In January 2002: Chateau d'Oex again!
In May/June 2002: Berlin-Helsinki-St Petersburg!
Then, later in June 2002, Alf and Watcharee went to Burgundy for more ballooning.

Interesting Links:

eballoon.org
Special Shapes Balloons
Colin Graham's Endeavor Balloon site.
Joop de Wilde, a balloonist from the Netherlands, offers an extensive list of balloon sites on the World Wide Web.
Colin Graham's Endeavor Balloon site.
Kapodokya Balloons, Turkey
Crewdog's Ballooning Homepage
Heads Up Hot Air Balloon and Beer Drinking Team
Ballooning Online! has a number of links to balloon pages here and abroad.
The UK Hot Air Balloon Rides Home Page also maintains a list of balloon site links.
The Bristol University Hot Air Ballooning Society has a home page with links, too.
Solo Challenger: Related Pages has the most comprehensive list of links to balloon and related pages.
Lighter Than Air Links are available at "aviation's busiest cyberhub," Landings.

comments@corkscrew-balloon.com