SEQUIM — Sequim Balloon Festival’s executive director was flying high Friday after 120 reservations for balloon flights were made last week.
Randall Tomaras opened reservations Tuesday for balloon flights during next fall’s festival.
They started out slowly — 12 the first day — until a Peninsula Daily News story was published. Then balloon flight reservations for the Sept. 1-3 event soared.
“The first 40 of the 120 are sponsors, so it also makes a sponsorship valuable now,” Tomaras said Friday. “This is exactly what is needed to get people on board.”
All those reservations came in despite the price per person: $250.
Tomaras said he believes it is working in Sequim’s favor that there now is no balloon festival in Western Washington.
The closest such event is in Prosser, near Eastern Washington’s Tri-Cities area.
The festival, he said, is competing against the Boise, Idaho, balloon festival the same Labor Day weekend.
“Most of our balloons will probably come from out of area,” he said, including the RE/MAX real estate balloon from Portland, Ore., and the POW/MIA balloon from St. Cloud, Minn.
Seniors eager to ride high
He said most of those reserving spaces in balloons are between the ages of 65 and 70.
“One is 94. Another is having an 80th birthday on day he is going up,” Tomaras said.
A three-payment plan is available if passengers prefer to do that.
Tomaras has planned first-come, first-served reservations for flights in about 15 balloons over three days, but it all depends on the number of balloons showing up for the late summertime event.
He expects up to 20 balloons and their crews to show up for the first festival at the 40-acre site, pasture land owned by Fred Grant across East Washington Street from the Holiday Inn Express and Conference Center, where Tomaras started taking reservations in a conference room last week.
Tomaras said he is hoping to get more balloons to come to Sequim.
“The more balloons, the better,” he said.
If demand exceeds the number of spots on balloons, however, he warned that some late-comers could be turned away.
Balloons will fly three mornings, weather permitting, and usually only go up early — before the temperature heats up and the winds become unpredictable, he said.
Most balloons hold three people and a pilot.
All pilots are Federal Aviation Administration-certified and have the required number of hours before they can take passengers on rides.
For the safety of the passengers, balloons will not go up in rain or high wind, he said, which is why the festival was planned for September, which is normally the driest and least windy time of year.
If balloons do not go up, those with reservations will receive full refunds, he said.
Ballooning not cheap
The expense of ballooning is another factor in the cost per flight, he said.
A four person balloon starts at $30,000, and the more colors and design, the more expensive it is.
The chase vehicles and the trailers can run up to $70,000.
All balloonists that take people up for rides carry insurance that cost $1,000 a year per balloon.
Then there is the propane fuel, which can run up to $150 a run.
Most balloonists travel to get to a festival, and the gas for their trucks and other expenses can cost $300 to $1,000 for a round trip.
A balloon is good for 500 to 600 hours of flying time.
Most balloon festivals do not offer rides because it increases the festival insurance, Tomaras said.
Sponsors of each balloon pay $1,500.
Reservations can be made by emailing SequimBalloonFestival@gmail.com or calling 360-461-2202.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
