SEPTEMBER 9, 2010 • METROSPECTIVE • b5THE METRoPoliTanb4 • METROSPECTIVE • SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

Chasing Trivial PursuitToby Brown started flying high with the help of his

family, now they watch him soar

Toby Brown attended his first Colorado Balloon Classic 27 years ago as a crewmember. After a few years of learning the ropes, Brown took flight and fell in love.

“He was literally flying with the pilot, and as he came over the trees he yelled down at my dad ‘Do you want to buy a balloon?’” said Jennifer Huerta, Brown’s sister.

And so it began. Brown and his family bought the balloon, which was originally from the ’70’s TV show “Big Blue Marble” for $3,000.

Brown, originally from Colorado Springs and now a Denver resident and University of Denver graduate, got his pilot’s license and has been flying ever since.

“They actually came out and crewed for a whole year without ever flying when I was first learn-ing,” Brown said about his family. “They still really enjoy it!”

Brown now has a regular crew who have been with him for five years, but his family came out to help chase during their hometown event.

“It’s always been a family thing,” said Huerta, who helped crew with her kids Julia and Henry, both in high school.

With sleepy eyes, Brown’s family and friends gathered at 6 a.m. Sept. 5 at Memorial Park to gear up for their second day of flying.

With the OK from the Balloon Meister and after watching the first wave of balloons take flight, the crew got to work after putting on gloves to protect the precious balloon and their hands.

The basket is first to be pulled out of the trailer followed by the burner and a tightly coiled bal-loon.

The 90,000-cubic-foot Lindstrand balloon that reaches seven stories high begins to grow as two crew members hold it open and Julia runs the fan.

With the balloon, named Trivial Pursuit Too, laying on its side and full of cold air, Brown blasts the burner.

“We use propane; my balloon holds 35 gallons,” Brown said.The burners quickly heat up the cool morning air, and as Trivial Pursuit is ready to fly, Brown’s

guests hop into the basket with excited eyes and nervous smiles.

And just like that the “Trivial” half of the team catches the wind and follows the herd of bal-loons heading south while the “Pursuit” half of the team jumps in their cars to follow.

“It’s a team effort,” said crewmember Mary McGill. “If you have the right team who knows what they need to do, it’s a lot of fun!”

As Trivial flies, Brown enjoys the views and scopes out a good landing spot. Pursuit chases on the ground with walkie-talkies and GPS.

“You never turn down a good landing space,” crewmember Erika Belton said. “Toby is a great pilot; he always has our safety first and foremost in mind.”

Pursuit spots Trivial in a small, open field next to another balloon. The residents in the sur-rounding houses emerge to take a closer look at what has just landed in their front yards.

Brown’s passengers hop out with adrenaline still rushing, and Brown gives another blast of hot air to make his basket hover over the ground. The crew pulls Brown in his massive balloon up the hill so they can pack it up.

Two crewmembers grab a tether on one side of Trivial and pull it down so the air can escape from the bottom. This process is called burping, according to crew member Scott Dieck.

All hands on deck help push out any remaining air then detach the balloon’s only source of power, the burner.

The balloon is rolled up, and onlookers watch as the massive balloon is tucked away safely in a small trailer attached to Brown’s SUV.

“It’s like a sleeping bag,” Dieck said. “We just stuff it in the bag.”And by 9 a.m. the excitement is over, just in time for Brown to fill his empty propane tank and

head to his sister’s house for a big breakfast.Brown flies 3–4 times a month and looks forward to the Colorado Balloon Classic every year.“It’s my thing,” he said. “It’s what I do.”Though piloting his balloon is just a hobby, Brown hopes to one day open a balloon ride busi-

ness.“I live in such a beautiful place,” Brown said. “I fly all over Colorado, [especially] Boulder, and

eventually I want to stay right there and charge people to ride.” Brown, who has never had an emergency in his balloon in his more than 20 years of piloting,

said people have to try flying to know how amazing it is.“It’s really serene,” Brown said. “You are with the wind; that’s what is so cool about it.”

By Dacia Johnsondjohn205@mscd.edu

Nick Giorgianni watches the top of the balloon while the other members of team Trivial Pursuit Too fill it with cold air. The top must set cor-rectly before the balloon can be filled with air. Photo by Daniel Clements • dcleme12@mscd.edu

FROM LEFT: Nick Giorgianni, Jennifer Huerta, Julia Huerta,

Henry Huerta (back), and Erika Belton pass the time before set-

ting up and launching their team balloon, the Trivial Pursuit Too,

Sept. 5 in Colorado Springs. The team spent more time waiting

for the right weather than they did setting up and launching,

which took them roughly 15 minutes. Photo by Daniel Clements •

dcleme12@mscd.edu

Gloves hang on the open back door of team Trivial Pursuit Too balloon equipment trailer Sept. 5 during the Colorado Springs Balloon Classic. The trailer houses all the equipment neccessary to launch a hot air balloon, including the basket, propane tanks, gloves (for safety), the balloon fabric, and various tools used to adjust many parts of the hot air balloon. Photo by Daniel Clements • dcleme12@mscd.edu

Mary McGill, left, and pilot Toby Brown laugh with their fellow crew mates Sept. 5 after landing in a field near Centennial Elementary School in Colorado Springs. Photo by Daniel Clements • dcleme12@mscd.edu

FROM LEFT: McGill, Belton and Brown “burp” their hot air balloon after a successful flight Sept. 5. Under normal conditions, the wind would help them clear the balloon of air, but Brown was unable to position the balloon where wind would be able to help. Photo by Daniel Clements • dcleme12@mscd.edu

Toby Brown adjusts his hat after landing his balloon during the third day of the Colorado Balloon Classic Sept. 5. Toby and his crew landed near Centennial Elementary School in Colorado Springs along side another balloon. Photo by Dacia Johnson • djohn205@mscd.edu