Lee and Karen Duquette, with their granddaughter Kristen and Rachel
at The Hot Air Balloon Festival
260 Hangar Drive
Statesville, North Carolina |
October
18, 2025
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 At
7:30 a.m. on this date, Richard Sean Askren flew overhead in his hot air
balloon with a USA Flag attached. So of course, everyone stood up for
the National Anthem.
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Below: Lee and Karen
Duquette watched some of the hot air balloons being inflated. |
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Below: Then it was time for the
balloons to take flight |
Below: Jae Randy Lee and Pilot
Mark Miller in their hot air balloons. |
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Then the two balloons shown above
flew above Karen Duquette |
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Below: Don Cline in his hot air balloon |
Below: Don Edwards in his hot air balloon |
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Below: Barbara McKinley in her
hot air balloon |
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Below: Gilbert Martin in his
hot air balloon |
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Below: Sean Richardson in his hot air balloon |
Below: Matthew Lidinsky in his hot air balloon |
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Below: Charles Page in his hot
air balloon |
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The Balloon shown below had a
different photo on each side. Pilot Mark Meyer. |
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Below: John Semier in his hot
air balloon - A friendly ghost |
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Below: Steven Davis, Chris Smart
and John Semier in their hot air balloons. |
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Below: Tracy Leaver in his dinosaur
hot air balloon. |
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Below: Roger Clark in his hot air balloon |
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Below: Chase Donner in the happy
smile face hot air balloon. |
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Below: Don Cline
and others who put together this event. Don is the only pilot that has
flown at this festival each of the 50 years. |
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Note: Many other balloons are
shown on other pages - so please continue on. |
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After the initial ascension of a few hot air balloons, there was a very
long break time. During which people could shop, buy food, take their
kids to the playground, or just relax and listen to music.