Among the almost hundred balloons flying this weekend, look out for the Irish Spirit. It’s pretty easy to spot with its blue colored first half and primarily green with stripes of yellow, red and orange for the rest.
Jason Smith has been the pilot for the Irish Spirit for almost a decade. Smith said he wanted to overcome his fear of heights, so he took a flight in a balloon called the Kearney’s Mistress back in 2009. After that first flight, Smith was hooked on ballooning.
He then crewed for a few years before getting his pilot license.
“I've been able to travel to a lot of places, even as simple as landing a block or two from here and getting to, you know, greet some children and show them a balloon and show them something that they might not normally see every day,” Smith said.
Smith considers his crew his family. He said this time of year is the busiest with everyone coming in and out of his house but his family enjoys the company.
The event costs about a million dollars to organize but remains free to the public, said Pete Copeland, executive director at the Great Reno Balloon Race.
“Well, we have Super Mario Kart coming in this year, so I can't wait to see him. We have Darth Vader here this year. Can't wait to see him. We have Peanut who basically is Horton the Who, if you're a Dr Seuss fan, so, man, we've got something for everybody,” Copeland said.
Copeland invites everyone to come by Rancho San Rafael Park and see the classic balloons like Smokey Bear flying in the skies above Reno all weekend long.
The Great Reno Balloon Race continues tomorrow and Sunday. Gates open at 3:30 a.m. The mass ascension launch takes place at 7 a.m. And the famous dawn patrol with its spectacular light show lifts off at 5:30 a.m.
