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Lots of hot air, and no politicians Bob Pennell photo The skies over the Rogue were filled Saturday morning with hot-air balloons during the second day of the sixth annual three-day event. The Rogue Valley Balloon Rally concludes this morning with another 6:30 a.m. liftoff. Balloon rally continues today; one may just land on your street By Dani Dodge They filled the morning sky above Medford like bright bits of magic � 24 huge balloons of brilliant hues holding aloft small rattan baskets full of people. "It�s actually pretty exciting," said 9-year-old Bryan Fraser as he watched the mass ascension from the side of the road near the Medford airport. "I�ve never seen this many balloons, and seeing them go up and down, and all the different patterns, is pretty fun." The Rogue Valley Balloon Rally concludes this morning with another 6:30 a.m. liftoff. This is the sixth year of the three-day event that is organized by Rogue Valley Balloons and sponsored by local businesses. It brings balloon pilots from as far away as Victorville, Calif., to glide through Jackson County skies ... and land in Medford yards and streets. Only one local balloon participated in the rally, although many local flat-landers got a taste of hot air ballooning Saturday by taking a short ride in balloons tethered to the ground. Ballooning started in 1783 when two men filled a linen bag with smoke from straw fire. A few months later that same year, the first manned flight occurred in Paris. For most of their history, balloons were held aloft with helium gasses. Then in 1960, Ed Yost flew the first modern hot-air balloon, in Sioux Falls S.D. It was made with rip-resistant nylon and equipped with a propane heating system. Worldwide, there are only about 8,000 balloon pilots. Some, like Captain Crystal (who no longer even uses a last name) fly full time. The Vancouver, Wash., 33-year-old goes from rally to rally across the nation, teaches classes for pilots, and takes others for pleasure rides. "If a balloon lands in your yard, get out and know us," Captain Crystal advises. Others, like Bob Raper of North Bend, are just hobbyists. "This is pure pleasure," Raper, 50, said Saturday morning as he filled his balloon with the warm air that would send it into the sky. "I don�t want to spoil it and make it a business." The Bureau of Land Management natural resource specialist was bitten with the balloon bug after his first ride about 10 years ago. He "crewed" on balloons for several years before getting his pilot�s license in 1996. He then bought a $30,000 balloon that�s rainbow striped on one side and black on the other. He named it "Mid-life Crisis." and took to the skies. "You know how you do those hobbies and it just feels right?" Raper asked, gazing up into the balloon billowing above him. "Some people get into fishing and hunting and boating, but when it feels right it feels right, and this feels right to me." Just about every summer weekend, he�ll take the balloon up for a ride. That means driving from his coastal home to Winston, where the air is calmer, assembling a crew of three or four people, buying about 30 gallons of propane and being sure he�s paid his insurance. Although his wife, Elaine, attended the rally this weekend, she usually doesn�t appreciate the early morning hours of balloonists � who like to take advantage of dawn�s calm. She stays home raising bulldogs and simply indulges his hobby. "I guess it keeps him out of trouble," Elaine Raper said. The balloonists start out about 6 a.m., unrolling their balloons on an empty lot next to the airport. They first fill them with cold air from a large fan. Then, when they are puffed up but still laying on the ground, the pilots start blasting loud propane burners that send off shooting spouts of fire several feet into the balloon. The difference between the warm air inside the balloon and the cold air outside is what makes the balloon rise. After the balloons lift off, they drift anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Then the pilots find a wide spot of grass or pavement on which to land. Chase crews keep contact with the pilots through two-way radios. After the landing, the chase crews pick up the pilots and riders and help pack away the balloon for the next adventure. "It�s just a kick," said Tim Fischer, 45, of Medford, who piloted Diamond Rogue, the Rogue Valley�s entry into the rally. The balloon is co-owned by a number of local residents. "When you get up there you are at the mercy of the winds and there�s no noise. It�s just so beautiful up there this early in the morning." But some of those watching vowed to remain simply viewers of the awesome spectacle. Bryan Fischer, the 9-year-old who got to the airport at 6 a.m. and stayed until the last balloon had lifted off, said he doesn�t expect to board one of the tiny baskets anytime soon. "It�s an expensive hobby," the boy reasoned. "And it would be a little scary because you don�t have sides like on a plane." "I think trains are a better hobby," he said. But even as Bryan spoke, a long line of people formed, wanting to ride in a tethered balloon, dying to get their first taste of this special kind of magic. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. 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