St.Jean-sur-Richelieu

Balloon Festival Pictures from St.Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Canada - August 1998, 2002-2010

= 1998 festival pictures

Floating over the Richelieu River (photo by Jenn Goldbloom)

That's me dismantling the burner after the flight (photo by Jenn Goldbloom)

Left: Celebrating with the landowners after the flight. Starting at top left: 3 landowners, and crew: Pascale, Martin, Nathale, Maryse, Gene(me), and Carole (photo by Jenn Goldbloom

Right: Locomotive taking off from the airport (photo by Gene Burnstein)

Balloons taking off from the airport (photo by Gene Burnstein

= 2002 festival pictures

(this was the 1st year "ClipAway" attended)

Looking back at the balloons setting up at the airport (photo by Blair Beard)

Right: ClipAway Balloon over the Richelieu River (photo from local Canadian Newspaper)

= 2003 festival pictures

ClipAway Balloon between the trees (photo by Barney)

Flying over farmland (photo by Gene)

ClipAway's handlers: Mario, Jean-Jacques, Pierre, Gene(pilot), Dominique

= 2004 festival pictures

Future Balloonist (or why did everyone walk away from me)?? (photo by Gene)


2004 ClipAway"s handlers (Top L-R):

Jean-Jacques, Dominique, Mario, Pierre, Sylvain

Gene (pilot) kneeling

(photo by Gene)

AHHHH I"ve got just the thing for you .....

(photo by Gene)

= 2005 festival pictures

Stephanie and Marie-Claude enjoy hanging out in the sky (photo by Gene)

ClipAway landed before the rains came (photo by Jenn Goldbloom)

= 2006 festival pictures

Watching balloons filling the sky as they cross over the Richelieu River

Finally after a few years Dominique"s mom gathered up the courage to take flight in "ClipAway" on August 18, 2006.

I snapped this picture as we descended to 4000 feet just after the crew called to ask 'how she was doing' ---- (is there really any question?)

After landing, "mom" was ready to go again!!

My crew and I together enjoying a dinner. Starting on the left: Olivier, Katrine, Stephanie, Pierre, Dominique, and myself

= 2007 festival pictures

Balloons adding color to the morning sky (credit: Marie Giroux, Daniel Auger)

Balloons waltzing over the cloud reflection on the Richelieu River

Balloons invading a quiet neighborhood (credit: The Bedard family)

Thanks to my 2007 crew -- Without you it would not have been possible for me to fly ALL 9 days of the festival!!

L-R Michael, Jacqueline, Dominique, Myself, Stephanie, Joanie and Valerie

= 2008 festival pictures

ClipAway starting to cross the Richelieu River in the morning sunshine. (credit: Laura Peterson)

The flight was cancelled, but my crew stuck around for a few laughs and to enjoy the double rainbows.

During pack-up on the last flight of the festival, my passengers (2 on right front) and crew

= 2009 festival pictures

Hurry to the pitstop,,,, the fog is lifting ... we are going to fly!!!

Over the years I've landed many times on this one landowner"s property. This particular morning we landed here once again. But this time it was different - Ghislaine (the landowner) flew with me. She's in the center of the picture, and wore the ClipAway crew shirt in flight !!!

St.Jean-sur-Richelieu has drawn ClipAway and her pilot back since her first appearance in 2002. I hope these pictures show why.

Thanks to my crew, wonderful people, and memories, I again look forward to returning.

= 2010 festival pictures

Pictures below from start to finish of a winery landing flight - provided by Diane Brennan, one of the passengers on this flight

3 Additional pictures from passengers Diane and Josiane Desroches. (1st they had to find the pilot, then they put on a fashion show for gloves). To top it all off, after the flight they stayed to help with the night glow!

ClipAway caught heading for a beautiful landing (picture credit Dean Carlton)

Left: Michel and his two sons (looks like I'll have crew for years to come).

Crew pic for 2010 (note: 2 new crewmembers, Guy Trembley on left, and Michel Borassa 2nd from right