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June 20, 2013
TIGARD FESTIVAL OF BALLOONS
11
424657.062013TBF
Tigard Clinic
13200 SW Pacific Hwy,
Tigard, OR 97223
Medical Clinic:
503-598-2000
Physical Therapy:
503-598-2008
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Serving the Tigard Community
for more than 35 years
ONLINE SERVICES
• Review Lab Results
• Prescription Refill Requests
• Schedule Routine Appointments
• Pay Your Bill Online
• Billing Questions
Visit our website for more information
www.pacificmedicalgroup.com
Providing quality healthcare
for you and
all members of your family –
from newborns to seniors.
...we’ll take care
THE PILOTS AND THEIR BALLOONS
have won awards for excellence in bal-
looning from the Pacific Coast Aeronauts,
president’s award from the Balloon Fed-
eration of America as well as the direc-
tor’s award and sportsman’s award in
The Great Reno Balloon Race.
■
CHRIS WHITFIELD, HEAVEN BOUND
—
Chris took his first hot-air balloon ride in
September 2007 with Alan Sanderson and
was immediately hooked.
He pur-
chased his
first balloon
the follow-
ing spring
with his un-
cle, Jason
Fast, and be-
gan training
with
Marianne
LeDoux. He
got his pri-
vate license
in Septem-
ber 2008 and
continued
sharing a balloon with Jason through
2009. Chris flew his second balloon dur-
ing 2010 and, with instruction from Car-
men Blakely, achieved a commercial rat-
ing in October. In the spring of 2011, he
and his wife Jennifer built their current
balloon, Heaven Bound, with guidance
from Bob and Marianne LeDoux. Chris
and Jennifer live in the Albany area, and
this is his third year flying in the Tigard
event.
■
DARREN KLING, BALLOON SPONSORED BY
RE/MAX
— From a very young age, I’ve al-
ways had a
strong inter-
est in avia-
tion. In 1989,
I took my
first ride in a
balloon and
was intro-
duced to a
form of
flight far dif-
ferent from
anything I
had experi-
enced be-
fore.
In 1993, I
received my commercial license and
started Big Sky Balloon Co., providing
balloon rides and corporate advertising
in northwest Montana.
In 2000, I relocated my business to
Portland and currently operate a con-
tract for RE/MAX in the Pacific North-
west region. I very much enjoy traveling
around this part of the country, meeting
other balloon pilots and sharing the
great experiences that come from flying
hot-air balloons with others.
What I love most about ballooning is
its unique ability to totally excite and
captivate people, which is what always
makes it fun and exciting for me.
■
GREG MILLER, FLYING PURPLE PEOPLE
EATER
— In the fall of 1989 at a balloon
event in Salem, I took my first balloon
ride and fell in love with ballooning im-
mediately. From that point on, it has been
a family affair. For several years, along
with my sons Cory and Matthew, we were
part of local chase crews at different
events around the Northwest.
In 1995, I purchased the smaller bal-
loon we had been crewing for and started
our own hot-air balloon adventures. In
1996, I received my private pilot’s license,
and in early 1997, I received my commer-
cial license.
Wanting more out of ballooning than
just flying a small balloon, I bought a big-
ger balloon in 2007 and started offering
scenic balloon flights, instruction and ad-
vertising with our new balloon. During
the summer months, I travel the Pacific
Northwest, participating in many bal-
looning events, flying scenic flights and
doing commercial promotions for local
businesses. I love going to the many dif-
ferent events each summer, allowing me
to catch up with many old friends and
making many new friends along the way.
For more than 15 years, we have partic-
ipated
in the
Tigard
festival.
This
year, we
are ex-
cited to
be flying
as a
guest pi-
lot the
Flying
Purple
Eater
balloon. We look forward to seeing you at
the field in Tigard. Come by and say hel-
lo, take a picture or two to share and
have a great time. I know we will.
■
JESSE RAFN, MORNING MELODY
— Jesse
is the youngest pilot participating in the
Festival of Balloons in Tigard. From an
early age, Jesse has been fascinated with
anything aviation. He knew detailed in-
formation about almost everything fly-
ing. An avid reader, Jesse consumed ev-
erything he could get his hands on that
dealt with aviation. He took his first
flight at age 6 and was immediately
hooked.