BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - Battle Creek celebrates mid-summer beginning this week with hot air, loud engines, carnival rides and food not on anyone's diet.
The Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival, a summer staple since 1980, begins a seven-day run Thursday at W. K. Kellogg Airport with a free day and ends at night July 4th with the second of two fireworks displays.
More than 13 balloon launches and two after-dark balloon glows are scheduled along with four days of airshows including a twilight show, motorcycle stunts, ax throwing and chainsaw cutting, half-mile head to head auto racing and live music.
On Saturday hundreds of runners will wind through the airport and city streets for the Battle Creek Half Marathon and 5K Race.
"It's a party and people should come," said Barbara Haluszka, executive director of the event. "People should come every year because it is not the same old thing."
Haluszka sloughs off questions heard every year about how much longer will Field of Flight continue.
Other cities in Michigan have annual festivals like Tulip Time in Holland, Cherry Festival in Traverse City and the National Trout Festival in Kalkaska so there is no reason balloons and airplanes won't be over Battle Creek for years, she said.
"It only happens once a year and it's about supporting your community events," she said. "And people travel from all over to come here."
And while the event is shorter than the 10-day events in the 1980s and 1990s, last year 145,000 people attended the six days of Field of Flight and after several good years, Haluszka said Field of Flight is solid financially.
Like last year, the event starts on Thursday for the long holiday weekend and won't end until the fireworks show on Wednesday, July 4.
"It is a little more costly to put on seven days but if the weather is good I think people will come," Haluszka said. "On July 4th we have been the mainstay event and have had fireworks on July 4th forever and we want to keep that tradition going."
Besides the extra day, the event has scheduled four days of two different airshows.
On Saturday and Sunday the Warbird Salute Air Show will feature the Navy FA-18F Super Hornet, the Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt and the Marine MV-22 Osprey along with several other planes and acts including vintage aircraft from World War II and Korea.
Most of the military planes will remain, joined by some different civilian acts for the Fast and Furious Air Show on July 3 and July 4 and will include the Twilight and Night Air Show on July 3.
"We felt if we did two airshows we would give people a variety," Haluszka said, "and they would want to come here more days. The airshows will be different with some carryovers but there will be five hours of air shows on four days."
Every day the core attraction — the hot air balloons — are scheduled to fly if the weather cooperates.
Thirty-seven pilots from as far away as California, Texas and Arizona and as close as Battle Creek, will compete for daily cash prizes and a $1,500 first prize for the overall winner.
Jeff Pestun of Zeeland, and formerly of Battle Creek, will return and try to repeat as champion.
About half the field is expected to fly Thursday night and Friday morning for practice and everyone should be ready for the first competitive flight on Friday evening.
All evening flights will be into or out of W.K. Kellogg Airport but morning flights will be across the Battle Creek and Calhoun County area. Check out the Battle Creek Enquirer Facebook page for updates.
"It just depends on the day," said Assistant Championship Director Phil Clinger of Battle Creek. He will be working with event director Jim Birk of McAllen, Texas, and a full operations staff to prepare the tasks for the pilots.
"The morning flights will be all over," Clinger said. "It depends on the day. They might be on the south side of Battle Creek or the north side of Battle Creek but we will stay outside of town in the mornings. It gives us a variety of targets.
The field includes national and world championship competitors like Bill Baker of Tyler, Texas, Brandon Bloom of Indianola, Iowa, and three father and son competitors including Joe Heartsill and his son, and Rhett, the current world hot air balloon champion, both from San Angelo, Texas.
Joe Heartsill has been flying in Battle Creek for 27 years and told the Enquirer last week "it's always good to go north and get a little relief from the heat. I enjoy the flight area and we have a lot of friends there. Battle Creek is a good place to go on the Fourth of July."
He and Rhett will not only compete in Battle Creek but use the event to prepare for the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship and the World Hot Air Balloon Championship, both scheduled later this summer.
"We want to get up there and do some flying and enjoy the friends we have in Battle Creek," Joe Heartsill said.
Clinger said other pilots will be in Battle Creek not only to compete in that event but also for other championships like the United States Women's National Hot Air Balloon Championship in Wisconsin, The Women's World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Poland and the Junior World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Austria.
"It's a good competition to practice for those," Clinger said about Battle Creek. "We use some of the same technology for the nationals or the worlds and we have a championship director in Jim Birk who is someone who has run nationals and worlds so it's a good practice for them."
Kelli Keller of LaQuinta, California, has been flying ride balloons for 20 years but only competing two years. She is coming to Battle Creek for the first time and is one of three women flying in Field of Flight.
She was rookie of the year and top female pilot at the U.S. Nationals in 2017 and is preparing to fly there again and at the Women's Worlds after Battle Creek.
"I have heard about Battle Creek for so many years when I was doing the ride business and I always wanted to do it but I have been busy raising boys and having a family.
"I have heard Battle Creek is a big competitive event and a beautiful place to fly. And I need to do as many competitive events as I can to be prepared (for the nationals and worlds)."
Keller said she is enjoying the change from flying rides to looking for targets in competition.
"It is a challenge for me," she said. "Everyone knows how to drive a car but not everyone drives a sports car. I love learning about the rules and making the balloon do what you want it to do."
She hopes a new 65,000 cubic footfootball shaped racer balloon being built by Lindstrand Balloons will be finished and she can fly it for the first time in Battle Creek.
Schedule for Field of Flight
THURSDAY, JUNE 28
Free parking and free admission
- 5 p.m. Carnival open
- 5:30 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 5:30 to 7 p.m. Crafts and giveaways for kids
- 6 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch, FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 7:30 p.m. Concert: Great Scott
- 8:30 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 10:30 p.m. Grounds close
FRIDAY, JUNE 29
$5 parking, free admission
- 3 p.m. Carnival opens
- 3 to 5:30 p.m. Speedfest
- 5:30 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch or fly-in
- 7:15 p.m. Concert: Steel Giant
- 8 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 8:45 p.m. Balloon illume
- 10:30 p.m. Grounds close
SATURDAY, JUNE 30
$5 parking, $10 admission; free for children 3 feet and shorter
- 7 a.m. Battle Creek half-marathon
- 9:30 a.m. to noon Speedfest
- 10 a.m. Vendors open
- 11 a.m. Carnival opens
- 12:15 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 12:30 to 5 p.m. Air show: Warbird Salute
- 3 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 5 to 7 p.m. Speedfest
- 6 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch or fly-in, FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 8 p.m. Concert: River Road Trio
- 10:30 p.m. Fireworks (rain date July 1)
- 11 p.m. Grounds close
SUNDAY, JULY 1
$5 parking, $10 admission; free for children 3 feet and shorter
- 9:30 a.m. to noon Speedfest
- 10 a.m. Vendors open
- 11 a.m. Carnival opens
- 12:15 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 12:30 to 5 p.m. Air show: Warbird Salute
- 3 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 5 to 7 p.m. Speedfest
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch or fly-in, FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 7:30 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 8 p.m. Concert: The Megan Rae Band
- 10:30 p.m. Grounds close
MONDAY, JULY 2
$5 parking, $5 admission; free for children 3 feet and shorter
- 5 p.m. Carnival opens
- 5 to 7 p.m. Speedfest
- 6 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch or fly-in, FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 7:30 p.m. Concert: Brenda Loomis Band
- 9:15 p.m. Balloon illume
- 10:30 p.m. Grounds close
TUESDAY, JULY 3
$5 parking, $10 admission; free for children 3 feet and shorter
- 10:30 p.m. Carnival opens
- 10:30 a.m. to noon Speedfest
- 12:15 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 12:30 to 5 p.m. Air show: The Fast and the Furious
- 3 p.m.: Great Lakes Timber Show
- 5 to 6:30 p.m. Speedfest
- 6:30 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch or fly-in, Great Lakes Timber Show
- 7:45 p.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 8 p.m. Concert: Claudia Hoyser Band
- 9 p.m. Twilight air show
- 10 p.m. Night air show with PYRO
- 11 p.m. Grounds close
- WEDNESDAY, JULY 4
$5 parking, $10 admission; free for children 3 feet and shorter
- 10:30 a.m. Carnival opens
- 11:30 a.m. FMX motorcycle stunt show
- 11:45 a.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 12:30 to 5 p.m. Air show: The Fast and the Furious
- 6 p.m. FMX motorcycle show
- 7 p.m. Balloon launch or fly-in
- 7:30 p.m. Great Lakes Timber Show
- 8:15 p.m. FMX motorcycle show
- 8:30 p.m. Concert: Jake Kershaw
- 10:30 p.m. Fireworks
- 11 p.m. Grounds close
Contact Trace Christenson at 269-966-0685 or tchrist@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson
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