JACKSON TWP. ‒ Ken Kus has been piloting hot air balloons for decades.
But if you asked him, he’d probably tell you it’s only been a few days.
“We have so much fun with this,” he said. “I always wanted to fly.”
The 40th annual Balloon Classic kicked off early July 25 over at the Kent State University at Stark campus at 6000 Frank Ave. NW as part of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival.
The media and sponsor flight, which was scheduled to take off around 6:30 a.m., was scrapped due to concerning weather patterns.
“When a storm comes by, (air) goes up late, and then it cools down, and at that point, the arrow starts to drop and it creates an outwash of air … We don’t want to be landing in 10- or 15-mile-an-hour winds,” Kus said. “Plus, once that happens and it starts to outwash, it starts to cause storms or rain showers ahead.”
But more opportunities are coming this weekend.
Balloon Classic 2025: Flying the Diamond Rose
Though the morning flight was canceled July 25, balloonists were still able to do a static flight, lifting the balloons a few feet off the ground.
Kus’ balloon, the Diamond Rose, is new to him and his crew, so the static flight served as a trial run.
“A lot of people have said how pretty it is,” he said.
The balloon’s five-person crew consists of Kus, Jessica Depuy, Sydney Depuy, Nick Kimmell and Shanna Kimmell. To inflate the balloon, air is pumped into it using an engine-powered fan before using flames to get the craft to rise in an upright position.
“For me, it’s the majestic thought behind the hot air balloon,” Shanna Kimmell said. “And the science. I’m kind of a science nerd anyway.”
Kus said he’s been passionate about flying since he was a kid, and he’s happy to have the chance to do it so often.
“My dad used to take me to Hopkins Airport when you were able to walk out (and) they had an open deck that you could watch the planes come in,” he said. “We’d spend the whole day out there.”
Kus said the hot air balloon is a true spectacle, standing at 70 feet tall.
“There’s 1 cubic foot of air in a basketball,” he said. “I’ve got 90,000 of those basketballs emptied in here.”
Balloon Classic drone show returns
The drone show returns to the Balloon Classic this year, this time with 500 drones instead of 300, a considerable jump for the event.
“This is like going from a VHS tape to a Blu-Ray,” said Michael Sopczak, a Timken Co. employee involved in coordinating the show with coworker Aaron Grisak on behalf of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce in prior reporting from The Repository.
The drones will take to the sky at 9:45 p.m. July 25 and 26.
40th annual Balloon Classic schedule
Here’s a look at the schedule for this weekend’s Balloon Classic:
Friday, July 25
Saturday, July 26
Sunday, July 27
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘I always wanted to fly.’ 40th Balloon Classic underway at KSU Stark campus
Reporting by Janson McNair, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
