Pro Football HOF Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic

We would like to invite you to Canton, Ohio, on July 28, 29 & 30, 2017 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic. You will be warmly welcomed by more than 130,000 enthusiastic spectators throughout the weekend activities.  

 

Contact

Andrea Hartman, Canton Chamber of Commerce

andreah@cantonchamber.org

Maury Sullivan, Event Director

tequilatom@aol.com

 

About the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival

The Enshrinement Festival features diverse events enjoyed by 700,000 people over two and a half weeks. Highlights of the activities include the Balloon Classic, NFL/Hall of Fame Game, Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner, The Canton Repository Grand Parade, and Enshrinement Ceremony. All of these festivities are for the purpose of celebrating the enshrinement of a new class into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

 

Scheduled Flight Activities

         Media Flight

The Media Flight is scheduled for the morning of Friday, July 28. 

         Sponsor Flight

Friday evening’s flight is a fun flight with the sponsor. There is a $3,000 cash grab available to the fly-in pilots and a hare and hound race. All team competitors are expected to fly in and all Fiestas will fly out.

Night Glow

The Night Glow is planned for 9:30 p.m. Friday evening with space limited to sixteen (16) participants. Priority for Glow participation will be given to corporate and special shape balloons. Should space be available for sport balloons, they will be paid a $50 stipend. 

Competitive Flights

This is a team competitive event comprised of teams of three pilots.  Organize your own team or we will help you get placed on a team.  Team competitive flights are scheduled for Saturday morning and evening and Sunday morning. As in the past, team competitors will be flying under Event Team competition rules sanctioned by the BFA. Tasks qualifying for individual inclusion in the National Eligibility List will be submitted to the BFA.

 

Prize Money - $17,500

The available prize fund is broken down as follows:

Prize Money Distribution
Place	Teams	Fiesta
1st	$3,000	$600
2nd	$2,100	$450
3rd	$1,800	$350
4th	$1,200	$250
5th	$   750	$200
6th – 13th	$   300	---
6th – 19th	---	$100

           

$3,000: Evening pole grabs

• Cash pole grab with $3,000 to the winner will be available on both Friday and Saturday evening fly-in tasks, unless someone wins it on Friday evening.

$11,250: Team competitors

• See table.
• If there is only one competitive flight out of the three opportunities (Saturday morning and evening, and Sunday morning), awards to the top five teams will be reduced by one-half.

$3,250: Fiestas

• There are cash prizes for both competitors and Fiesta pilots for the three competitive flights (Saturday morning and evening, and Sunday morning). If there is only one competitive flight, awards to all team pilots and the top five fiesta pilots will be reduced by one-half.

Minimum Travel Stipend

• If no opportunity for payout is present throughout the weekend, the minimum payout for all pilots (except special shape pilots) will be a $75 travel stipend. 

 

Event Officials

Event Director, Maury Sullivan

Weather Officer, Todd Fisher

Safety Officer, Steve Dale

 

WEEKEND PILOT SCHEDULE

Friday, July 28, 2017  (SR 06:18; SS 20:45)

5:45 – 6:15 AM              Media Flight check in, continental breakfast – Launch Field VIP Tent

6:15 – 6:30 AM              Welcome and pilot-media match up

6:30 – 6:45 AM              Pilot Flight Briefing

7:00 – 8:30 AM              Flight activity

8:30 – 9:30 AM              Propane refueling, Diebold, 6299 Dressler (6442 /2466)

2:00 – 5:15 PM              Pilot Registration, The Conference Center (6313 / 2380).  

5:30 – 6:00 PM              Pilot General briefing: Fiesta and Competitors, The Conference Center

6:15 – 6:45 PM              Pilot Flight Briefing: Fiesta, Weather, Teams, The Conference Center

7:00 – 8:30 PM              Sponsor flight activity – Launch Field and Fly In

8:00 – 11:00 PM            Propane refueling and unused marker return, Diebold, 6299 Dressler Rd.

8:30 – 10:00 PM            Welcome Party (KSU buffet), The Conference Center (times strictly enforced)

9:00 PM                        Balloon Glow Briefing and pizza delivery under the Pilot Announcer’s tent

9:30 – 10:00 PM            Balloon Glow, Launch Field

Saturday, July 29, 2017   (SR 06:19; SS 20:44)

5:00 AM                        Continental breakfast, The Conference Center.

6:15 – 6:40 AM              Pilot Flight Briefing: Fiesta, Weather, Teams, The Conference Center

7:00 – 9:00 AM              Team Competition and Fiesta flight activity, Launch Field and Fly In

8:30 – 10:30 AM            Propane refueling, Diebold, 6299 Dressler Rd.

4:00 – 5:30 PM              Pilot Buffet Dinner – The Conference Center.  Fiestas park on launch field; competitors in designated area along Loop Rd.

6:15 – 6:45 PM              Pilot Flight Briefing: Fiesta, Weather, Teams, The Conference Center

7:00 – 8:30 PM              Team Competition and Fiesta flight activity, Launch Field and Fly In

8:00 – 10:00 PM            Propane refueling, Diebold, 6299 Dressler Rd.

8:30 – 11:00 PM            Tailgate party in Courtyard Marriott hotel parking lots. 

10:00 – 10:25 PM          Fireworks display

Sunday, July 30, 2017   (SR 06:20; SS 20:43)

5:00 AM                        Continental breakfast, The Conference Center.

6:15 – 6:40 AM              Pilot Flight Briefing: Fiesta, Weather, Teams, The Conference Center

7:00 – 9:00 AM              Team Competition and Fiesta flight activity, Launch Field and Fly In

8:30 – 10:00 AM            Propane refueling, Diebold, 6299 Dressler Rd.

10:30 AM                      Awards Brunch – The Conference Center

                                    Brunch will be held at 9:00 AM if the flight is cancelled