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Cluster Ballooning

46 images Created 6 May 2016

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  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga.  Cutting Balloons away to descend and dumping water from water containers by his side to rise Ninomiya can control his altitute and to an extent, his direction of travel.
    Cluster Ballooning 0003.jpg
  • Balloons rise into the dawn at Coalinga, California ballooning festival.  Special jets of propane light up the interiors of the balloons to produce a dazzling effect.
    scf4327-255cluster ballooning 0027.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga.  Cutting Balloons away to descend and dumping water from water containers by his side to rise Ninomiya can control his altitute and to an extent, his direction of travel.
    scf4327-250cluster ballooning 0003.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to about 4200 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    scf4327-254cluster ballooning 0013.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    scf4327-251cluster ballooning 0005.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    scf4327-249cluster ballooning 0002.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, uses a global positioning system to keep track of his speed direction of travel and a variometer for his rate of climb.
    scf4327-252cluster ballooning 0011.jpg
  • Unlike mountain climbing, cluster ballooning isn't strenuous, yet it's easy to get lightheaded in the clouds.
    Cluster Ballooning 0007.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga, California site of the 37th annual Whamobass (Whiskey Hill, Atherton, Menlo Oaks Ballooning and Sporting Society, the longest continuously running ballooning festival in the world.  Cutting Balloons away to descend and dumping water from water containers by his side to rise Ninomiya can control his altitute and to an extent, his direction of travel.
    Cluster Ballooning 0001.jpg
  • Cluster Balloonist John Ninomiya at Coalinga Ballooning festival.
    Cluster Ballooning 0033.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers at Coalinga, California.
    scf4373-444_Cluster Ballooning 0022.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers filling a bouquet of 4ft in diameter and 7ft in diameter balloons.
    scf4373-443_Cluster Ballooning 0021.jpg
  • Balloons rise into the dawn at Coalinga, California ballooning festival.  Special jets of propane light up the interiors of the balloons to produce a dazzling effect.
    Cluster Ballooning 0027.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist, preps his balloons at the Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0024.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers at Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0022.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers at Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0017.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers at Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0023.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers at Coalinga, California.  Ninomiya uses 4ft balloons and 7ft balloons - these are the 4 footers
    Cluster Ballooning 0018.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers filling a bouquet of 4ft in diameter and 7ft in diameter balloons.
    Cluster Ballooning 0021.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from voluteers at Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0020.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist gets help from volunteers at Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0026.jpg
  • Cluster Ballooner John Ninomiya drifts by a hot air balloon in Coalinga.
    Cluster Ballooning 0032.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga, California.
    scf4373-434_cluster ballooning 0012.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    scf4373-434_Cluster Ballooning 0005.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga.  Cutting Balloons away to descend and dumping water from water containers by his side to rise Ninomiya can control his altitute and to an extent, his direction of travel.
    scf4373-425_Cluster Ballooning 0003.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    scf4327-249_Cluster Ballooning 0002.jpg
  • Cluster balloonist, John Ninomiya's balloons are not all directly tied to Ninomiya's harness. He has devised a system of eight color-coded webbing straps of differing lengths that lead to caribiners connecting the twine. That way, the balloons are neatly arranged above him in tiers enabling a safe and certain release.
    Cluster Ballooning 0008.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist uses several hiking water bladders strapped on his side to control his rate of descent.
    Cluster Ballooning 0006.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to about 4200 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0013.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist makes a last minute preflight check before flying over  over Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0016.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist makes a pre-flight check before soaring above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0015.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0005.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist is attached to some 82 balloons using only
    Cluster Ballooning 0009.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin valley near Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0012.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, a cluster balloonist rises to 4500 feet above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.
    Cluster Ballooning 0002.jpg
  • John Ninomiya empties ballast above the San Joaquin Valley near Coalinga, California.  Cutting Balloons away to descend and dumping water from containers by his side to rise, he can control his altitute and his direction of travel.
    Cluster Ballooning 0004.jpg
  • "It's something I thought about as a kid,” says Ninomiya, a 42-year-old actuary. “One of the things kids think about is how could they personally fly.”
    Cluster Ballooning 0010.jpg
  • Ninomiya, who has flown with helium balloons more than a dozen times, needs the calm pre-dawn conditions for a successful flight, which will last a few hours and take him to 4200 feet.
    Cluster Ballooning 0014.jpg
  • Experimental balloonist Bob Nungester of Cupertino rises in his lawn chair near Coalinga, California.  FAA regulations govern experimental aircraft flights like these which must take place away from high trafficked areas.
    Cluster Ballooning 0025.jpg
  • Experimental balloonist Bob Nungester of Cupertino rises in his lawn chair near Coalinga, California.  Called "Cloud-hoppers" these single person aircraft can rise and fall more quickly than a traditional hot-air balloons.
    Cluster Ballooning 0028.jpg
  • Experimental balloonist Bob Nungester of Cupertino rises in his lawn chair near Coalinga, California.  FAA regulations govern experimental aircraft flights like these which must take place away from high trafficked areas.
    scf4373-447_Cluster Ballooning 0025.jpg
  • John Ninomiya and associate make a pre-flight check before lift off in Coalinga.
    Cluster Ballooning 0019.jpg
  • John Ninomiya, uses a global positioning system to keep track of his speed direction of travel and a variometer for his rate of climb.
    Cluster Ballooning 0011.jpg
  • Cluster Ballooning 0031.jpg
  • Cluster Ballooning 0030_.jpg
  • Cluster Ballooning 0030.jpg
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