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Native American Times 10/19/11

The Navajo Post - 02/16/12

The Daily Times 02/20/12

KOB-TV 02/20/12

Utah Travel Headlines 02/22/12

USA TODAY 02/23/12

Farmington Daily Times "Monument Valley balloon festival deemed a success" 02/26/12

Media coverage from 4/2011Event :

Navajo Times 4/7/11

Navajo Hopi Observer 4/13/11

The Watch 3/31/11

INFORMATION: “A World Premier Balloon Event at Monument Valley Contact: Geri Hongeva, Media Representative geri@navajonationparks.org

Navajo Parks & Recreation announces its Hot Air Balloon Event at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on February 24-26, 2012. There will be three launches, one on Friday morning, Saturday morning and the other on Sunday morning, also two night glows on Friday & Saturday evening at dusk. There will be various launch sites down the Monument Valley road. Twenty pilots have been invited to this unique World Premier Balloon Event, each pilot have met all expectations needed to fly over the Navajo Tribal Park land. They are all very aware of the cultural sensitivity that surrounds Monument Valley and the fragile enviroment which composes such beautiful landscape.

Hot Air Ballooning has emerged into a spectacular sport and has not dramatically changed since the first flight in 1783 by the Montgolfier brothers in Paris, France. In the scientific arena of studying the weather and atmosphere, hot air balloons have helped scientists study different atmospheres and collecting data. The balloons only fly in near perfect weather conditions with minimal wind. Today, the balloons come in many different shapes and sizes but they all use the propane to fuel their craft and fly in the morning when the wind is most stable. Most people assume that these balloons are very quiet but it is quite the opposite, the burners are very noisy. The hot air balloon pilots have to be very experienced and requires them to achieve: over 35 hours of flight instruction, have a commercial pilot’s license, complete ground school for basic aviation training, pass a written test for hot-air balloons and obtain a flight check issued from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Twent pilots total. The fifteen pilots selected thus far to fly at the World Premier Balloon Event in Monument Valley are: Don Edwards (Albuquerque, NM), Judith Holt (Phoenix, Az), William Lee (Gallup, NM), Glen See (Albuquerque, NM), Donald Stockley (Murray, UT), Jeffery Johnson (Flagstaff, AZ), Dorothy Harrison (Phoenix, AZ), Sally Bartsch (New River, AZ), Sally Heinrich (Phoenix, AZ), Gary Woods (Ridgeway, CO), Kent Barnes (Murray, UT), Doug Lenberg (Farmington, NM), Phil Cambell (Bayfield, CO), Phred McAllaster (Santa Fe, NM) and Bryan Hill (Page, AZ). These pilots will bring the excitement of ballooning to Navajo country and the Navajo people. This a free public event hosted by Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which will include a variety of entertainment. Local artists will by on site displaying their work of art and other informative booths for spectators to view. Balloon events are a very social and casual event, bring your family and friends for free entertainment. For more information call 928-871-6647 or go to www.navajonationparks.org and select Balloon Event.

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