ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
More than two dozen hot air balloons took flight from Helen, Georgia, on Thursday morning in a race to the Atlantic. Depending on the wind, it’s possible some of the balloons could be spotted in Western North Carolina skies.
“That is a possibility,” a Helen Welcome Center spokesperson said earlier this week.
On Friday morning, there were multiple reports of balloons being spotted over the Asheville area.
The Atlantic Balloon Race is described as the South’s oldest balloon event and the United States’ only long-distance hot air balloon race. The annual race begins in Helen with the finish line being Interstate 95. The shortest distance is 225 miles, but finishers could cross the interstate anywhere between Maine and Miami.
As of earlier this week, 24 pilots had registered for the race, Helendorf River Inn front desk clerk Caitlyn Hulsey said.
The Helendorf River Inn hosts the event each year and has since it started in 1973.
The race is by invitation, said Catherine Cleiman, who organizes the race every year.
Cleiman said pilots started arriving Tuesday.
“The pilots will assess wind direction and see when it would be best to launch,” Cleiman said.
Hulsey said the race usually takes two days and chase crews follow to help verify the winner. Although the race will probably be over Friday, the winner won’t be announced until Saturday.
One of the most unusual balloons expected to participate in this year’s race looks like a zebra, she said.
The most unusual balloon in last year’s event was an apple.
“It was in the shape of an apple, and it looked just like an apple,” Hulsey said.