The South’s oldest balloon event and the United States’ only long-distance hot air balloon race records record finish
ALPINE HELEN, GEORGIA—MAY 31, 2024—The 51st Annual Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race took flight May 30, 2024, resulting in the all-time fastest finish in the 51-year history of the race at a time of six hours and 35 minutes.
Pilot Mr. Bill Smith crossed over I-95 at Saint George, South Carolina—near Charleston, at 1:35 p.m. Pilot Mr. Mark Myer followed shortly after. The pilots took off from Wilkins Field on the Chattahoochee River in Helen, Georgia, in front of a huge audience at 7 a.m., Friday.
Media are welcome to interview the pilots and film the balloons while they are still in Helen Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1. If interested, please reach out to Jerry Brown, executive director of the Alpine Helen-White County Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 706-969-8068 or by email at JBrown@HelenGA.com.
About the Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race: The South’s oldest balloon event and the United States’ only long-distance hot air balloon race will begin (weather permitting) with a mass ascension of around 20 bright and colorful hot air balloons, in North Georgia’s Alpine Village–Helen. Race competitors and local flyers will take to the sky at 7 a.m., Thursday, May 30, 2024.
The people of Helen believe that Helen, Georgia, is the center of their world and in Columbus’ day the Atlantic Ocean was the “edge of the Earth.” Thus, Pete Hodkinson came up with the concept for the Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race. The race begins in Helen and the finish line is I-95 (anywhere between Maine and Miami). The shortest distance is 225 miles, and the race usually takes two days. It has been done in one day, while some races have taken as many as four days. Several balloons will be competing in the cross-country race.
It is a race where both the pilot’s and crew’s skills are challenged. A balloon can only go the same speed and direction as the wind. The pilot must find the altitude which gives him/her the best speed as well as direction towards the finish line. The race becomes a crew event as well, since the balloons are limited to 40 gallons of fuel (propane). Forty gallons is approximately enough fuel to last four hours, so the balloons have to land for refueling. If the crew is not there immediately with fresh tanks, valuable time is lost while the pilot and crew try to find each other.
The winner is the first person to cross I-95, or whoever is ahead at sunset on Friday, May 30, 2024.
While the competition to the Atlantic continues, other balloonists compete in local events beginning Thursday evening around 6 p.m. Local flying events will take place also on Friday and Saturday. The balloons will fly around 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day (weather permitting). The balloons will only fly for around one to two hours. There will be many opportunities available to the public, assisting with the inflations, being a part of a chase crew or taking a tethered ride in a balloon. There will be approximately 20 balloons flying locally.