Bushwhacker Days to take off with high-flying fun

By Rusty Murry

Nevada Daily Mail

The sky is the limit during this year's Bushwhacker Days.

Bushwhacker Days 2005 will once again feature hot air balloons launching from the Nevada Airport at 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., on Saturday, June 18, and at 6 a.m., Sunday, June 19. In addition to this high-flying aerial event, Preston Aviation will provide a helicopter extravaganza at the Vernon County fairgrounds, all day on Friday, June 17, that will offer five-minute excursion rides for a $25 fee.

Tedd Maxfield, director of the Osage Prairie YMCA, one of nearly a dozen sponsors of this event is a balloon enthusiast and has been the organizer of this event for the past three years. Last last year's event featured 10 balloons and was very popular with aviatiors and spectators. In fact, the number of balloonists wanting to participate this year was much higher than the 12 accepted. Maxfield has been ballooning every three to four weeks for the past four-and-a-half years and will try to make that weekly once he is certified as a balloonist.

The colorful show of the balloon launch is popular with the crowd also.

"Any time we have a launch, a lot of people show up to watch,"Maxfield said. More people tend to turn out for the evening launch, but mornings are also good. The heat of the day would prevent spectators from showing up for a midday launch, but that's OK, because "during the morning and sunset, the winds are the most favorable," said Maxfield.

Unlike Preston Aviation's helicopter service, there will not be any rides.

Preston Aviation, based in Sparta, Mo., provides a range of services to the lakes area that includes tours, flight training, photography and law enforcement assistance. Pilot and owner Jason Preston has logged more than 400 hours in the Robinson R-44 helicopter he will be using here. The rides will begin about 2 p.m., Friday, and continue until there are no more riders.

Passengers are free to take a camera and Preston said, "We can conform our ride to whatever people want to do."