1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:04,091 --> 00:00:05,962 [AIR HISSING] 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:09,444 --> 00:00:11,446 -[INDISTINCT CHATTER] -[DISTANT OWL HOOTING] 5 00:00:25,112 --> 00:00:28,071 Okay, this determines if we pull out or not. 6 00:00:38,821 --> 00:00:40,170 You can make that work. 7 00:00:42,085 --> 00:00:44,305 -But stay below the tree line. -It's not in a hurry. 8 00:00:45,784 --> 00:00:47,264 Seen it go much faster. 9 00:00:50,659 --> 00:00:51,703 Okay, go ahead. 10 00:00:53,792 --> 00:00:56,360 CHANTAL: From the year I was born, I was flying. 11 00:00:56,404 --> 00:00:58,362 I don't remember my first steps 12 00:00:58,406 --> 00:01:01,061 or the first words that came out of my mouth, 13 00:01:01,104 --> 00:01:03,889 but I do remember looking through a tiny peep hole 14 00:01:03,933 --> 00:01:07,763 of a large wicker basket with the entire world beneath my feet. 15 00:01:07,806 --> 00:01:10,809 BILL COSTEN: If you had told me when I was a little boy 16 00:01:10,853 --> 00:01:13,116 that I would be a hot-air balloon pilot, 17 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,205 I would've thought you were crazy. 18 00:01:15,249 --> 00:01:18,904 CHANTAL: As a pilot's kid, I've learned so many lessons, 19 00:01:18,948 --> 00:01:21,733 and each one has profoundly shaped my life. 20 00:01:24,562 --> 00:01:26,825 JARRELL COSTEN: You have to have ice in your veins. 21 00:01:26,869 --> 00:01:28,566 You have to be fearless. 22 00:01:28,610 --> 00:01:31,656 You have to trust your instincts. 23 00:01:31,700 --> 00:01:34,137 You have to think quickly on your feet. 24 00:01:34,181 --> 00:01:35,573 Make things up as you go, 25 00:01:35,617 --> 00:01:37,880 because literally the wind is changing 26 00:01:37,923 --> 00:01:39,316 every second you're up there. 27 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,057 You want to bend your knees a little bit. 28 00:01:41,101 --> 00:01:42,841 WOMAN: Okay. 29 00:01:42,885 --> 00:01:44,582 -Might hit a little hard. -MAN: Now come up and kiss the basket. 30 00:01:48,586 --> 00:01:50,675 MAN 2: Why would anyone want to get in that little basket, 31 00:01:50,719 --> 00:01:53,069 and put a balloon on the top of it and go up in the air? 32 00:01:53,113 --> 00:01:55,680 I don't like big commercial planes, 33 00:01:55,724 --> 00:01:58,074 and I'm gonna get in a little four-foot basket 34 00:01:58,118 --> 00:01:59,684 and go up in the air. No, that's a no no. 35 00:01:59,728 --> 00:02:01,033 Bye! 36 00:02:01,077 --> 00:02:03,035 CHANTAL: My dad has always seemed to be 37 00:02:03,079 --> 00:02:04,820 searching for something 38 00:02:04,863 --> 00:02:06,952 and what he was searching for, 39 00:02:06,996 --> 00:02:08,606 he found in the sky. 40 00:02:10,434 --> 00:02:13,698 WOMAN: If you look around at the other balloons and the crews, 41 00:02:13,742 --> 00:02:15,961 you don't see people of color. 42 00:02:16,005 --> 00:02:19,139 I told Bill, the only color that mattered to me was green. 43 00:02:19,182 --> 00:02:20,357 [LAUGHING] 44 00:02:21,576 --> 00:02:24,666 And we laughed. Big hug. 45 00:02:24,709 --> 00:02:27,756 And that's true. I feel that way today. 46 00:02:29,105 --> 00:02:31,281 We came down like we were parachuting. 47 00:02:31,325 --> 00:02:33,936 MAN: We hit the ground, we dragged 15 or 20 yards 48 00:02:33,979 --> 00:02:36,286 and my heart's pumping. I just loved this. 49 00:02:36,330 --> 00:02:37,940 I thought that's the way it was supposed to run 50 00:02:37,983 --> 00:02:39,768 until my friend Keith came across the field and said, 51 00:02:39,811 --> 00:02:42,118 "Everybody okay? That was quite a crash." 52 00:02:42,162 --> 00:02:45,600 I mean, crash? If that's a crash, I'll do this again. 53 00:02:45,643 --> 00:02:49,952 -We arrived alive. -ALL: Alive! 54 00:02:49,995 --> 00:02:54,043 There's no reason I should be sitting here today in a balloon. 55 00:02:56,872 --> 00:02:58,569 WOMAN 1: This is the reason. WOMAN 2: That's right. 56 00:02:58,613 --> 00:03:01,442 WOMAN 1: Because all of these other friendships 57 00:03:01,485 --> 00:03:02,965 would not have happened. 58 00:03:03,008 --> 00:03:05,402 This became the nucleus, 59 00:03:05,446 --> 00:03:07,187 one that just spread. 60 00:03:07,230 --> 00:03:10,451 And that was God's plan in terms of spreading the friendship 61 00:03:10,494 --> 00:03:12,931 -and the connection of camaraderie. -MAN: Right. 62 00:03:23,159 --> 00:03:26,989 JARRELL: My first flight was when I was nine days old. 63 00:03:27,032 --> 00:03:31,646 Um, I was literally out of the hospital, 64 00:03:31,689 --> 00:03:36,172 nine days later, in a balloon basket and flying. 65 00:03:43,745 --> 00:03:48,706 Being up in the sky, and it's nothing but you 66 00:03:48,750 --> 00:03:51,056 a basket and an envelope, 67 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:54,103 to me, that's the definition of freedom. 68 00:03:57,149 --> 00:03:58,542 Yeah, we're right on time. 69 00:03:58,586 --> 00:04:03,243 We gotta go pick up Al and Bev. [CLEARS THROAT] 70 00:04:03,286 --> 00:04:06,158 Tony and Laura, they probably will be leaving 71 00:04:06,202 --> 00:04:09,161 about five or six o'clock. 72 00:04:12,339 --> 00:04:15,429 Which type of places, which state park... 73 00:04:15,472 --> 00:04:17,300 Heard a couple of people talking about 74 00:04:17,344 --> 00:04:20,608 how beautiful it was to fly in the gorge. 75 00:04:20,651 --> 00:04:27,963 The gorge is actually the Grand Canyon on the East Coast. 76 00:04:28,006 --> 00:04:31,749 So the object of flying up there 77 00:04:31,793 --> 00:04:35,536 is taking off from the little park, 78 00:04:35,579 --> 00:04:37,755 flying right across the street, 79 00:04:37,799 --> 00:04:41,803 and then dropping 900 feet down into the gorge, 80 00:04:41,846 --> 00:04:45,676 right by the river, way down below. 81 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,637 JARRELL: Are there festivities up there at the race? 82 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:54,119 Not really. This is more of a private party. 83 00:04:54,163 --> 00:04:56,818 We got about 30 balloons coming. 84 00:04:56,861 --> 00:04:59,037 And we just get together and fun fly. 85 00:05:03,085 --> 00:05:06,610 I've been flying with Bill for about 28 years. 86 00:05:06,654 --> 00:05:08,960 Every weekend, we'd be coming home 87 00:05:09,004 --> 00:05:10,875 and we'd see a balloon in the distance 88 00:05:10,919 --> 00:05:13,182 and we'd try to be there when it landed, 89 00:05:13,225 --> 00:05:15,053 and most of the time we did. 90 00:05:15,097 --> 00:05:16,751 Most of the time it was Bill. 91 00:05:16,794 --> 00:05:19,797 And then we asked him if we could help, and he said, "Sure." 92 00:05:19,841 --> 00:05:22,496 So, we helped him one time. 93 00:05:22,539 --> 00:05:25,107 And then a couple of days later, we saw him land again. 94 00:05:25,150 --> 00:05:26,891 So we helped him again. 95 00:05:26,935 --> 00:05:29,372 Okay, let's see what we got. 96 00:05:29,416 --> 00:05:31,679 Oh, let's just through... 97 00:05:33,245 --> 00:05:36,074 -Oh my... -Oh, my God. 98 00:05:36,118 --> 00:05:39,077 -Sure you don't want us to take our car? -No. 99 00:05:39,121 --> 00:05:41,123 One day he just turned to us and said, 100 00:05:41,166 --> 00:05:42,733 "Wouldn't you like to be on the crew?" 101 00:05:42,777 --> 00:05:44,866 And we didn't know what to do and he says, 102 00:05:44,909 --> 00:05:47,259 "Do exactly what you're doing now." 103 00:05:47,303 --> 00:05:51,699 BILL: Good morning. Balloon 91517. 104 00:05:51,742 --> 00:05:54,615 I'd like to get a weather briefing in the Bradley area 105 00:05:54,658 --> 00:05:57,095 between now and 10 o'clock 106 00:05:57,139 --> 00:06:01,186 and he winds at 3,000 and 6,000 feet. 107 00:06:01,230 --> 00:06:03,101 KEITH HERBERT: Let's see, we've been flying with Bill, 108 00:06:03,145 --> 00:06:07,976 um, I stopped counting... just like birthdays. 109 00:06:08,019 --> 00:06:10,805 I want to say 30 years. 110 00:06:10,848 --> 00:06:12,937 I'm one of his oldest crew members. 111 00:06:12,981 --> 00:06:15,157 When you find a good family 112 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,638 and good team and good people, 113 00:06:17,681 --> 00:06:19,204 you stick with it. 114 00:06:22,773 --> 00:06:24,906 I was selfish, naturally. 115 00:06:26,081 --> 00:06:27,691 Finding a balloon team, 116 00:06:27,735 --> 00:06:31,129 when it became a mission 117 00:06:31,173 --> 00:06:32,522 and I looked over and said, 118 00:06:32,566 --> 00:06:36,439 "Huh, here's an all-female crew with Bill." 119 00:06:36,483 --> 00:06:38,136 This seems like a good crew to be with. 120 00:06:38,180 --> 00:06:41,357 I think I'll start with this one, and I never left. 121 00:06:41,401 --> 00:06:42,924 ALFRED: Bill is one of a kind. 122 00:06:42,967 --> 00:06:45,535 When we met him, I mean, 123 00:06:45,579 --> 00:06:47,972 he's 6' 6" or 6' 3", whatever it is, 124 00:06:48,016 --> 00:06:50,235 and I'm 5 feet 125 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,629 and he wraps his big arms around me 126 00:06:52,673 --> 00:06:55,023 and gives me a hug and that's it. 127 00:06:55,066 --> 00:06:56,590 You know, it sets it all off. 128 00:06:56,633 --> 00:06:58,809 And Bill's always been good to us. 129 00:06:58,853 --> 00:07:00,463 We're part of the family, I believe. 130 00:07:04,598 --> 00:07:07,557 KEITH: Lot of traveling, lot of races. 131 00:07:07,601 --> 00:07:11,605 It was a great wholesome family experience. 132 00:07:11,648 --> 00:07:13,607 And it started off selfish. 133 00:07:13,650 --> 00:07:16,131 It was all about me at the time, 134 00:07:16,174 --> 00:07:17,959 but then it grew into a family 135 00:07:18,002 --> 00:07:20,135 and here was a great thing to take your kids 136 00:07:20,178 --> 00:07:22,180 and build family experiences 137 00:07:22,224 --> 00:07:25,662 and family ties and really good... 138 00:07:25,706 --> 00:07:27,534 Build a lot of memories, 139 00:07:27,577 --> 00:07:30,885 and it makes your relationship with our children 140 00:07:30,928 --> 00:07:32,495 all the better in the long run, 141 00:07:32,539 --> 00:07:33,844 now that they're adults. 142 00:07:33,888 --> 00:07:37,282 I have been crewing with Bill for 13 years now. 143 00:07:38,414 --> 00:07:41,722 Tony's mom, Jean Russotto, 144 00:07:41,765 --> 00:07:44,855 was one of Bill's original crew members. 145 00:07:44,899 --> 00:07:47,510 Tony was about 10 years old at that time 146 00:07:47,554 --> 00:07:50,078 and came out with her 147 00:07:50,121 --> 00:07:51,514 to some festivals. 148 00:07:51,558 --> 00:07:53,777 And so he had his first flight 149 00:07:54,517 --> 00:07:56,301 way back when with Bill. 150 00:07:56,345 --> 00:07:58,565 [BURNERS HISSING] 151 00:07:58,608 --> 00:08:00,958 -[WHOOPING] -WOMAN: Oh, my God! 152 00:08:01,002 --> 00:08:02,612 [WOMEN SQUEALING] 153 00:08:03,526 --> 00:08:04,962 MAN: You are lighter than air. 154 00:08:05,006 --> 00:08:08,618 One thing our crew will do is when you take off, 155 00:08:08,662 --> 00:08:11,578 they just follow the major roads 156 00:08:11,621 --> 00:08:14,102 in the path of which you're going. 157 00:08:14,145 --> 00:08:17,540 So once you land, you're able to pack up 158 00:08:17,584 --> 00:08:21,109 and drive back to the original starting point. 159 00:08:24,547 --> 00:08:26,201 ALFRED: He's got more speed than I thought. 160 00:08:26,244 --> 00:08:28,812 He's starting to pick up a tiny bit. 161 00:08:28,856 --> 00:08:31,554 The flow is starting in the valley a tiny bit. 162 00:08:31,598 --> 00:08:33,730 Got a little more air movement. 163 00:08:33,774 --> 00:08:37,429 Um, because, normally, he always beats me here 164 00:08:37,473 --> 00:08:39,649 to do all that driving we just did. 165 00:08:40,650 --> 00:08:41,738 BEVERLY: Look at him go. 166 00:08:41,782 --> 00:08:45,046 Yeah, he, um, he stayed on the deck 167 00:08:45,089 --> 00:08:47,048 and milked it for everything he'd get, 168 00:08:47,091 --> 00:08:50,225 to keep from flying out of the area. 169 00:08:50,268 --> 00:08:52,923 I can look at a balloon from the ground 170 00:08:52,967 --> 00:08:57,362 and know exactly what the pilot is doing in the air. 171 00:08:57,406 --> 00:09:01,018 So I'm very, very good at chasing a balloon down. 172 00:09:01,062 --> 00:09:04,674 And just by a glance, just by the pattern of the burns, 173 00:09:04,718 --> 00:09:06,763 and how fast is he burning, 174 00:09:06,807 --> 00:09:08,678 how long is he burning, 175 00:09:08,722 --> 00:09:10,506 it will tell me if he's climbing, 176 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:14,075 he's falling, and I know the terrain so well. 177 00:09:14,118 --> 00:09:17,513 I know downwind, where he sees 178 00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:19,689 and what he's trying to find. 179 00:09:19,733 --> 00:09:22,474 So, you know, that was part of the challenge too, 180 00:09:22,518 --> 00:09:25,129 was chasing. It's pretty interesting to chase down a balloon 181 00:09:25,173 --> 00:09:27,436 and be there before it lands. 182 00:09:27,479 --> 00:09:29,090 I get to go play in the morning 183 00:09:29,133 --> 00:09:30,831 when nobody else in my house is interested 184 00:09:30,874 --> 00:09:32,528 in getting out of bed. 185 00:09:32,572 --> 00:09:34,965 So you go and have a great time 186 00:09:35,009 --> 00:09:36,576 and to be wherever you wanna be, 187 00:09:36,619 --> 00:09:38,795 most of the year, by 7:30 in the morning, 188 00:09:38,839 --> 00:09:40,623 working back and cooking breakfast, 189 00:09:40,667 --> 00:09:42,190 whatever needs to be done. 190 00:09:42,233 --> 00:09:45,280 I'm a teacher and people that I work with think I'm nuts 191 00:09:45,323 --> 00:09:47,456 to get up at four o'clock in the morning 192 00:09:47,499 --> 00:09:50,198 on my days off to come out and do this, 193 00:09:50,241 --> 00:09:52,853 and my response to them always is, 194 00:09:52,896 --> 00:09:55,290 "I get to see the sunrise. 195 00:09:55,333 --> 00:09:58,554 "We meet new people all the time, 196 00:09:58,598 --> 00:10:01,209 "who are many times out for their first flight, 197 00:10:01,252 --> 00:10:03,559 "and we always have a lot of fun together. 198 00:10:03,603 --> 00:10:05,735 "And it's an adventure every time." 199 00:10:05,779 --> 00:10:08,956 -Okay, get in here. -Okay, wait on the basket. 200 00:10:08,999 --> 00:10:12,916 I've been flying with Bill since about 1986, I believe. 201 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,179 My first flight was with a cousin of mine 202 00:10:15,223 --> 00:10:18,443 who wanted to go for a balloon ride. 203 00:10:18,487 --> 00:10:21,708 And I found a way to get a hold of him. 204 00:10:21,751 --> 00:10:23,753 And been doing it ever since. 205 00:10:25,799 --> 00:10:28,671 I like being up high, looking down on things, 206 00:10:28,715 --> 00:10:30,673 and this is a great way to do it. 207 00:10:30,717 --> 00:10:32,893 You have time to focus on things. 208 00:10:32,936 --> 00:10:34,590 On a plane, you're passing over real quick, 209 00:10:34,634 --> 00:10:37,898 and you don't get to really see what's down there. 210 00:10:37,941 --> 00:10:39,290 Which in a balloon you can do, 211 00:10:39,334 --> 00:10:42,250 and you don't have the frosty window between you 212 00:10:42,293 --> 00:10:44,556 and the outside as well. 213 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:46,950 Are we out of the way of the golfers? 214 00:10:46,994 --> 00:10:50,737 LAURA: When I started crewing with Bill 13 years ago, 215 00:10:50,780 --> 00:10:54,436 he could be calling me seven days a week. 216 00:10:54,479 --> 00:10:57,265 And there were some times that that had happened 217 00:10:57,308 --> 00:10:58,745 and I loved every minute of it. 218 00:10:58,788 --> 00:11:00,094 Hold up at the top. 219 00:11:00,877 --> 00:11:02,357 One leg all the way over. 220 00:11:04,141 --> 00:11:05,665 All the way over. Sit down. 221 00:11:08,102 --> 00:11:09,320 Slide off. 222 00:11:10,626 --> 00:11:13,411 Okay. I need you to grab this rope. 223 00:11:13,455 --> 00:11:15,022 LAURA: There are many of us that are loyal 224 00:11:15,065 --> 00:11:17,589 and have devoted a lot of time and effort 225 00:11:17,633 --> 00:11:19,766 and we do it because we enjoy it. 226 00:11:19,809 --> 00:11:22,725 -WOMAN: It really wasn't scary. -[OVERLAPPING CHATTER] 227 00:11:22,769 --> 00:11:26,033 It was very quiet, very peaceful. 228 00:11:26,076 --> 00:11:29,166 We were up there saying this is what heaven must be like. 229 00:11:29,210 --> 00:11:31,473 Everything I've tried in my life 230 00:11:31,516 --> 00:11:36,173 was something less done by the masses. 231 00:11:36,217 --> 00:11:40,047 And that truly has made the difference in my life. 232 00:11:42,876 --> 00:11:45,356 Being an entrepreneur is probably 233 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,837 the greatest thing you can do, 234 00:11:47,881 --> 00:11:49,970 because you're doing your passion. 235 00:11:50,013 --> 00:11:53,974 I've always said, "Find something you love, 236 00:11:54,017 --> 00:11:57,673 "go in head over heels and make it work." 237 00:11:57,717 --> 00:11:59,719 [CHURCH CHOIR SINGING] 238 00:12:03,723 --> 00:12:06,029 BILL: The dynamic in my family when I was growing up 239 00:12:06,073 --> 00:12:09,511 was a very close, lovable family. 240 00:12:09,554 --> 00:12:12,166 I really respected my father. 241 00:12:12,209 --> 00:12:14,734 He was the pillar of our family totally. 242 00:12:16,344 --> 00:12:18,172 [CHOIR SINGING] 243 00:12:20,391 --> 00:12:24,091 BILL: My mother was very strong. She was very lovable. 244 00:12:27,050 --> 00:12:29,618 WILLIAM: Omaha, Nebraska, is where I was born. 245 00:12:29,661 --> 00:12:35,015 And this is when I'd met my girlfriend and we got married. 246 00:12:36,451 --> 00:12:40,498 I met Dolores on 24th Street. 247 00:12:42,152 --> 00:12:44,981 I said, "Ooh, boy, look at this beautiful girl here." 248 00:12:46,026 --> 00:12:48,376 And I got interested. 249 00:12:48,419 --> 00:12:51,292 And we made conversation 250 00:12:52,859 --> 00:12:54,382 and it went on from there. 251 00:12:56,297 --> 00:12:57,385 She was everything. 252 00:12:58,603 --> 00:13:02,433 Uh, when you say she swept me off my feet, 253 00:13:03,739 --> 00:13:07,003 and, uh, I don't know, 254 00:13:07,047 --> 00:13:09,963 we just struck it off right at get go. 255 00:13:12,008 --> 00:13:15,490 And we had our first son, Billy. 256 00:13:15,533 --> 00:13:18,319 That was a big delight. 257 00:13:18,362 --> 00:13:22,845 Then came Carmen, another big delight. 258 00:13:22,889 --> 00:13:24,499 Then came Stephen, 259 00:13:25,543 --> 00:13:29,286 and then Little Bud in the rain. 260 00:13:29,330 --> 00:13:31,158 This is where we used to live. 261 00:13:32,159 --> 00:13:35,118 41-11, and boy, is it over here. 262 00:13:36,946 --> 00:13:38,861 Still got that chicken wire up. 263 00:13:38,905 --> 00:13:40,645 -For the pheasant. -Yeah. 264 00:13:40,689 --> 00:13:41,864 [CHUCKLING] 265 00:13:44,171 --> 00:13:47,391 BILL: We stayed in the first house that I lived in 266 00:13:47,435 --> 00:13:51,221 until about sixth, seventh grade. 267 00:13:51,265 --> 00:13:54,181 It was a little, quiet neighborhood. 268 00:13:54,224 --> 00:13:56,836 A lot of people over the years have asked me, 269 00:13:56,879 --> 00:13:59,447 you know, "Are there any Blacks in Omaha?" 270 00:13:59,490 --> 00:14:02,276 and actually, there were a lot of Blacks in Omaha. 271 00:14:02,319 --> 00:14:07,716 Uh, I went to an all-Black school up until high school. 272 00:14:07,759 --> 00:14:11,459 Quiet town, didn't have to lock your doors. 273 00:14:11,502 --> 00:14:13,461 You could go anywhere you wanted to 274 00:14:13,504 --> 00:14:15,028 and leave your door open, 275 00:14:15,767 --> 00:14:16,899 your windows open. 276 00:14:16,943 --> 00:14:19,815 At nights, it would get so hot. 277 00:14:19,859 --> 00:14:23,906 A lot of the time we walked down to Carter Lake. 278 00:14:25,386 --> 00:14:28,955 And we'd see a million other families 279 00:14:28,998 --> 00:14:31,174 down there at Carter Lake. 280 00:14:31,218 --> 00:14:33,916 All the families in the neighborhood 281 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,266 took care of the other families. 282 00:14:36,310 --> 00:14:38,790 If you did anything wrong, you'd got whippings 283 00:14:38,834 --> 00:14:43,099 based on one of the neighbors telling on you. 284 00:14:43,143 --> 00:14:45,797 We were all strict on each other, 285 00:14:46,363 --> 00:14:48,713 I believed in 286 00:14:48,757 --> 00:14:52,456 if they were doing something, you take care of them. 287 00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:56,504 And don't say, "Wait till your daddy gets home." 288 00:14:56,547 --> 00:14:58,462 You take care of them then. 289 00:14:58,506 --> 00:15:01,335 If I see him, I'm going to take care of him automatically. 290 00:15:02,814 --> 00:15:04,729 And that's the way we managed things. 291 00:15:07,907 --> 00:15:10,692 CARMEN MILLER: My mother, she used to work at the phone company 292 00:15:10,735 --> 00:15:14,391 and she got sick during the middle of the week. 293 00:15:14,435 --> 00:15:17,046 She had to go to the hospital, 294 00:15:17,090 --> 00:15:20,310 and I remember they got us a rabbit. 295 00:15:20,354 --> 00:15:22,399 We had a rabbit that day, 296 00:15:22,443 --> 00:15:25,011 and we all piled in a car 297 00:15:25,054 --> 00:15:27,970 because we was gonna go to Aunt Shirley's house 298 00:15:28,014 --> 00:15:30,755 because Daddy had to take her to the hospital. 299 00:15:30,799 --> 00:15:33,889 And we was all in the car, 300 00:15:33,933 --> 00:15:39,503 and Stevie, Lorraine, Billy, me, was sitting in the back seat 301 00:15:39,547 --> 00:15:43,420 and she turned around and she kept staring at us. 302 00:15:43,464 --> 00:15:45,596 She just kept staring at us. And I kept saying, 303 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:47,685 "Why is she staring at us like that?" 304 00:15:47,729 --> 00:15:50,123 I said, "Why is she staring at us like that?" 305 00:15:50,166 --> 00:15:52,952 I think she knew that was gonna be the last time 306 00:15:52,995 --> 00:15:54,388 she would see us. 307 00:15:57,043 --> 00:15:59,915 Shirley took us back home. 308 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:03,701 So I went upstairs waiting for her to come home 309 00:16:03,745 --> 00:16:05,660 because I just thought she was coming home 310 00:16:05,703 --> 00:16:08,663 and I waited and I waited and then all of a sudden, 311 00:16:08,706 --> 00:16:11,318 Daddy came home and he had Mama's coat. 312 00:16:11,361 --> 00:16:13,885 And I said, "What's he doing with Mama's coat? 313 00:16:13,929 --> 00:16:15,539 "I don't see Mama." 314 00:16:15,583 --> 00:16:19,065 And Daddy came upstairs and he says, 315 00:16:19,108 --> 00:16:21,589 "Carmen, you gotta be a big girl now, 316 00:16:21,632 --> 00:16:26,637 "because, um, you're gonna have to take over everything 317 00:16:26,681 --> 00:16:29,075 "and everything," he said, "Because your mother, 318 00:16:29,118 --> 00:16:32,121 "your mother's passed away," or whatever. 319 00:16:32,165 --> 00:16:34,906 And I started boo-hooing, boo-hooing 320 00:16:34,950 --> 00:16:37,387 I was seven going on eight. 321 00:16:37,431 --> 00:16:39,737 Lorraine was about two. 322 00:16:39,781 --> 00:16:42,088 She was one going on two. 323 00:16:42,131 --> 00:16:44,220 I think Stevie was about three. 324 00:16:44,264 --> 00:16:46,918 So that makes Billy about... 325 00:16:46,962 --> 00:16:49,617 I guess he was about nine going on 10. 326 00:16:53,969 --> 00:16:57,625 BILL: I don't remember anything with my mom. 327 00:16:57,668 --> 00:17:01,237 That's strange. I can't explain it or anything. 328 00:17:01,281 --> 00:17:05,459 When my mom died, I took it very, very, very hard. 329 00:17:05,502 --> 00:17:09,289 I think somehow I lost memory of her. 330 00:17:09,332 --> 00:17:13,771 'Cause I can't even remember sitting on her lap or homework. 331 00:17:13,815 --> 00:17:17,079 I don't remember anything about my mom. 332 00:17:17,123 --> 00:17:19,299 There was a period of time after that in school, 333 00:17:19,342 --> 00:17:22,389 I always used to look up in the clouds 334 00:17:22,432 --> 00:17:25,653 and visualize, you know, 335 00:17:25,696 --> 00:17:28,525 that my mom was up there with God. 336 00:17:28,569 --> 00:17:29,744 And I was just telling a guy, 337 00:17:29,787 --> 00:17:31,833 I said, "See those clouds up there?" 338 00:17:31,876 --> 00:17:33,226 I said, "I can go up higher 339 00:17:33,269 --> 00:17:36,185 "than those clouds tomorrow morning if I want, 340 00:17:36,229 --> 00:17:40,668 "I can just go up in the sky, fly like a bird." 341 00:17:50,243 --> 00:17:51,896 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 342 00:17:51,940 --> 00:17:53,028 Hey, Gary. How are you? 343 00:17:53,072 --> 00:17:54,986 Hey, Bill. Good to see you, man. 344 00:17:55,030 --> 00:17:56,510 [CHATTER CONTINUES] 345 00:18:16,530 --> 00:18:17,879 Brought my boots. 346 00:18:17,922 --> 00:18:19,968 Okay, it's one step in the right direction. 347 00:18:20,011 --> 00:18:22,536 -Kneepads? -Kneepads, yeah. 348 00:18:22,579 --> 00:18:24,103 Kneepads, helmets. 349 00:18:26,627 --> 00:18:28,498 Weather does not look good for the weekend. 350 00:18:28,542 --> 00:18:31,501 Um... I think we got a shot tomorrow night. 351 00:18:31,545 --> 00:18:34,287 [CLEARS THROAT] We got a shot for Sunday, 352 00:18:34,330 --> 00:18:36,419 but it's kind of iffy all the way around 353 00:18:36,463 --> 00:18:37,986 and it's the kind of stuff that you probably won't know 354 00:18:38,029 --> 00:18:39,770 until a couple of hours beforehand. 355 00:18:39,814 --> 00:18:42,686 Um, right now, there's a front that's going all the way 356 00:18:42,730 --> 00:18:43,861 from the Panhandle of Florida 357 00:18:43,905 --> 00:18:45,689 all the way up to Caribou, Maine. 358 00:18:45,733 --> 00:18:50,477 Bill, as a pilot, I think he's been flying 35 almost 40 years now. 359 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:54,481 And I have never had a problem flying with him. 360 00:18:54,524 --> 00:18:57,179 When he says it's too windy to fly, 361 00:18:57,223 --> 00:18:59,355 his judgment is always right. 362 00:19:02,967 --> 00:19:05,274 -How you doing? -What's the scoop? 363 00:19:05,318 --> 00:19:07,842 -Rain. -No go? 364 00:19:09,017 --> 00:19:10,975 Probably not. 365 00:19:11,019 --> 00:19:13,848 Maybe one or two might take off. 366 00:19:14,675 --> 00:19:16,155 Most of them won't. 367 00:19:17,156 --> 00:19:19,506 Unless it clears up real quick. 368 00:19:19,549 --> 00:19:21,551 -Radar don't look good? -Uh-huh. 369 00:19:23,162 --> 00:19:25,555 Getting depressing. I don't know about you guys, but... 370 00:19:25,599 --> 00:19:27,166 [LAUGHING] 371 00:19:27,209 --> 00:19:28,428 WOMAN: We came from Connecticut. 372 00:19:28,471 --> 00:19:30,647 -How depressed could that be? -Oh, yeah! 373 00:19:30,691 --> 00:19:33,824 BILL: Over the years, going to different balloon festivals, 374 00:19:33,868 --> 00:19:36,392 everything is based on weather. 375 00:19:36,436 --> 00:19:39,569 Usually, we have four opportunities to fly, 376 00:19:39,613 --> 00:19:41,528 usually four or five. 377 00:19:41,571 --> 00:19:43,921 Usually it's Friday night, Saturday morning, 378 00:19:43,965 --> 00:19:46,446 Saturday night, Sunday morning. 379 00:19:46,489 --> 00:19:50,580 So out of the four chances that we get, 380 00:19:50,624 --> 00:19:54,323 we're always hopeful that we can get all four in. 381 00:19:54,367 --> 00:19:58,458 But we knew the Friday of Letchworth, 382 00:19:58,501 --> 00:20:02,897 we knew that the weather was gonna be iffy the whole week. 383 00:20:02,940 --> 00:20:05,421 You still see that high ball, sir? 384 00:20:05,465 --> 00:20:08,859 They went down over on the other side of the trees. 385 00:20:08,903 --> 00:20:11,732 MAN: High ball. Just a little party balloon, 386 00:20:11,775 --> 00:20:13,255 filled with a little helium. 387 00:20:13,299 --> 00:20:15,388 Release it, and as it goes up, 388 00:20:15,431 --> 00:20:17,564 you'll see it do different things. 389 00:20:17,607 --> 00:20:20,219 If it's less erratic, and if it's a good direction, 390 00:20:20,262 --> 00:20:23,570 then you make decision to fly. 391 00:20:23,613 --> 00:20:27,051 ALFRED: We'll sit on the ground and watch other pilots fly. 392 00:20:27,095 --> 00:20:29,576 He's always very cautious and safe. 393 00:20:29,619 --> 00:20:31,926 So when he says it's my turn to fly, 394 00:20:31,969 --> 00:20:35,886 I jump at the chance because I know I'm in good hands. 395 00:20:35,930 --> 00:20:37,758 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 396 00:20:40,064 --> 00:20:42,763 He's looking after the safety of his passengers. 397 00:20:42,806 --> 00:20:45,113 The 28 years that I've been flying with him, 398 00:20:45,156 --> 00:20:47,768 we've always, always had a safe landing. 399 00:20:47,811 --> 00:20:51,032 Some landings were a little bit riskier than others, 400 00:20:51,075 --> 00:20:52,425 but we always had a safely landing. 401 00:20:52,468 --> 00:20:54,818 And everybody walked away. 402 00:20:54,862 --> 00:20:57,865 So how did that kid do in the chair that went out? 403 00:20:57,908 --> 00:20:59,432 -You don't know? -We don't know yet. 404 00:20:59,475 --> 00:21:02,696 -We had some night shots. -I saw him when he came back up 405 00:21:02,739 --> 00:21:04,611 and that's it. I ain't seen him. 406 00:21:04,654 --> 00:21:05,916 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 407 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,441 He'll be a hero. We'll see it on the news. 408 00:21:08,484 --> 00:21:11,139 -Did you get any footage of him? -No. 409 00:21:11,182 --> 00:21:14,621 You know, I was running my mouth and forgot. 410 00:21:14,664 --> 00:21:17,450 -So I went over there... -Stand up landing. 411 00:21:17,493 --> 00:21:18,929 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 412 00:21:18,973 --> 00:21:21,105 But he was handicapped already, I believe, ain't he? 413 00:21:21,149 --> 00:21:22,324 Yeah. Mm-hmm. 414 00:21:22,368 --> 00:21:24,631 [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY] 415 00:21:24,674 --> 00:21:26,720 Doing what he doing now, right? 416 00:21:26,763 --> 00:21:28,330 -No? -ALFRED: Kind of. 417 00:21:28,374 --> 00:21:29,810 He was in Albuquerque. 418 00:21:29,853 --> 00:21:32,378 Him and another pilot were flying. 419 00:21:32,421 --> 00:21:35,250 And wind picked up and they went into power lines 420 00:21:35,294 --> 00:21:37,513 and it cut the balloon right from the basket, 421 00:21:37,557 --> 00:21:42,039 right from the balloon and came down, the other pilot got killed, 422 00:21:42,083 --> 00:21:43,998 and he broke almost every bone in his body. 423 00:21:44,041 --> 00:21:45,652 That's why he's handicapped. 424 00:21:45,695 --> 00:21:48,698 -Oh, he haven't gave it up though. -No. 425 00:21:49,873 --> 00:21:51,527 He cheated it once. 426 00:21:51,571 --> 00:21:53,964 You never know where you're gonna go, what you're gonna do. 427 00:21:54,008 --> 00:21:55,836 We've come out to the field 428 00:21:55,879 --> 00:21:58,621 and it will be a little windy and so we can't fly. 429 00:21:58,665 --> 00:22:01,189 Uh, the next time we'll look at it, 430 00:22:01,232 --> 00:22:03,626 and if it's not windy, and we will fly. 431 00:22:03,670 --> 00:22:05,411 And then, once you get in the air, 432 00:22:05,454 --> 00:22:07,978 it's a little bit windier than you thought. 433 00:22:09,850 --> 00:22:13,506 I have seen many miracles 434 00:22:13,549 --> 00:22:16,465 while I was flying in the balloon, 435 00:22:16,509 --> 00:22:19,076 and that's nothing but God. 436 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:22,863 I know some pilots think it's their ability, 437 00:22:22,906 --> 00:22:25,126 but that is totally God. 438 00:22:27,258 --> 00:22:31,654 And if I'm landing fast, I just ski, literally. 439 00:22:32,873 --> 00:22:34,396 I would not recommend somebody 440 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,703 with this real small and frail bones 441 00:22:36,746 --> 00:22:38,444 to land that in a fast landing. 442 00:22:38,487 --> 00:22:40,924 -WOMAN: Mm-hmm. -I wouldn't... I just wouldn't fly, 443 00:22:40,968 --> 00:22:43,231 but I've landed at 22 miles an hour. 444 00:22:43,274 --> 00:22:45,451 WOMAN: Okay. [LAUGHING] MAN: It's fun. 445 00:22:45,494 --> 00:22:46,669 It's fun. 446 00:22:46,713 --> 00:22:48,410 -WOMAN: Yeah. -How was your flight? 447 00:22:48,454 --> 00:22:51,282 Landed at two and a half miles an hour. 448 00:22:51,326 --> 00:22:53,023 -Way past... -How far did you end up going? 449 00:22:53,067 --> 00:22:57,245 9.7 miles, I landed way up at 408 Ridge Road. 450 00:22:57,288 --> 00:22:58,942 BILL: There's a saying in ballooning. 451 00:22:58,986 --> 00:23:02,032 "There are old pilots, there are bold pilots, 452 00:23:02,076 --> 00:23:04,818 "but there are no old, bold pilots." 453 00:23:04,861 --> 00:23:08,517 I've had my share of crash landings, 454 00:23:08,561 --> 00:23:12,739 windy landings, rainy landings. 455 00:23:12,782 --> 00:23:16,482 Over 36 years, I have seen it all. 456 00:23:16,525 --> 00:23:18,092 So I don't take any chances. 457 00:23:21,182 --> 00:23:24,403 My life in Omaha, Nebraska, when I was young 458 00:23:24,446 --> 00:23:30,234 consisted of my house, church, school, 459 00:23:30,278 --> 00:23:32,454 and my grandmother's house. 460 00:23:32,498 --> 00:23:37,633 And that was a radius of about eight or nine blocks. 461 00:23:37,677 --> 00:23:39,287 This is Hope Lutheran Church. 462 00:23:39,330 --> 00:23:41,594 This is the church that I grew up in. 463 00:23:41,637 --> 00:23:44,292 And we had a school not too far from here. 464 00:23:44,335 --> 00:23:46,250 It was called Hope Lutheran School. 465 00:23:46,294 --> 00:23:49,558 The school had two rooms. 466 00:23:49,602 --> 00:23:53,301 One classroom was kindergarten to third. 467 00:23:53,344 --> 00:23:56,304 The other classroom was four through eight, 468 00:23:56,347 --> 00:23:59,133 and then all the students actually went to this church. 469 00:23:59,176 --> 00:24:03,093 My life at that age was my family. 470 00:24:03,137 --> 00:24:06,183 You know, my cousins, we were really tight. 471 00:24:06,227 --> 00:24:08,359 We were totally outdoors. 472 00:24:08,403 --> 00:24:11,537 We'd leave the house at eight o'clock in the morning 473 00:24:11,580 --> 00:24:14,104 and get back before it got dark. 474 00:24:14,148 --> 00:24:16,063 And we were just playing all day, 475 00:24:16,106 --> 00:24:18,935 running, riding our bicycles 476 00:24:18,979 --> 00:24:23,200 and playing sports, baseball, basketball, football. 477 00:24:25,899 --> 00:24:29,555 The front door of our house was about right here. 478 00:24:29,598 --> 00:24:33,559 We had a huge lot on this side that had a lot of fruit trees, 479 00:24:33,602 --> 00:24:37,084 apple trees, pear trees. 480 00:24:37,127 --> 00:24:41,349 Then on this side of the house was a lot 481 00:24:41,392 --> 00:24:45,135 that we used to play football in and baseball in, 482 00:24:45,179 --> 00:24:48,008 and it turned out, my father said that 483 00:24:48,051 --> 00:24:51,011 the guy who lived right next door 484 00:24:51,054 --> 00:24:53,317 when he was a little boy, 485 00:24:53,361 --> 00:24:57,104 um, he saw my grandfather 486 00:24:57,147 --> 00:25:00,455 walking on that lot and said, "You can't walk on there. 487 00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:02,239 "That's private property." 488 00:25:02,283 --> 00:25:04,241 And my grandfather, he used to be 489 00:25:04,285 --> 00:25:08,768 a private car porter on the Union Pacific Railroad. 490 00:25:08,811 --> 00:25:12,423 My father said he went right down to City Hall 491 00:25:12,467 --> 00:25:14,338 and bought that lot, 492 00:25:14,382 --> 00:25:17,690 and the guy was so mad that he moved out, 493 00:25:17,733 --> 00:25:22,259 once he found out that my grandfather bought that lot. 494 00:25:22,303 --> 00:25:25,393 WILLIAM: You know, when you're away working during the day 495 00:25:25,436 --> 00:25:28,004 and then when they come home from school, 496 00:25:28,048 --> 00:25:30,877 my mother used to take care of them, 497 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,010 and then later on, I remarried. 498 00:25:35,446 --> 00:25:37,361 That was five years later. 499 00:25:38,885 --> 00:25:41,670 And, uh, I think 500 00:25:41,714 --> 00:25:44,978 they all became successful 501 00:25:45,718 --> 00:25:47,546 with their new mother. 502 00:25:51,462 --> 00:25:53,682 BILL: When I was young, 503 00:25:53,726 --> 00:25:57,860 I never wanted my father to remarry 504 00:25:57,904 --> 00:26:02,212 because I didn't think anybody could replace my mother. 505 00:26:02,256 --> 00:26:06,608 And I was always shocked at the fact that here's a woman, 506 00:26:06,652 --> 00:26:08,088 I mean, she was really classy. 507 00:26:08,131 --> 00:26:10,917 That's one thing about my stepmother. 508 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,181 She was a classy lady you ever want to see. 509 00:26:14,224 --> 00:26:18,185 Intelligent, I mean, well-read, just... 510 00:26:18,228 --> 00:26:21,144 I mean, she was a wonderful, wonderful lady. 511 00:26:21,188 --> 00:26:22,842 There's no other woman 512 00:26:22,885 --> 00:26:26,236 that could have replaced my mother like she did. 513 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,587 And my father has said so many times, 514 00:26:28,630 --> 00:26:32,591 he said, "You know, I was very lucky. 515 00:26:32,634 --> 00:26:34,984 "I had two good women. 516 00:26:35,028 --> 00:26:37,247 JOHN BEASLEY: She was my third grade teacher 517 00:26:37,291 --> 00:26:41,774 and she was a tough disciplinarian. 518 00:26:41,817 --> 00:26:43,514 I remember getting paddled 519 00:26:43,558 --> 00:26:46,213 on several occasions during that time, 520 00:26:46,256 --> 00:26:47,475 but she was a wonderful teacher 521 00:26:47,518 --> 00:26:49,912 and very much dedicated in her job also, 522 00:26:49,956 --> 00:26:54,395 and she expected nothing less than your best, 523 00:26:55,483 --> 00:26:57,833 and so you tried to give that to her. 524 00:27:00,575 --> 00:27:04,405 CALVIN WEBSTER: Growing up as kids, we always looked up to Billy 525 00:27:04,448 --> 00:27:09,149 because he was the oldest one, and big. 526 00:27:09,192 --> 00:27:11,107 So he was like our big brother. 527 00:27:11,151 --> 00:27:14,154 When they choose a baseball team 528 00:27:14,197 --> 00:27:16,591 or something like that, he was the first person taken, 529 00:27:16,635 --> 00:27:19,463 because he'd always hit home runs and stuff, you know. 530 00:27:20,813 --> 00:27:22,510 When he got in the Scouts, you know, 531 00:27:22,553 --> 00:27:23,946 he did everything right 532 00:27:23,990 --> 00:27:27,558 and was the best one at it 533 00:27:27,602 --> 00:27:29,256 because nobody was in Eagle Scouts, 534 00:27:29,299 --> 00:27:32,346 especially a Black person 535 00:27:32,389 --> 00:27:33,652 You know, I don't remember 536 00:27:33,695 --> 00:27:37,699 anybody being an Eagle Scout besides him. 537 00:27:37,743 --> 00:27:40,789 Once he got into something, and put his mind to it, 538 00:27:40,833 --> 00:27:43,313 he would usually be the best at it. 539 00:27:47,143 --> 00:27:50,146 BILL: This is Central High School where I graduated 540 00:27:50,190 --> 00:27:53,106 and back in my junior and senior year, 541 00:27:53,149 --> 00:27:55,238 I used to play football here. 542 00:27:55,282 --> 00:27:59,373 It was just no fun doing all that practice and hard work 543 00:27:59,416 --> 00:28:01,157 and then never getting into the game. 544 00:28:01,201 --> 00:28:03,333 Coach never put me into the game. 545 00:28:03,377 --> 00:28:05,988 I remember my father came to see me, 546 00:28:06,032 --> 00:28:09,078 once, to play, because he used to work nights. 547 00:28:09,122 --> 00:28:11,733 So this one time, he came to see me. 548 00:28:11,777 --> 00:28:12,952 The Coach put me in the game 549 00:28:12,995 --> 00:28:15,563 with one minute left on the clock. 550 00:28:15,606 --> 00:28:18,174 I think my total playing time 551 00:28:18,218 --> 00:28:22,352 in my junior and senior year at Central High School 552 00:28:22,396 --> 00:28:24,703 was about two minutes. 553 00:28:24,746 --> 00:28:29,620 So Central High football and me didn't get along at all. 554 00:28:29,664 --> 00:28:31,797 [BAGPIPES PLAYING] 555 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,450 [IMPERCEPTIBLE CHATTER] 556 00:28:42,938 --> 00:28:48,422 The Montgolfier brothers invented hot-air ballooning, 557 00:28:48,465 --> 00:28:51,904 which is different than gas ballooning, helium or hydrogen. 558 00:28:51,947 --> 00:28:54,167 But they invented hot-air ballooning... 559 00:28:54,210 --> 00:28:56,038 [BURNERS HISSING] 560 00:29:01,391 --> 00:29:06,440 ... in the Champagne Valley in France in the 1780's. 561 00:29:06,483 --> 00:29:09,182 On they were paper manufacturers. 562 00:29:09,225 --> 00:29:13,447 And the first hot-air balloons were predominantly made out of paper 563 00:29:13,490 --> 00:29:15,884 and women silk undergarments, 564 00:29:15,928 --> 00:29:19,279 that would fly off, cool down and then crash 565 00:29:19,322 --> 00:29:22,108 in the vineyards in the Champagne Valley. 566 00:29:22,151 --> 00:29:24,675 And the farmers would see these strange things 567 00:29:24,719 --> 00:29:25,938 landing in their vineyards. 568 00:29:25,981 --> 00:29:27,896 This is all very true. 569 00:29:27,940 --> 00:29:29,768 And they would attack the balloons 570 00:29:29,811 --> 00:29:31,944 with their pitchforks and their sickles. 571 00:29:31,987 --> 00:29:33,815 They'd destroy the balloons. 572 00:29:33,859 --> 00:29:37,427 So they started tying a bottle of champagne to the balloon. 573 00:29:38,428 --> 00:29:40,343 And they go through the process 574 00:29:40,387 --> 00:29:43,346 and the balloon would fly off, crashing in the vineyards. 575 00:29:43,390 --> 00:29:46,001 And the farmers would come up... [GRUNTS ANGRILY] 576 00:29:46,045 --> 00:29:47,873 And they'd see the champagne 577 00:29:47,916 --> 00:29:50,223 and they would leave the balloon alone 578 00:29:50,266 --> 00:29:52,834 and they would just lay down in the fields and get drunk. 579 00:29:52,878 --> 00:29:54,705 [LAUGHTER] 580 00:29:54,749 --> 00:29:57,404 BILL: I've been coming to the New Jersey Balloon Festival 581 00:29:57,447 --> 00:29:59,754 for about 20 years. 582 00:29:59,798 --> 00:30:04,150 It's probably the biggest festival 583 00:30:04,193 --> 00:30:07,153 of the East Coast in terms of 584 00:30:07,196 --> 00:30:09,024 how many people come versus 585 00:30:09,068 --> 00:30:11,157 how many balloons are actually there. 586 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:13,681 We inflated the balloon for the first time, 587 00:30:13,724 --> 00:30:17,467 right at the Atlanta Stadium. 588 00:30:17,511 --> 00:30:20,079 The very next day was the race. 589 00:30:20,122 --> 00:30:23,169 So, we, you know, got all the kinks out of the balloon and everything. 590 00:30:23,212 --> 00:30:25,475 And then the very next day, 591 00:30:25,519 --> 00:30:28,087 right when we were ready to take off, 592 00:30:28,130 --> 00:30:31,264 you could just see the rain clouds coming in. 593 00:30:31,307 --> 00:30:33,483 And Bob said, "Hurry, we've got to get this 594 00:30:33,527 --> 00:30:36,138 "race off the ground," because you know the sponsors, 595 00:30:36,182 --> 00:30:38,880 you know, it's always sponsor pressure. 596 00:30:38,924 --> 00:30:41,665 So, uh, and then, 597 00:30:41,709 --> 00:30:43,145 I was a private pilot, 598 00:30:43,189 --> 00:30:45,931 so I couldn't take people up for hire. 599 00:30:45,974 --> 00:30:47,933 So my first 50 hours 600 00:30:47,976 --> 00:30:51,110 was pretty much flying solo by myself. 601 00:30:51,153 --> 00:30:55,723 So I took off in the, uh... 602 00:30:55,766 --> 00:30:59,814 raise and the clouds just came right upon us. 603 00:30:59,858 --> 00:31:02,643 It started pouring down rain. 604 00:31:02,686 --> 00:31:05,602 Here I'm flying over the tall Georgia pines, 605 00:31:05,646 --> 00:31:07,256 a low ceiling. 606 00:31:07,300 --> 00:31:09,563 The ceiling was all the way down to the pines. 607 00:31:09,606 --> 00:31:12,871 So, the whole flight, I'm in the clouds. 608 00:31:12,914 --> 00:31:16,831 I couldn't come down because of the tall pines. 609 00:31:16,875 --> 00:31:20,269 All the rain was coming right down the center of the balloon. 610 00:31:20,313 --> 00:31:22,402 It was like a waterfall right on me, 611 00:31:22,445 --> 00:31:24,534 in the actual balloon. 612 00:31:24,578 --> 00:31:26,449 Couldn't find no landing spot. 613 00:31:26,493 --> 00:31:28,321 It was foggy. Couldn't see nothing. 614 00:31:28,364 --> 00:31:30,279 I said, "I'm about to die today." 615 00:31:31,106 --> 00:31:32,760 Kept flying, kept flying. 616 00:31:32,803 --> 00:31:35,981 I had been flying about an hour and a half until I looked out 617 00:31:36,024 --> 00:31:38,331 and I saw this big, huge field. 618 00:31:38,374 --> 00:31:40,115 I said, "Thank you, Lord," 619 00:31:40,159 --> 00:31:42,857 and I just headed right for the field. 620 00:31:42,901 --> 00:31:44,859 Soon as I hit the field, I went in 621 00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:46,469 maybe this much mud 622 00:31:47,688 --> 00:31:49,777 and I was just happy to be on the ground. 623 00:31:49,820 --> 00:31:51,300 I just sat there 624 00:31:51,344 --> 00:31:57,176 and this was out in rural Georgia in 1979. 625 00:31:57,219 --> 00:32:00,048 So I said, "Well, the Klan is about to capture me. 626 00:32:00,092 --> 00:32:01,920 [ALL LAUGHING] 627 00:32:04,923 --> 00:32:08,056 There was one house right across the street. 628 00:32:08,100 --> 00:32:10,972 Door open and out came running 629 00:32:11,016 --> 00:32:15,846 six white men running toward me. 630 00:32:16,499 --> 00:32:17,979 I'm in a field. 631 00:32:18,023 --> 00:32:19,763 There were horses back in the field. 632 00:32:19,807 --> 00:32:21,809 There's horse manure everywhere. 633 00:32:21,852 --> 00:32:26,988 Mud water. And here comes six white guys after me. 634 00:32:27,032 --> 00:32:28,816 -They got up... -[WOMAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY] 635 00:32:28,859 --> 00:32:30,296 [ALL LAUGHING] 636 00:32:30,339 --> 00:32:32,211 They got right up to the balloon. 637 00:32:32,254 --> 00:32:34,996 "Can we help you?" I said, 638 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,521 -"Uh, uh-huh." -[ALL LAUGHING] 639 00:32:38,565 --> 00:32:40,610 I went to the University of Nebraska 640 00:32:40,654 --> 00:32:42,961 to become an architect. 641 00:32:43,004 --> 00:32:46,529 But during 1965, 642 00:32:46,573 --> 00:32:50,011 every freshman has to take the required courses. 643 00:32:50,055 --> 00:32:51,578 And I remember there were two courses. 644 00:32:51,621 --> 00:32:53,232 One was called Linguistics, 645 00:32:53,275 --> 00:32:55,799 and another course was called Rhetoric. 646 00:32:55,843 --> 00:32:59,716 Now, who wants to take Linguistics and Rhetoric? 647 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,850 I hated those two courses. 648 00:33:02,893 --> 00:33:06,723 One day, I ran into a guy and he says, 649 00:33:06,767 --> 00:33:09,074 "You know how to play poker?" I said, "No." 650 00:33:09,117 --> 00:33:11,250 So he taught me how to play poker, 651 00:33:11,293 --> 00:33:14,862 and we were playing poker for pennies and nickels and dimes, 652 00:33:14,905 --> 00:33:18,866 and I learned the game real quick, and I started winning money. 653 00:33:18,909 --> 00:33:23,436 My first semester, I ended up with a 1.3 average 654 00:33:23,479 --> 00:33:26,265 because I chose poker over studying. 655 00:33:26,308 --> 00:33:28,789 And the second, um... 656 00:33:28,832 --> 00:33:31,748 The second semester, I did a little worse, 657 00:33:31,792 --> 00:33:34,664 and I only got a 0.7 average 658 00:33:34,708 --> 00:33:38,407 for a total cumulative average of 1.0 659 00:33:38,451 --> 00:33:40,670 at the University of Nebraska, 660 00:33:40,714 --> 00:33:45,153 all because I like to play poker. 661 00:33:45,197 --> 00:33:47,329 I had to go see my counselor, 662 00:33:47,373 --> 00:33:50,071 and he sat in front of me and said, 663 00:33:50,115 --> 00:33:52,900 "Son, you are not college material." 664 00:33:58,949 --> 00:34:00,864 I went home. I was dejected. 665 00:34:00,908 --> 00:34:02,953 I knew I had to tell my father that 666 00:34:02,997 --> 00:34:06,392 I wasn't gonna be able to go back to University of Nebraska 667 00:34:06,435 --> 00:34:08,089 and that was a hard thing to do, 668 00:34:08,133 --> 00:34:10,831 and he was disappointed, and, uh... 669 00:34:10,874 --> 00:34:13,312 At the time, I had gotten a job 670 00:34:13,355 --> 00:34:15,662 on the Union Pacific Railroad. 671 00:34:15,705 --> 00:34:19,144 I had made a few trips and the money was good 672 00:34:19,187 --> 00:34:20,710 and I had made a decision then, 673 00:34:20,754 --> 00:34:24,192 I was gonna work full time on the railroad. 674 00:34:24,236 --> 00:34:27,239 But my father didn't want me to do that, 675 00:34:27,282 --> 00:34:29,197 and he told my uncle what happened, 676 00:34:29,241 --> 00:34:32,287 and my uncle definitely didn't want me to drop out of college. 677 00:34:32,331 --> 00:34:35,769 He said, "Look, um, if I can get you into college, 678 00:34:35,812 --> 00:34:41,166 "will you... Will you promise me that you will do everything 679 00:34:41,209 --> 00:34:43,559 "different and get your grades up?" 680 00:34:43,603 --> 00:34:48,086 I said "Okay," because I really respected my Uncle Jim, 681 00:34:48,129 --> 00:34:50,653 and, uh, he pulled some strings 682 00:34:50,697 --> 00:34:52,916 to get me into Morris Brown College. 683 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:57,747 And it turned out I got four As and one B-plus, 684 00:34:57,791 --> 00:35:01,142 and I was really mad at the teacher that gave me a B-plus. 685 00:35:01,186 --> 00:35:04,145 But, you know, I accepted the honor roll. 686 00:35:10,325 --> 00:35:13,285 My freshman year, I lived with my uncle and aunt 687 00:35:13,328 --> 00:35:15,809 and my three cousins... 688 00:35:15,852 --> 00:35:17,506 When Jim came in and said, 689 00:35:17,550 --> 00:35:20,553 "Billy is going to come to Atlanta" 690 00:35:20,596 --> 00:35:24,209 "and he's gonna live with us until he finishes college," 691 00:35:25,340 --> 00:35:27,299 it was not a question. 692 00:35:27,342 --> 00:35:29,649 It was an affirmation. 693 00:35:29,692 --> 00:35:32,695 Billy is coming. I said, "Wow, that should be fun." 694 00:35:39,049 --> 00:35:41,791 Somebody asked, "How long is he gonna be here?" 695 00:35:41,835 --> 00:35:43,576 I said, "Until he finishes." 696 00:35:43,619 --> 00:35:47,623 Because that's the way southern African American people do. 697 00:35:47,667 --> 00:35:52,889 They come to a place they will stay until they are ready to leave. 698 00:35:56,197 --> 00:35:57,720 CHERYL COSTEN HIBBLER: I was seven years old 699 00:35:57,764 --> 00:35:59,766 when Mr. Bill came to Atlanta. 700 00:35:59,809 --> 00:36:03,770 All I'd know is there was a cool cousin 701 00:36:03,813 --> 00:36:05,946 coming from Omaha, Nebraska. 702 00:36:05,989 --> 00:36:07,687 He was like a big brother. 703 00:36:07,730 --> 00:36:12,344 And plus, he was coming from Omaha, Nebraska. My cousin. 704 00:36:13,997 --> 00:36:17,349 JAMES COSTEN: Bill was not easy to roll off our tongue. 705 00:36:17,392 --> 00:36:20,395 Billy didn't seem appropriate. 706 00:36:20,439 --> 00:36:23,137 And we always had to ask him for stuff. 707 00:36:23,181 --> 00:36:26,793 So he was Mr. Bill. 708 00:36:26,836 --> 00:36:28,795 CHERYL: It didn't matter what time Mr. Bill came in. 709 00:36:28,838 --> 00:36:31,841 It was, "Mr. Bill. Mr. Bill, take me to the store, Mr. Bill." 710 00:36:31,885 --> 00:36:34,801 "Mr. Bill... Oh, my little cousin," you know... 711 00:36:34,844 --> 00:36:38,544 "Take your little cousin store, Mr. Bill," and he would... 712 00:36:38,587 --> 00:36:41,982 He would be so calm. He's so cool. 713 00:36:42,025 --> 00:36:44,376 My cousin was so cool. He was like... 714 00:36:44,419 --> 00:36:45,594 -Okay... -"Okay, 715 00:36:45,638 --> 00:36:47,509 "go out into the car and wait for me. 716 00:36:47,553 --> 00:36:48,815 "I'll be out there shortly," 717 00:36:48,858 --> 00:36:51,078 and I'd just go watch TV or whatever. 718 00:36:51,121 --> 00:36:54,081 "Okay, Mr. Bill." And knowing the day before, 719 00:36:54,124 --> 00:36:56,692 he told me the same thing, but we never got to the store. 720 00:36:56,736 --> 00:36:58,825 But every day was just as exciting as... 721 00:36:58,868 --> 00:37:01,175 as if he... I knew he was coming. 722 00:37:04,352 --> 00:37:07,877 BILL: When I first came to Morris Brown, 723 00:37:07,921 --> 00:37:10,010 I was ineligible to play football, 724 00:37:10,053 --> 00:37:13,013 but I wasn't gonna play anyway, because I never played 725 00:37:13,056 --> 00:37:14,841 at University of Nebraska, 726 00:37:14,884 --> 00:37:18,279 and I sat on a bench two years in high school. 727 00:37:18,323 --> 00:37:21,282 So I didn't think I was any good at football. 728 00:37:21,326 --> 00:37:23,153 And my roommate said, 729 00:37:23,197 --> 00:37:26,548 you know, I was weighing about 275 pounds 730 00:37:26,592 --> 00:37:29,072 and he said, "You're too big not to play football." 731 00:37:29,116 --> 00:37:32,119 He said, "Get your behind on the football team." 732 00:37:32,162 --> 00:37:35,818 So I tried out for the football team that year 733 00:37:35,862 --> 00:37:37,298 and I earned a scholarship 734 00:37:37,342 --> 00:37:40,954 and it turned out that I was pretty good on the team. 735 00:37:40,997 --> 00:37:45,611 I was usually a defensive tackle or defensive end, 736 00:37:45,654 --> 00:37:48,657 and I became pretty good. I made all conference, 737 00:37:48,701 --> 00:37:52,879 CRAIG COSTEN: Bill had a real strange, stiff run. 738 00:37:52,922 --> 00:37:57,100 So when he was playing football,he was Josse Smith, and... 739 00:37:57,144 --> 00:37:59,146 And although the college that they played... 740 00:37:59,189 --> 00:38:01,017 I could always pick my cousin out 741 00:38:01,061 --> 00:38:02,541 because he had that... 742 00:38:02,584 --> 00:38:05,283 that proud run off to the football field. 743 00:38:11,811 --> 00:38:14,944 Way back when we used to sit on this wall, 744 00:38:14,988 --> 00:38:17,947 we used to wait for the freshman women 745 00:38:17,991 --> 00:38:20,559 to come driving up with their father and mother, 746 00:38:20,602 --> 00:38:24,389 and all the football players used to sit up here and, uh, 747 00:38:24,432 --> 00:38:28,218 pick out the new freshmen that they wanted to date. 748 00:38:28,262 --> 00:38:30,917 It was always funny because some of the girls 749 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:33,572 would come in with their boyfriends, 750 00:38:33,615 --> 00:38:38,185 and some of the football players would say, uh, 751 00:38:38,228 --> 00:38:40,448 "Get your kisses now, because she's mine 752 00:38:40,492 --> 00:38:42,972 "from this day forward. 753 00:38:43,016 --> 00:38:44,060 So, this... 754 00:38:44,104 --> 00:38:46,628 [ALL LAUGHING] 755 00:38:46,672 --> 00:38:50,023 JERRI MONROE: I met Bill when we were both students at Morris Brown College, 756 00:38:50,066 --> 00:38:53,505 And, um, he was 757 00:38:53,548 --> 00:38:58,074 at a party and I was there with my friends Marlene and Judy, 758 00:38:58,118 --> 00:39:00,686 and we kind of clicked instantly 759 00:39:00,729 --> 00:39:02,427 and we became very close friends. 760 00:39:03,384 --> 00:39:04,472 [EXCLAIMS] 761 00:39:04,516 --> 00:39:07,388 [LAUGHING] 762 00:39:07,432 --> 00:39:13,089 Bill was very much of an academic person, athletic person. 763 00:39:13,133 --> 00:39:14,482 He loved to have fun. 764 00:39:14,526 --> 00:39:17,572 You remember all the parties on the water, Monroe? 765 00:39:17,616 --> 00:39:20,488 -Oh, yes. Every week... -BILL: It was... I think his name was Jim. 766 00:39:20,532 --> 00:39:22,272 Yes, I remember that. 767 00:39:22,316 --> 00:39:25,101 As a matter of fact, it was always... 768 00:39:25,145 --> 00:39:28,322 Everybody was like, just... Bill's having a party. 769 00:39:28,366 --> 00:39:29,715 [LAUGHS] 770 00:39:29,758 --> 00:39:31,978 JERRI: He's, um... 771 00:39:32,021 --> 00:39:36,722 mannerable, he's respectful, he has integrity, you know. 772 00:39:36,765 --> 00:39:41,770 But he has just this wide open way of looking at, like, 773 00:39:41,814 --> 00:39:44,338 you know, how a child has a way of 774 00:39:44,382 --> 00:39:47,602 seeing the beauty in life and humor and... 775 00:39:47,646 --> 00:39:49,256 He still has maintained that. 776 00:39:49,299 --> 00:39:52,868 You remember Mrs. Ramsey? She was a librarian. 777 00:39:52,912 --> 00:39:54,435 And she lived right next door to Jim. 778 00:39:54,479 --> 00:39:56,306 JERRI: Yes. 779 00:39:56,350 --> 00:39:58,570 Every time we had a party over there... 780 00:39:58,613 --> 00:39:59,788 [LAUGHS] 781 00:39:59,832 --> 00:40:01,877 She said, "Talk to Costen." 782 00:40:03,357 --> 00:40:04,837 Uh, "Do you realize 783 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,883 "there are a whole lot of cars in front of your house 784 00:40:07,927 --> 00:40:10,190 "while you were in South Carolina?" 785 00:40:10,233 --> 00:40:11,713 [LAUGHING] 786 00:40:13,585 --> 00:40:17,980 We used to have 50, 75 people in my uncle's house. 787 00:40:18,024 --> 00:40:19,068 JERRI: Oh, yeah. 788 00:40:19,112 --> 00:40:21,506 -Reverend Costen's house. -Yes. 789 00:40:21,549 --> 00:40:22,898 [BILL SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY] 790 00:40:22,942 --> 00:40:25,379 Yes, it was... It was just, like, a lot of fun. 791 00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:26,598 Drink and dance. 792 00:40:26,641 --> 00:40:27,903 JERRI: And... And then... 793 00:40:27,947 --> 00:40:29,427 No... No drugs. 794 00:40:29,470 --> 00:40:32,517 No drugs that we knew about. 795 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:36,782 We're talking the '60s. I never saw any drugs, ever. 796 00:40:36,825 --> 00:40:38,914 JERRI: Mm-hmm. And... And... 797 00:40:38,958 --> 00:40:40,829 [BILL SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY] 798 00:40:40,873 --> 00:40:43,702 Oh, my goodness! What have I been missing? 799 00:40:43,745 --> 00:40:46,008 [ALL LAUGHING] 800 00:40:46,052 --> 00:40:48,968 And... And before... When everything was over, 801 00:40:49,011 --> 00:40:52,014 it was just, like, make sure everything's put back in place. 802 00:40:52,058 --> 00:40:54,016 It was just like nobody, you know, 803 00:40:54,060 --> 00:40:56,323 had a party or anything in the house, 804 00:40:56,366 --> 00:40:57,629 but it was always... 805 00:40:58,630 --> 00:40:59,718 They're gone! 806 00:40:59,761 --> 00:41:01,589 [LAUGHS] 807 00:41:10,032 --> 00:41:12,034 MELVA: It dawns on me that 808 00:41:12,078 --> 00:41:14,907 when little Bill came to Atlanta, 809 00:41:14,950 --> 00:41:18,519 we were in the midst of the civil rights movement. 810 00:41:18,563 --> 00:41:20,565 In fact, my husband had been 811 00:41:20,608 --> 00:41:24,046 one of the leaders in North Carolina, 812 00:41:24,090 --> 00:41:27,006 and when he was offered the job to Atlanta, 813 00:41:28,137 --> 00:41:30,270 he was excited about coming, because 814 00:41:31,184 --> 00:41:33,012 he would be able to spend 815 00:41:33,055 --> 00:41:36,450 much more time with Martin Luther King Jr. 816 00:41:36,494 --> 00:41:39,758 So here we sat with Martin, many an evening, 817 00:41:39,801 --> 00:41:42,108 and, you know, all of us were just in awe 818 00:41:42,151 --> 00:41:43,936 of being in his presence. 819 00:41:43,979 --> 00:41:46,504 But he was so, so down to earth. 820 00:41:49,898 --> 00:41:54,294 BILL: I remember, I was standing on this bridge in 1968 821 00:41:54,337 --> 00:41:57,515 watching Martin Luther King's funeral procession 822 00:41:57,558 --> 00:42:00,561 coming down Hunter Street. 823 00:42:00,605 --> 00:42:03,129 And I remember running down that walkway, 824 00:42:03,172 --> 00:42:06,436 and I jumped in the funeral procession 825 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:08,351 right behind the casket 826 00:42:08,395 --> 00:42:10,963 and I had my father's video camera. 827 00:42:11,006 --> 00:42:13,922 And we walked all the way down and turned left 828 00:42:13,966 --> 00:42:17,317 and went over to Morehouse College. 829 00:42:31,026 --> 00:42:33,246 COMMENTATOR: On the stop, number 21. 830 00:42:35,030 --> 00:42:38,251 Good for 23 yards. Time out. 831 00:42:38,294 --> 00:42:41,602 BILL: I felt, out of all the guys that I came up against, 832 00:42:41,646 --> 00:42:46,346 there wasn't a single guy that I couldn't handle one on one, 833 00:42:46,389 --> 00:42:49,479 mainly because of my strength that I was pretty quick. 834 00:42:51,873 --> 00:42:55,921 A scout came up to me and he said he was from the Dallas Cowboys 835 00:42:55,964 --> 00:42:57,923 and he was interested in me. 836 00:42:57,966 --> 00:43:01,056 I was like, "What?" You know, I was shocked. 837 00:43:01,100 --> 00:43:04,059 You know, shocked. I was totally shocked 838 00:43:04,103 --> 00:43:07,062 that a pro scout was interested in me 839 00:43:07,106 --> 00:43:10,457 after the background that I had in football. 840 00:43:10,500 --> 00:43:12,546 So I started getting confident. 841 00:43:12,590 --> 00:43:16,594 You know, I had four or five different teams coming up, 842 00:43:16,637 --> 00:43:20,510 giving me aptitude tests, timing me in the 40-yard dash, 843 00:43:20,554 --> 00:43:22,774 watching me play the game, 844 00:43:22,817 --> 00:43:25,907 and they were promising me a high draft pick. 845 00:43:28,997 --> 00:43:30,608 My senior year was coming up, 846 00:43:30,651 --> 00:43:32,566 and we had a scrimmage game 847 00:43:32,610 --> 00:43:37,005 right before the regular season started. 848 00:43:37,049 --> 00:43:38,528 In the scrimmage game, 849 00:43:38,572 --> 00:43:41,270 I ended up breaking my left wrist. 850 00:43:41,314 --> 00:43:45,318 I was scared at that time, because I had had so many scouts 851 00:43:45,361 --> 00:43:46,928 looking at me, 852 00:43:46,972 --> 00:43:49,148 and I didn't wanna jeopardize me 853 00:43:49,191 --> 00:43:52,194 not getting drafted by the professional teams. 854 00:43:52,238 --> 00:43:54,632 I said, "Okay, I'm not gonna tell anybody." 855 00:43:54,675 --> 00:43:57,852 So, each game, I used to wrap my wrist real tight. 856 00:43:57,896 --> 00:44:01,029 I really worked on my strength. 857 00:44:01,073 --> 00:44:03,553 So I had a lot of strength in my right arm 858 00:44:03,597 --> 00:44:05,381 and I had strength in my left arm, 859 00:44:05,425 --> 00:44:07,514 I just had to keep my wrist straight. 860 00:44:09,995 --> 00:44:14,042 JAMES: I think he had hurt his arm in training or in practice or something, 861 00:44:14,086 --> 00:44:18,481 and I jumped on his chest and I grabbed his fingers and I 862 00:44:18,525 --> 00:44:20,788 started wiggling them like this 863 00:44:20,832 --> 00:44:23,399 and he just laid there and he said, 864 00:44:23,443 --> 00:44:27,577 "I'm gonna throw you across the room when I count to three. 865 00:44:27,621 --> 00:44:29,667 Agh! He said, "One... 866 00:44:30,798 --> 00:44:34,410 "two, three! And I go across the room. 867 00:44:34,454 --> 00:44:37,283 But what's amazing about that is that... 868 00:44:37,326 --> 00:44:40,068 It's as if I wasn't hurting his hand. 869 00:44:40,721 --> 00:44:42,767 His hand was broken. 870 00:44:42,810 --> 00:44:46,422 And that was my image of Mr. Bill, just invincible. 871 00:44:46,466 --> 00:44:48,729 Just, you know, a real big guy, 872 00:44:48,773 --> 00:44:50,209 didn't have a lot of fat on him. 873 00:44:50,252 --> 00:44:51,950 He was very strong. 874 00:44:56,476 --> 00:44:58,696 BILL: So I got drafted by the Buffalo Bills 875 00:44:58,739 --> 00:45:01,699 and, you know, I was really happy 876 00:45:01,742 --> 00:45:04,832 and all my friends were, you know, running around. 877 00:45:04,876 --> 00:45:07,748 "Oh, he's going to the pros!" and, you know. 878 00:45:07,792 --> 00:45:12,144 George, who was going to the Miami Dolphins. 879 00:45:12,187 --> 00:45:14,842 You know, we were all excited, 880 00:45:14,886 --> 00:45:17,932 and over the next few days, you know, on campus, 881 00:45:17,976 --> 00:45:21,849 you know, a lot of people were, you know, happy for us that... 882 00:45:21,893 --> 00:45:26,941 Uh... You know, guys from Morris Brown were going to the pros. 883 00:45:26,985 --> 00:45:29,161 And, you know, it was just a fun time. 884 00:45:29,204 --> 00:45:33,252 CRAIG: When Billy first was going to the Buffalo Bills, you know, 885 00:45:33,295 --> 00:45:35,254 I bragged to all my friends, you know... 886 00:45:35,297 --> 00:45:39,475 I said, "My cousin Billy, you know, playing for Buffalo Bills. 887 00:45:39,519 --> 00:45:40,955 You know, that was a proud moment. 888 00:45:40,999 --> 00:45:44,002 I mean, that' a rare... That's a rare thing. I mean... 889 00:45:45,743 --> 00:45:49,137 There's a lot of people that play a lot of different sports 890 00:45:49,181 --> 00:45:50,443 who don't make it to the pros, 891 00:45:50,486 --> 00:45:51,879 so I mean, that's huge. 892 00:45:51,923 --> 00:45:53,663 You know, to have a cousin, 893 00:45:53,707 --> 00:45:59,104 and a close cousin playing in the NFL. 894 00:45:59,147 --> 00:46:01,584 That was a big bragging rights thing there. 895 00:46:01,628 --> 00:46:03,630 ANNOUNCER: All right. We're clear for takeoff. 896 00:46:03,673 --> 00:46:05,806 Everybody, now is the countdown, here we go. 897 00:46:05,850 --> 00:46:11,769 Five, four, three, two one. Fire! 898 00:46:11,812 --> 00:46:13,771 [CROWD CHEERING] 899 00:46:24,259 --> 00:46:26,696 [ANNOUNCER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY ON PA] 900 00:46:33,834 --> 00:46:35,618 BILL: We're on our way to the field now. 901 00:46:35,662 --> 00:46:38,230 I have to check in before five o'clock. 902 00:46:40,754 --> 00:46:42,625 What the FAA will do, 903 00:46:42,669 --> 00:46:46,412 they check all your log books and your license 904 00:46:46,455 --> 00:46:48,675 and all the insurance cards and everything, 905 00:46:48,718 --> 00:46:51,112 so you have to be current and up-to-date. 906 00:46:51,156 --> 00:46:53,114 Otherwise, they won't let you fly. 907 00:46:53,158 --> 00:46:54,942 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 908 00:46:54,986 --> 00:46:57,162 ANNOUNCER: Here to welcome you here to New Jersey, 909 00:46:57,205 --> 00:46:59,251 pray for no more thunder and lightning, 910 00:46:59,294 --> 00:47:00,905 we have the mayor here, 911 00:47:00,948 --> 00:47:03,777 we have a council person... committee woman here, 912 00:47:03,821 --> 00:47:06,693 who are here to encourage you 913 00:47:06,736 --> 00:47:09,435 to stay around until the weather gets cleared up. 914 00:47:09,478 --> 00:47:12,220 I want to say thank you. What you do is important to the economy. 915 00:47:12,264 --> 00:47:14,353 But more importantly, where is my son? 916 00:47:14,396 --> 00:47:17,747 My 10-year-old is here, and I don't think you can put a dollar value 917 00:47:17,791 --> 00:47:21,795 on how important it is that you get children exposure 918 00:47:21,839 --> 00:47:23,797 of what you do as a hobby or as a business. 919 00:47:23,841 --> 00:47:27,192 BUSSIER: Mother Nature is the one that's telling us what to do 920 00:47:27,235 --> 00:47:28,846 and you don't see it coming. 921 00:47:29,194 --> 00:47:30,760 Um... 922 00:47:30,804 --> 00:47:33,415 You're at the mercy of the winds 923 00:47:33,459 --> 00:47:37,028 and the winds can blow in different directions 924 00:47:37,071 --> 00:47:39,726 and they can change on you real quick. 925 00:47:39,769 --> 00:47:43,208 We had a thunderstorm that just went over pouring down rain. 926 00:47:44,687 --> 00:47:48,169 But the briefer said that behind the thunderstorm, 927 00:47:48,213 --> 00:47:50,215 there's clear skies. 928 00:47:50,258 --> 00:47:53,783 So he's gonna let us know definitely at seven o'clock, 929 00:47:53,827 --> 00:47:56,221 whether we should fly or not. 930 00:47:56,264 --> 00:47:58,179 So if that's the case, 931 00:47:58,223 --> 00:48:02,575 if it's still clear and no more cells pop up, 932 00:48:02,618 --> 00:48:04,098 then we'll give it a shot. 933 00:48:11,062 --> 00:48:16,589 I enjoy being out there and seeing how happy people are when they go for a ride. 934 00:48:16,632 --> 00:48:21,376 Most of the passengers we have are first time flights. 935 00:48:21,420 --> 00:48:24,336 And seeing the smiles on their faces, 936 00:48:24,379 --> 00:48:26,599 and how happy they are once they land. 937 00:48:26,642 --> 00:48:29,950 We've had people go up that are afraid of heights, 938 00:48:29,994 --> 00:48:31,473 and they need encouragement 939 00:48:31,517 --> 00:48:33,867 to get in the basket from who they're flying with. 940 00:48:33,911 --> 00:48:35,129 And once they come down, 941 00:48:35,173 --> 00:48:36,565 they can't believe how pleasant it was 942 00:48:36,609 --> 00:48:38,263 and how much they enjoyed it. 943 00:48:38,306 --> 00:48:40,874 And seeing that kind of experience is really enjoyable. 944 00:48:40,918 --> 00:48:42,745 [BURNERS HISSING] 945 00:49:02,852 --> 00:49:04,854 [BURNERS HISSING] 946 00:49:06,987 --> 00:49:08,815 [INDISTINCT CONVERSATION] 947 00:49:10,686 --> 00:49:13,559 BILL: Notice right now that the balloons are touching. 948 00:49:13,602 --> 00:49:15,126 You really don't want that to happen. 949 00:49:15,169 --> 00:49:16,431 WOMAN: Yeah, what happens? 950 00:49:16,475 --> 00:49:18,433 -It's okay. -[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY] 951 00:49:18,477 --> 00:49:20,392 JARRELL: I've seen my dad under pressure, 952 00:49:21,915 --> 00:49:24,918 and he is the most 953 00:49:24,962 --> 00:49:28,226 pinpoint, focused individual 954 00:49:28,269 --> 00:49:30,184 I've ever seen in my entire life. 955 00:49:30,228 --> 00:49:33,100 I've seen that look on my dad's face. 956 00:49:33,144 --> 00:49:38,323 Um, you know, sometimes when he's thinking about landing spots, 957 00:49:38,366 --> 00:49:40,455 he's thinking about potential flight paths. 958 00:49:40,499 --> 00:49:43,023 He's just, like, focused on his game. 959 00:49:43,067 --> 00:49:46,722 At the speed we're going, we need to land... 960 00:49:46,766 --> 00:49:48,637 WOMAN: [INDISTINCT] We need to land? 961 00:49:48,681 --> 00:49:50,552 We need to go... We're going too slow 962 00:49:50,596 --> 00:49:52,728 and there's nothing but woods over there. 963 00:49:55,557 --> 00:49:57,995 One thing about being a balloon pilot, 964 00:49:58,038 --> 00:50:01,389 you have to make correct decisions, 965 00:50:01,433 --> 00:50:03,739 and you have to make 'em instantly. 966 00:50:03,783 --> 00:50:08,657 You have to just know which direction is the balloon flying, 967 00:50:08,701 --> 00:50:10,442 how fast is it going. 968 00:50:10,485 --> 00:50:13,706 One thing I've learned, if I don't hurt the balloon, 969 00:50:13,749 --> 00:50:15,969 I won't hurt any of the passengers. 970 00:50:16,013 --> 00:50:20,974 And my number one responsibility is the safety of my passengers. 971 00:50:29,809 --> 00:50:31,593 [PEOPLE CHEERING] 972 00:50:31,637 --> 00:50:33,682 WOMAN: We're not all the way down yet. Hold on. 973 00:50:44,345 --> 00:50:46,347 [UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING] 974 00:50:49,742 --> 00:50:54,573 ♪ Fly, until we reach the sky 975 00:50:56,705 --> 00:50:58,533 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 976 00:51:00,231 --> 00:51:03,364 ♪ Until we reach the sky 977 00:51:04,844 --> 00:51:08,326 ♪ Until we reach the sky 978 00:51:09,414 --> 00:51:12,939 ♪ Until we reach the sky 979 00:51:19,337 --> 00:51:21,165 [FIREWORKS CONTINUE BURSTING] 980 00:51:35,004 --> 00:51:37,398 -[INDISTINCT COMMENTARY] -[PEOPLE CHEERING] 981 00:51:38,921 --> 00:51:41,576 BILL: At Buffalo, I was the strongest lineman 982 00:51:41,620 --> 00:51:44,144 and I was the fastest. 983 00:51:44,188 --> 00:51:46,538 We had to run a 100-yard dash 984 00:51:46,581 --> 00:51:48,496 and I ran as fast as I could, 985 00:51:48,540 --> 00:51:52,413 and I beat all the linemen by about 10 yards. 986 00:51:52,457 --> 00:51:55,199 And the coach came up to me, he said, "That was great. 987 00:51:55,242 --> 00:51:56,330 "Never be second." 988 00:51:57,462 --> 00:51:59,768 While I was walking off the field, 989 00:51:59,812 --> 00:52:02,162 a bunch of linemen came up to me and said, 990 00:52:02,206 --> 00:52:03,511 "What you trying to do, rookie?" 991 00:52:05,122 --> 00:52:08,168 So from there on, I had to run fast enough 992 00:52:08,212 --> 00:52:11,432 to beat everybody and never be second. 993 00:52:14,609 --> 00:52:16,437 He used to put me up against 994 00:52:16,481 --> 00:52:20,180 the offensive lineman every single day, 995 00:52:20,224 --> 00:52:25,316 and finally, all of the rookie defensive linemen got cut. 996 00:52:25,359 --> 00:52:28,275 And I was the only defensive lineman left. 997 00:52:33,802 --> 00:52:36,849 One practice, uh, he says, 998 00:52:36,892 --> 00:52:39,068 "Okay, I'm gonna see how tough you are." 999 00:52:39,112 --> 00:52:42,681 There were 12 offensive linemen over there. 1000 00:52:42,724 --> 00:52:44,900 He put me one on one 1001 00:52:44,944 --> 00:52:47,033 up against every single one of them. 1002 00:52:47,076 --> 00:52:49,862 I had to hit and then release. 1003 00:52:49,905 --> 00:52:52,865 I literally beat all 12 of 'em. 1004 00:52:52,908 --> 00:52:54,301 And I never will forget. 1005 00:52:54,345 --> 00:52:56,651 When we were going to the locker room, 1006 00:52:56,695 --> 00:52:58,871 the coach came up to me, he said, 1007 00:52:58,914 --> 00:53:01,090 "You keep that up, I'll make you all pro." 1008 00:53:04,877 --> 00:53:06,661 Buffalo was was a lot of fun. 1009 00:53:06,705 --> 00:53:08,489 I met O. J. Simpson, 1010 00:53:08,533 --> 00:53:10,448 met Marlin Briscoe 1011 00:53:10,491 --> 00:53:12,624 and all the other pros. 1012 00:53:12,667 --> 00:53:15,366 Each week the team had to get rid of somebody, 1013 00:53:15,409 --> 00:53:18,543 so each week, about 10 guys would get cut. 1014 00:53:18,586 --> 00:53:22,024 So we were playing the New York Jets 1015 00:53:22,068 --> 00:53:27,552 in our first pre-season game in Birmingham, Alabama. 1016 00:53:27,595 --> 00:53:28,901 It was battle time, 1017 00:53:28,944 --> 00:53:32,165 and we kicked off to the New York Jets, 1018 00:53:32,209 --> 00:53:33,732 and I ran down the field 1019 00:53:33,775 --> 00:53:36,213 and made the first opening tackle. 1020 00:53:41,522 --> 00:53:43,394 We were losing 20 to nothing 1021 00:53:43,437 --> 00:53:45,918 and it was late in the fourth quarter, 1022 00:53:45,961 --> 00:53:49,965 and I was going in to block a punt, 1023 00:53:50,009 --> 00:53:53,969 and my roommate actually had to block the punt 1024 00:53:54,013 --> 00:53:57,364 and I picked up the punt and ran for a touchdown. 1025 00:53:57,408 --> 00:54:01,368 There was 22 yards, and I was just so happy. 1026 00:54:01,412 --> 00:54:03,283 I was like, "Wow! I made a touchdown." 1027 00:54:03,327 --> 00:54:06,155 I mean, my whole football career in college, 1028 00:54:06,199 --> 00:54:08,245 I never even touched a football. 1029 00:54:08,288 --> 00:54:11,291 And here I was, I'd made a touchdown 1030 00:54:11,335 --> 00:54:15,513 in my very first professional football game 1031 00:54:15,556 --> 00:54:17,689 and I mean, I was just on cloud nine 1032 00:54:17,732 --> 00:54:20,431 and I went running off the field, I was just so happy 1033 00:54:20,474 --> 00:54:23,303 and I was getting high fives from 1034 00:54:23,347 --> 00:54:25,871 all my football buddies and everything, 1035 00:54:25,914 --> 00:54:28,613 and then I was standing there, watching them kick, 1036 00:54:28,656 --> 00:54:31,050 getting ready to kick the extra point, 1037 00:54:31,093 --> 00:54:33,313 and the referee threw the flag, 1038 00:54:33,357 --> 00:54:35,359 and I looked over there, 1039 00:54:35,402 --> 00:54:37,709 and there were only 10 men on the field, 1040 00:54:37,752 --> 00:54:40,015 and the coach came over to me, he said, 1041 00:54:40,059 --> 00:54:42,322 "Aren't you supposed to be out on the field?" 1042 00:54:42,366 --> 00:54:47,414 All the way back from Birmingham to Buffalo that night, 1043 00:54:47,458 --> 00:54:51,636 they were calling me "$50 Touchdown Kid" 1044 00:54:51,679 --> 00:54:54,421 because the coach fined me $50 1045 00:54:54,465 --> 00:54:57,903 for not being on the extra point team, 1046 00:54:57,946 --> 00:55:00,601 but I didn't care, 'cause I had made a touchdown. 1047 00:55:00,645 --> 00:55:03,691 I had the only touchdown. I was the leading score. 1048 00:55:04,475 --> 00:55:06,477 The next week, 1049 00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:11,090 O. J. Simpson caught a pass and scored a touchdown. 1050 00:55:11,133 --> 00:55:13,962 An article came out into the paper, 1051 00:55:14,006 --> 00:55:16,313 O. J. Simpson caught a pass, 1052 00:55:16,356 --> 00:55:18,750 which tied him for the scoring lead 1053 00:55:18,793 --> 00:55:20,447 with Bill Costen. 1054 00:55:20,491 --> 00:55:22,536 Both have six points. 1055 00:55:22,580 --> 00:55:25,539 That was a total high for me at that time, 1056 00:55:25,583 --> 00:55:29,064 because in the Buffalo Bills program, 1057 00:55:29,108 --> 00:55:32,241 it showed O. J. Simpson one touchdown, 1058 00:55:32,285 --> 00:55:33,765 Bill Costen one touchdown. 1059 00:55:37,464 --> 00:55:39,336 Got back to Buffalo, 1060 00:55:39,379 --> 00:55:43,427 and the coach called a practice the very next morning. 1061 00:55:43,470 --> 00:55:46,517 And the very next morning, right before practice, 1062 00:55:46,560 --> 00:55:48,910 they called me into the office. 1063 00:55:48,954 --> 00:55:53,132 Any time you had to go see Harvey, that wasn't good news, 1064 00:55:53,175 --> 00:55:55,526 because Harvey was the general manager 1065 00:55:55,569 --> 00:55:57,963 and he was the guy that cut people. 1066 00:55:58,006 --> 00:56:00,748 I said, "Why are they calling me to the office?" 1067 00:56:00,792 --> 00:56:04,491 And I went to the office and Harvey says, uh... 1068 00:56:06,014 --> 00:56:09,366 "I'm sorry to inform you, but we're cutting you. 1069 00:56:09,409 --> 00:56:13,282 I said, "Cutting me? What for?" 1070 00:56:13,326 --> 00:56:16,982 And he never told me what for, he says, uh... 1071 00:56:17,025 --> 00:56:18,244 'It's just one of those things." 1072 00:56:47,316 --> 00:56:50,668 I decided to go to the farm team of Buffalo, 1073 00:56:50,711 --> 00:56:54,323 which was the Hartford Knights in Hartford, Connecticut. 1074 00:56:54,367 --> 00:56:56,717 And I had never even heard of Hartford, Connecticut. 1075 00:56:56,761 --> 00:56:58,719 I said, "What's a Hartford?" you know. 1076 00:56:58,763 --> 00:57:00,504 And during that time, 1077 00:57:00,547 --> 00:57:03,071 all of the Hartford Knights players, 1078 00:57:03,115 --> 00:57:05,160 we practiced every night. 1079 00:57:05,204 --> 00:57:07,989 All the players had daytime jobs, 1080 00:57:08,033 --> 00:57:11,079 And then we played our games on the weekends, 1081 00:57:11,123 --> 00:57:13,342 on Saturday night, usually. 1082 00:57:13,386 --> 00:57:16,084 So, I had to get a job, 1083 00:57:16,128 --> 00:57:19,914 because of the salary that the Knights were paying was small. 1084 00:57:19,958 --> 00:57:23,962 So I got a job with Travelers Data Center, 1085 00:57:24,005 --> 00:57:27,313 and so I was working every day in the data center 1086 00:57:27,356 --> 00:57:30,011 and then each night we used to practice, 1087 00:57:30,055 --> 00:57:32,449 and then we played the games on the weekends. 1088 00:57:39,717 --> 00:57:42,284 Here I was in a brand new city, 1089 00:57:42,328 --> 00:57:44,983 and I was still planning to go back to Atlanta 1090 00:57:45,026 --> 00:57:48,290 after the football season was over. 1091 00:57:48,334 --> 00:57:51,555 But like I said, I got the job with the Travelers, 1092 00:57:51,598 --> 00:57:53,426 and I started meeting women, 1093 00:57:53,470 --> 00:57:56,516 and I started meeting a lot of women, 1094 00:57:56,560 --> 00:57:59,084 and I started going to different clubs up here, 1095 00:57:59,127 --> 00:58:03,131 and I said, "Wow, this is a fun, fun little town." 1096 00:58:03,175 --> 00:58:07,179 So I made a decision to stay in Hartford, 1097 00:58:07,222 --> 00:58:12,010 and during that time, you know, I met a bunch of guys. 1098 00:58:12,053 --> 00:58:15,143 We got together and we formed a chess club. 1099 00:58:15,187 --> 00:58:18,538 And in the chess club, we started having parties 1100 00:58:21,062 --> 00:58:22,890 and giving back to the community 1101 00:58:22,934 --> 00:58:25,023 through the club and everything. 1102 00:58:25,066 --> 00:58:28,592 So it was a real fun time in Hartford after football. 1103 00:58:30,507 --> 00:58:32,465 I was going to a party. 1104 00:58:32,509 --> 00:58:37,209 And it was at the Holiday Inn in Hartford, 1105 00:58:37,252 --> 00:58:41,648 And I walked into the party and I saw this big Afro. 1106 00:58:41,692 --> 00:58:43,824 I said, "Whoa! Who is this?" 1107 00:58:45,217 --> 00:58:47,045 I guess I need to meet her. 1108 00:58:50,265 --> 00:58:53,268 LYNDA COSTEN: I was sitting down talking to some friends of mine, 1109 00:58:53,312 --> 00:58:56,228 and Bill happened to walk into the room, 1110 00:58:56,271 --> 00:58:59,448 and as, um, he was walking in, 1111 00:58:59,492 --> 00:59:01,581 I happened to look towards the door 1112 00:59:01,625 --> 00:59:03,365 and our eyes caught each other, 1113 00:59:03,409 --> 00:59:05,237 and he kind of smiled 1114 00:59:05,280 --> 00:59:07,413 with that innocent young boy look. 1115 00:59:07,456 --> 00:59:10,721 And after I talked to my friends 1116 00:59:10,764 --> 00:59:12,461 for about a half hour, 1117 00:59:12,505 --> 00:59:16,030 he came walking over and introduced himself as Bill Costen. 1118 00:59:17,684 --> 00:59:21,645 I wasn't all that. I was... Actually, I was shy. 1119 00:59:21,688 --> 00:59:26,127 I had to get a few nips in me 1120 00:59:26,171 --> 00:59:28,913 before I opened up to talk. 1121 00:59:30,523 --> 00:59:35,876 LYNDA: He started up, um, a social club 1122 00:59:35,920 --> 00:59:37,922 in which a group of us would get together 1123 00:59:37,965 --> 00:59:43,362 and give events and invite all the professionals from within the region 1124 00:59:43,405 --> 00:59:46,713 and people would come from all over the state, Western Mass, 1125 00:59:46,757 --> 00:59:49,107 and they were really large events. 1126 00:59:49,150 --> 00:59:52,545 And that's where our socializing began. 1127 00:59:52,589 --> 00:59:57,202 BILL: I was totally in love. I always respected Lynda 1128 00:59:57,245 --> 00:59:58,725 because of her mind. 1129 00:59:58,769 --> 01:00:00,640 I mean, she had a sharp mind. 1130 01:00:00,684 --> 01:00:03,600 She'd do everything. She was a bookworm. 1131 01:00:03,643 --> 01:00:06,559 And she retained everything she knew. 1132 01:00:06,603 --> 01:00:09,606 But she would always know the answer to everything. 1133 01:00:09,649 --> 01:00:11,608 And we became best friends. 1134 01:00:11,651 --> 01:00:16,177 I just always knew that... The two of us working together, 1135 01:00:16,221 --> 01:00:19,180 we could just conquer the world. 1136 01:00:40,375 --> 01:00:42,247 Very good. 1137 01:00:42,290 --> 01:00:45,903 He kept telling me never in 1000 years would I guess who it would be. 1138 01:00:45,946 --> 01:00:49,123 And about two minutes later, I said, "Joe, Bill." 1139 01:00:49,167 --> 01:00:51,038 -Now, I have a question. -[LAUGHING] 1140 01:00:51,082 --> 01:00:53,911 Yesterday, I went shopping. 1141 01:00:54,738 --> 01:00:56,565 I don't shop very often. 1142 01:00:57,784 --> 01:01:00,526 Do these pants make my butt look big? 1143 01:01:00,569 --> 01:01:02,267 [LAUGHING] 1144 01:01:05,749 --> 01:01:08,316 This is Alexandra. This is my daughter. 1145 01:01:08,360 --> 01:01:09,709 -How are you today? -Hi. 1146 01:01:09,753 --> 01:01:12,146 -Nice to meet you. -Nice to see you. 1147 01:01:12,190 --> 01:01:13,713 She was a little tiny thing. 1148 01:01:13,757 --> 01:01:17,499 Some of the sponsors are here. Go out, put your basket out. 1149 01:01:17,543 --> 01:01:20,285 You know, get it ready for rigging if you can, you know, 1150 01:01:20,328 --> 01:01:23,592 keep the cover on, uh, if it's going to start raining. 1151 01:01:23,636 --> 01:01:28,162 Um, we would like to see few people in flight this morning. 1152 01:01:28,206 --> 01:01:30,730 [CLEARS THROAT] I know it's difficult, uh, 1153 01:01:30,774 --> 01:01:33,690 because of the mist, so let's wait and see what happens. 1154 01:01:33,733 --> 01:01:37,606 We'll come back at 7:00 and we'll talk about it, okay? 1155 01:01:37,650 --> 01:01:39,696 My parents are afraid. They're on their way over. 1156 01:01:39,739 --> 01:01:42,699 Morning like this, we got here. 1157 01:01:42,742 --> 01:01:44,918 Every... Fog is starting to lift. 1158 01:01:44,962 --> 01:01:47,051 Airport is all clear, all the way around. 1159 01:01:47,094 --> 01:01:49,183 People are popping up, they're leaving. 1160 01:01:49,227 --> 01:01:51,751 We're hemming and hawing. "Uh, should we go? Should we not go?" 1161 01:01:51,795 --> 01:01:54,972 We finally make the decision. "Okay. We're gonna go." 1162 01:01:55,015 --> 01:01:58,105 Crew gets in, I get in, we lift off, 1163 01:01:58,149 --> 01:02:01,718 we probably went about 300 yards outside the airport. 1164 01:02:01,761 --> 01:02:06,070 And it was fog for about the next 45 miles as far as you could see, 1165 01:02:06,113 --> 01:02:08,202 we're hitting the burner and the car horns, 1166 01:02:08,246 --> 01:02:10,727 so we could tell who was who and where they were. 1167 01:02:10,770 --> 01:02:12,685 They couldn't see us. We couldn't see them. 1168 01:02:12,729 --> 01:02:15,470 We had no idea where the ground was. 1169 01:02:15,514 --> 01:02:19,823 Flying dead into a fog bank. And we had to come down, we were running out of fuel. 1170 01:02:19,866 --> 01:02:24,610 And it was... We had no idea what was below us. 1171 01:02:24,653 --> 01:02:28,396 Power lines, trees, water, cars. 1172 01:02:28,440 --> 01:02:29,746 We had no idea. 1173 01:02:29,789 --> 01:02:32,749 Once we got above the fog and above the clouds, 1174 01:02:32,792 --> 01:02:35,795 it was like just a rolling bed of clouds, 1175 01:02:35,839 --> 01:02:39,016 like, as far as you can see, it's just white 1176 01:02:39,059 --> 01:02:42,019 and it's the most... I was probably seven at the time, 1177 01:02:42,062 --> 01:02:44,412 and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. 1178 01:02:44,456 --> 01:02:46,980 And we're just drifting toward the sun slowly. 1179 01:02:47,024 --> 01:02:50,331 It was like a piece of heaven. It was like I was there. 1180 01:02:50,375 --> 01:02:52,072 I'm looking up at my dad and, you know, 1181 01:02:52,116 --> 01:02:54,727 he seems calm, as always. 1182 01:02:54,771 --> 01:02:57,208 He'll never show any expression on his face, you know, 1183 01:02:57,251 --> 01:02:59,863 he's just calm, collected, 1184 01:02:59,906 --> 01:03:03,301 but then I realized, we were up there for a while. 1185 01:03:06,391 --> 01:03:08,828 BILL: I tried to maneuver to get back over 1186 01:03:08,872 --> 01:03:11,831 to where it was less fog, but we never made it. 1187 01:03:11,875 --> 01:03:15,835 We just kept drifting more and more toward the mountains 1188 01:03:15,879 --> 01:03:17,489 and I knew there was a river. 1189 01:03:17,532 --> 01:03:18,882 I've flown that valley many times. 1190 01:03:18,925 --> 01:03:21,493 I knew there was a river coming up, 1191 01:03:21,536 --> 01:03:23,669 and, uh, I knew we had to land, 1192 01:03:23,712 --> 01:03:26,019 at some point, you're gonna run out of gas. 1193 01:03:26,063 --> 01:03:29,153 So we were up about 600 feet 1194 01:03:29,196 --> 01:03:36,029 and I also knew there was a big line of power lines across the whole valley. 1195 01:03:36,073 --> 01:03:38,858 So, that was my concern, coming down in that fog, 1196 01:03:38,902 --> 01:03:40,860 which you couldn't see anything, 1197 01:03:40,904 --> 01:03:43,558 and wondering where those power lines were, 1198 01:03:43,602 --> 01:03:45,560 but I had no choice, I had to come down, 1199 01:03:45,604 --> 01:03:50,217 so we eased the balloon right down little by little 1200 01:03:50,261 --> 01:03:53,220 and all of a sudden, I saw the power lines and I panicked, 1201 01:03:53,264 --> 01:03:55,962 and I just went up, maybe to a 1000 feet. 1202 01:04:00,010 --> 01:04:05,754 JARRELL: I... I heard a message from the Lord, I feel. 1203 01:04:05,798 --> 01:04:09,280 There was a butterfly that was pretty high up in the fog, 1204 01:04:09,323 --> 01:04:11,282 just flying around the basket, 1205 01:04:11,325 --> 01:04:13,762 fluttering around, going away, 1206 01:04:13,806 --> 01:04:17,201 came back, fluttered in front of my face, went away. 1207 01:04:17,244 --> 01:04:21,031 And something just told me, um, 1208 01:04:21,074 --> 01:04:22,946 you know, follow the butterfly 1209 01:04:22,989 --> 01:04:25,078 and, you know, I whispered it to my dad. 1210 01:04:25,122 --> 01:04:27,515 Fortunately, you know, he got out of his zone 1211 01:04:27,559 --> 01:04:29,039 and he heard me. 1212 01:04:29,082 --> 01:04:31,650 And you know, when the butterfly dipped down, 1213 01:04:31,693 --> 01:04:34,871 he stopped burning, and the basket would dip down. 1214 01:04:34,914 --> 01:04:37,351 The butterfly came back up, he would burn again, 1215 01:04:37,395 --> 01:04:40,441 and he basically just followed the butterfly pattern. 1216 01:04:40,485 --> 01:04:44,924 And we found our way to a little clearing, 1217 01:04:44,968 --> 01:04:47,144 and we were able to land there, 1218 01:04:47,187 --> 01:04:49,624 and we were so grateful, uh, 1219 01:04:49,668 --> 01:04:53,237 just because the farm was so dense, so thick. 1220 01:04:53,280 --> 01:04:58,111 And actually, one of our crew members was in the basket at the time 1221 01:04:58,155 --> 01:05:01,462 when he... when he jumped out, when we were actually in the swamp. 1222 01:05:01,506 --> 01:05:04,204 So we had to actually push the balloon 1223 01:05:04,248 --> 01:05:06,859 over a little swamp into the clearing. 1224 01:05:16,216 --> 01:05:19,089 LARRY WEBSTER: My manager went on vacation. 1225 01:05:19,132 --> 01:05:21,178 And then when he came back from vacation, 1226 01:05:21,221 --> 01:05:27,140 all he could talk about was this balloon experience that he had. 1227 01:05:27,184 --> 01:05:32,624 This was back in '75 and [SCOFFS] nobody was talking ballooning. 1228 01:05:32,667 --> 01:05:38,108 And so he said, "Well, uh, I'm gonna put a club together, maybe, 1229 01:05:38,151 --> 01:05:42,286 or get a bunch of guys together," and we didn't know what "together" meant. 1230 01:05:42,329 --> 01:05:45,028 But it sounded like fun. 1231 01:05:45,071 --> 01:05:49,989 BILL: One day, on a Sunday afternoon, my cousin came by with his boss, 1232 01:05:50,033 --> 01:05:54,080 knocked on the door, I went to the door and they were all excited. 1233 01:05:54,124 --> 01:05:56,909 And they showed me this brochure. They said, "Let's start a balloon club." 1234 01:05:56,953 --> 01:05:58,519 I said, "What's a balloon?" 1235 01:05:58,563 --> 01:06:01,044 And I had never seen a balloon, so they showed me 1236 01:06:01,087 --> 01:06:04,699 pictures of the Budweiser balloon. I said, "Oh, nice balloon." 1237 01:06:04,743 --> 01:06:07,006 I was drinking many Budweisers at the time. 1238 01:06:07,050 --> 01:06:08,660 I said, "Well, what does the balloon do?" 1239 01:06:08,703 --> 01:06:11,054 And they said, "Well, you ride in this little basket 1240 01:06:11,097 --> 01:06:13,012 underneath the balloon." 1241 01:06:13,056 --> 01:06:15,536 LARRY: I knew his answer was gonna be "No." 1242 01:06:16,407 --> 01:06:18,017 I knew it. 1243 01:06:18,061 --> 01:06:24,023 But he surprised me, he says, "Yeah, let's check it out." 1244 01:06:24,067 --> 01:06:30,073 BILL: My first flight was at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, 1245 01:06:30,116 --> 01:06:33,467 and my instructor and I took off in the balloon. 1246 01:06:33,511 --> 01:06:37,558 He said, "I want you to know I'm not gonna do anything. I'll tell you what to do, 1247 01:06:37,602 --> 01:06:39,865 but you're gonna fly the whole flight." 1248 01:06:39,908 --> 01:06:44,130 And he explained the instruments that were in the balloon. 1249 01:06:44,174 --> 01:06:48,439 He said, "I want you to fly this flight without the instrument." 1250 01:06:48,482 --> 01:06:53,009 BILL: I was always confident that I could just do anything, 1251 01:06:53,052 --> 01:06:56,403 so the flight was very beautiful 1252 01:06:56,447 --> 01:06:58,362 and that's the main thing I saw. 1253 01:06:58,405 --> 01:07:00,538 I said, "Wow, this is so pretty." 1254 01:07:00,581 --> 01:07:05,282 Just seeing the countryside and everything. And he said, "You're a natural flyer," 1255 01:07:05,325 --> 01:07:11,244 because, you know, I blew the whole flight, landed, and I was just so right there. 1256 01:07:13,464 --> 01:07:15,770 BILL: We hooked up with three other people, 1257 01:07:15,814 --> 01:07:20,079 met at a bank, signed a joint loan, 1258 01:07:20,123 --> 01:07:23,387 bought a balloon for $4,800 1259 01:07:23,430 --> 01:07:28,609 and started Sky Unlimited Balloon Club. 1260 01:07:28,653 --> 01:07:34,180 I immediately saw the commercial part of ballooning. 1261 01:07:34,224 --> 01:07:38,663 I came up with the concept of putting the state seal of Connecticut 1262 01:07:38,706 --> 01:07:41,013 on the side of a balloon and coming up 1263 01:07:41,057 --> 01:07:44,451 with the state of Connecticut bicentennial balloon. 1264 01:07:44,495 --> 01:07:46,845 So, my ballooning start 1265 01:07:46,888 --> 01:07:52,851 came with designing that balloon, proposing it to the manufacturer, 1266 01:07:52,894 --> 01:07:56,246 the manufacturer was excited about it, 1267 01:07:56,289 --> 01:08:00,424 and they had me meet Bob Waligunda, 1268 01:08:00,467 --> 01:08:04,428 who was the distributor for the whole East Coast. 1269 01:08:04,471 --> 01:08:09,128 BOB: I actually first started ballooning... I saw a balloon in college, 1270 01:08:09,172 --> 01:08:11,522 and, uh, I got excited about it. 1271 01:08:11,565 --> 01:08:17,136 In fact, I saw it one day, the next morning I was taking lessons, 1272 01:08:17,180 --> 01:08:21,967 and then I flew out to see if all in the Med Yost out in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 1273 01:08:22,010 --> 01:08:24,883 and he's the father of modern hot-air ballooning. 1274 01:08:24,926 --> 01:08:27,320 He's the one who designed and built the original hot air balloon. 1275 01:08:27,364 --> 01:08:30,236 And they were looking for some inexpensive way to 1276 01:08:30,280 --> 01:08:33,761 train dirigible pilots. They were using helium balloons, 1277 01:08:33,805 --> 01:08:38,766 which were very expensive, so he came up with the hot air concept. 1278 01:08:38,810 --> 01:08:43,815 BILL: I hitchhiked to New Rochelle, New York, because Bob Waligunda was gonna be 1279 01:08:43,858 --> 01:08:48,254 at a balloon festival in New Rochelle. 1280 01:08:48,298 --> 01:08:52,171 He told me all these dreams that he was doing with ballooning. 1281 01:08:52,215 --> 01:08:57,829 He was coming up with a balloon racing circuit 1282 01:08:57,872 --> 01:09:02,529 that would go all over the country and fly in different festivals. 1283 01:09:02,573 --> 01:09:06,403 And he said, you know, if I bought my first balloon 1284 01:09:06,446 --> 01:09:09,536 that he would make me a dealer. 1285 01:09:09,580 --> 01:09:14,367 So, one of the guys in the club, I talked him into, 1286 01:09:14,411 --> 01:09:18,763 uh, putting up the money for another balloon 1287 01:09:18,806 --> 01:09:21,592 and I would put up the dealership. 1288 01:09:21,635 --> 01:09:24,638 So that's how Sky Endeavors got formed. 1289 01:09:26,118 --> 01:09:30,644 BOB: I got in early, and when I saw the balloon, 1290 01:09:30,688 --> 01:09:33,647 it... it's not the typical aviation story 1291 01:09:33,691 --> 01:09:37,260 where you see the birds soar and the eagles fly, I said, "Oh my gosh, I could 1292 01:09:37,303 --> 01:09:40,306 put somebody's name on that and make a fortune." 1293 01:09:40,350 --> 01:09:42,134 So that was that was the whole thing, 1294 01:09:42,178 --> 01:09:45,572 it was a commercial, uh, business enterprise for me, 1295 01:09:45,616 --> 01:09:48,793 and I said this is absolutely wonderful. 1296 01:09:48,836 --> 01:09:52,927 We met great people. Joe Kittinger, for example. 1297 01:09:52,971 --> 01:09:59,586 Joe made history when he jumped out of a gas balloon at 102,000 ft. 1298 01:09:59,630 --> 01:10:03,373 Ben Abruzzo, who was one of the first to fly across the ocean. 1299 01:10:03,416 --> 01:10:07,464 Ed Yost. People that were truly 1300 01:10:07,507 --> 01:10:11,816 pioneers in the business. Old-timers, people that have been into ballooning 1301 01:10:11,859 --> 01:10:17,865 since its inception. Uh, Ed Yost's original groundcrew and we all 1302 01:10:17,909 --> 01:10:19,476 became very, very good friends. 1303 01:10:19,519 --> 01:10:25,656 I met Bill with Bob Waligunda in 1979. 1304 01:10:25,699 --> 01:10:30,791 Uh, Bob came down for a promotion for the Bay Hills Golf tournament 1305 01:10:30,835 --> 01:10:34,708 and a balloon race, and he asked me to join his team. 1306 01:10:34,752 --> 01:10:38,364 Uh, there were three balloons and Bill was one of the balloonist. 1307 01:10:38,408 --> 01:10:43,282 I remembered seeing Bill as a football player for the Buffalo Bills. 1308 01:10:43,326 --> 01:10:46,329 And he was a great athlete, 1309 01:10:46,372 --> 01:10:50,985 and I was very good and successful, uh, balloonist. 1310 01:10:51,029 --> 01:10:55,729 The common bond was ballooning and the love of the sport, 1311 01:10:55,773 --> 01:10:57,644 the love of the business, 1312 01:10:57,688 --> 01:11:00,430 and the fun we all had. 1313 01:11:00,473 --> 01:11:03,911 And as ballooning grew, we grew with it. 1314 01:11:03,955 --> 01:11:10,004 Ever wonder what it's like to fly like a bird, high up in the sky? 1315 01:11:10,048 --> 01:11:15,314 Just think of it. No more car fumes, no more stoplights 1316 01:11:15,358 --> 01:11:18,404 no state cops. Nah, just you 1317 01:11:18,448 --> 01:11:20,276 and that old-fashioned wind power. 1318 01:11:20,319 --> 01:11:22,756 We were both working full time 1319 01:11:22,800 --> 01:11:24,192 while we were doing ballooning 1320 01:11:24,236 --> 01:11:26,978 and some of the sales distribution. 1321 01:11:27,021 --> 01:11:31,939 BILL: But over the years, more and more people wanted to go up in the balloon. 1322 01:11:31,983 --> 01:11:36,944 So I was pretty much doing a full time business just on the weekends 1323 01:11:36,988 --> 01:11:40,296 and working as an underwriter during the week. 1324 01:11:40,339 --> 01:11:44,865 LYNDA: So we almost had no time because we're flying in the morning, 1325 01:11:44,909 --> 01:11:47,955 going to work, then getting out just early enough, 1326 01:11:47,999 --> 01:11:49,696 so we could fly at night 1327 01:11:49,740 --> 01:11:53,309 during the summertime, and being young and youthful, you know, 1328 01:11:53,352 --> 01:11:56,007 you don't really feel it for the first year or two. 1329 01:11:56,050 --> 01:11:59,706 I'm standing next to Lynda, uh, Lynda Costen, 1330 01:11:59,750 --> 01:12:02,492 and she's gonna tell us about ballooning... 1331 01:12:02,535 --> 01:12:07,932 BILL: One day, I woke up and my wife didn't go to work, 1332 01:12:07,975 --> 01:12:11,805 and I went to work and she didn't go to work the next day 1333 01:12:11,849 --> 01:12:14,373 and I went to work and she didn't go to work 1334 01:12:14,417 --> 01:12:15,896 for the next two or three weeks. 1335 01:12:15,940 --> 01:12:19,160 That's what was going on, she said, "I quit my job." 1336 01:12:19,204 --> 01:12:23,513 I said, "You quit your job? What are you talking about, you quit your job?" 1337 01:12:23,556 --> 01:12:28,518 During that time, she didn't know that our companies were merging 1338 01:12:28,561 --> 01:12:31,390 and that the other company who bought our company 1339 01:12:31,434 --> 01:12:36,917 was weeding out under-riders and workers from my job. 1340 01:12:36,961 --> 01:12:40,660 And I was so mad that she quit her job 1341 01:12:40,704 --> 01:12:44,055 and I had a feeling that I was going to get fired. 1342 01:12:44,098 --> 01:12:48,886 I went into the office and gave my two week resignation 1343 01:12:48,929 --> 01:12:54,457 and I quit my job. So there we were, she didn't have a job, 1344 01:12:54,500 --> 01:12:58,025 I didn't have a job, and the very next week, she told me 1345 01:12:58,069 --> 01:13:01,072 that she was pregnant with my first son. 1346 01:13:01,115 --> 01:13:04,728 I said, "What?" 1347 01:13:04,771 --> 01:13:07,078 And she says, "I'm pregnant." 1348 01:13:08,514 --> 01:13:11,430 That's when ballooning became full time. 1349 01:13:35,672 --> 01:13:38,718 LYNDA: Ballooning is very much of a fantasy. 1350 01:13:38,762 --> 01:13:40,633 And it's very much of a romance. 1351 01:13:40,677 --> 01:13:44,376 People really have fantasies about wanting to go up in a balloon, 1352 01:13:44,420 --> 01:13:47,640 and I would say to all of them, "Once in your life, go ahead and do it 1353 01:13:47,684 --> 01:13:50,600 because it's better than you can ever imagine that it can be." 1354 01:13:50,643 --> 01:13:53,733 And for all the people that have any fears about it, 1355 01:13:53,777 --> 01:13:55,735 It's nothing like standing on a building. 1356 01:13:55,779 --> 01:13:57,911 It's nothing like flying in a small plane. 1357 01:13:57,955 --> 01:14:00,827 There is actually no real sensation of movement. 1358 01:14:00,871 --> 01:14:03,221 You close your eyes, you can't tell you left the ground, 1359 01:14:03,264 --> 01:14:05,702 and it's very safe and very calm sport. 1360 01:14:05,745 --> 01:14:09,270 I like the advertising portion of it, 1361 01:14:09,314 --> 01:14:13,753 and I like being able to approach organizations 1362 01:14:13,797 --> 01:14:17,757 that needed to realize 1363 01:14:17,801 --> 01:14:24,677 how this visual concept could accent their public relations in their advertising 1364 01:14:24,721 --> 01:14:30,422 at a cost that was probably a lot less expensive than some of the air time that 1365 01:14:30,466 --> 01:14:35,819 they were buying. And the visibility and the thousands of people 1366 01:14:35,862 --> 01:14:40,258 that actually will see their brand and their name. 1367 01:14:40,301 --> 01:14:44,218 BOB: If you're flying for a sponsor, you're their representative. 1368 01:14:44,262 --> 01:14:46,830 So it's not that you're just flying with their name 1369 01:14:46,873 --> 01:14:50,486 on the balloon or their product name, but, you know, you may have to represent them 1370 01:14:50,529 --> 01:14:53,619 in a press conference. You may have to speak to their products. 1371 01:14:53,663 --> 01:14:56,796 And Bill was articulate. He was very bright. 1372 01:14:56,840 --> 01:15:00,626 And, uh, I knew that I could always rely on him 1373 01:15:00,670 --> 01:15:04,108 to put his best foot forward for the sponsor. 1374 01:15:04,151 --> 01:15:06,502 And everything we did was for the sponsors. 1375 01:15:06,545 --> 01:15:10,593 I mean, it was something that they were paying the bill, 1376 01:15:10,636 --> 01:15:13,552 so we wanted to give them he most for their money. 1377 01:15:15,380 --> 01:15:20,951 LARRY: Bill took a real liking to it and took it beyond, 1378 01:15:20,994 --> 01:15:25,390 you know, even our wildest dreams. Those initial stages, 1379 01:15:25,433 --> 01:15:27,610 we weren't sure where it was going, 1380 01:15:27,653 --> 01:15:32,397 but it look like Bill had made the decision to take it very, very far. 1381 01:15:33,964 --> 01:15:38,098 BILL: Most of our business got started advertising. 1382 01:15:38,142 --> 01:15:43,539 We would take the balloon to companies that were having, uh, corporate parties, or 1383 01:15:43,582 --> 01:15:47,281 they were introducing a new product and we would put banners 1384 01:15:47,325 --> 01:15:50,633 on the side of the balloon. 1385 01:15:50,676 --> 01:15:53,766 LYNDA: We do weddings, outdoor events for companies where they wanna have 1386 01:15:53,810 --> 01:15:59,685 tether rides or special promotions, and we do regular fantasy champagne flights. 1387 01:15:59,729 --> 01:16:03,994 We have executive limo flight, both about an hour to an hour fifteen minutes. 1388 01:16:04,037 --> 01:16:09,826 Um, we do just about anything you can do with balloons and outdoor advertising, 1389 01:16:09,869 --> 01:16:14,221 rooftop balloons or anything dealing with outdoor advertising. 1390 01:16:14,265 --> 01:16:18,008 BOB: When you talk about a black balloonist, it was an opportunity. 1391 01:16:18,051 --> 01:16:21,185 And in today's world, 1392 01:16:21,228 --> 01:16:22,969 people make a big deal about black and white. 1393 01:16:23,013 --> 01:16:25,493 Well, the reality was that this was a business, 1394 01:16:25,537 --> 01:16:27,060 and and it was an opportunity that 1395 01:16:27,104 --> 01:16:29,149 we could both take advantage of. 1396 01:16:29,193 --> 01:16:31,717 I liked Bill the minute I saw him, it didn't matter with what color he was. 1397 01:16:31,761 --> 01:16:36,896 Uh, it was in his eyes. It was, in his manners, it's his enthusiasm 1398 01:16:36,940 --> 01:16:41,466 for what we were doing. And he had a great sense of humor and we'd laugh. 1399 01:16:41,509 --> 01:16:46,645 We'd just have fun. And if you could do something in life where you can laugh 1400 01:16:46,689 --> 01:16:49,256 and have fun and and still make a lot of money, 1401 01:16:49,300 --> 01:16:50,606 then you're in the right place. 1402 01:16:55,828 --> 01:16:59,397 CHRISTOPHER: In ballooning, we're really in the entertainment business. 1403 01:16:59,440 --> 01:17:01,486 Uh, we're entertaining people. 1404 01:17:01,529 --> 01:17:04,228 They come out to enjoy this ride. 1405 01:17:04,271 --> 01:17:08,928 If they just get on the bus or get on a plane, it's not quite the same thing. 1406 01:17:08,972 --> 01:17:14,151 So we're really host when people come out for a balloon ride. 1407 01:17:14,194 --> 01:17:18,242 And I always thought that Bill would be a very, 1408 01:17:18,285 --> 01:17:23,769 you know, fun host to be with because he would be enjoying it just as much as 1409 01:17:23,813 --> 01:17:26,729 the people experiencing it for the first time, 1410 01:17:26,772 --> 01:17:30,254 -Bye! Bye, Mommy. -Bye! 1411 01:17:32,430 --> 01:17:37,261 BILL: When I first started ballooning, I was part of this balloon racing circuit, 1412 01:17:37,304 --> 01:17:43,615 so I was constantly, um, competing against the other pilots. 1413 01:17:43,659 --> 01:17:47,619 And I was, you know, we had prize money, so I was competing to win. 1414 01:17:47,663 --> 01:17:52,493 But I was up against some of the most experienced pilots in the world, 1415 01:17:52,537 --> 01:17:56,454 and, um, that made me better. 1416 01:18:02,155 --> 01:18:04,244 Winds and light and calm. 1417 01:18:06,551 --> 01:18:09,728 Looks like we're gonna have a perfect flight. 1418 01:18:09,772 --> 01:18:12,644 The Hare and Hound race. 1419 01:18:12,688 --> 01:18:15,560 The hare would take off first, it would land. 1420 01:18:15,603 --> 01:18:18,650 The Hounds, which were the rest of the balloons 1421 01:18:18,694 --> 01:18:20,739 would take off after the Hare balloon. 1422 01:18:20,783 --> 01:18:26,092 At the end of the hour, the Hounds would land closest to the Hare balloon. 1423 01:18:26,136 --> 01:18:28,834 Whoever landed the closest would win the race. 1424 01:18:28,878 --> 01:18:30,923 There's the X right there. We never saw it. 1425 01:18:30,967 --> 01:18:33,621 -Where' the beam bag... -Where's the beam bag? Did we throw it? 1426 01:18:34,971 --> 01:18:37,147 WOMAN: Oh, my goodness. Look at that. 1427 01:18:37,190 --> 01:18:40,498 BILL: Over the years I became more conservative. 1428 01:18:40,541 --> 01:18:44,720 If I'm flying in a familiar territory, I look at the end result, 1429 01:18:44,763 --> 01:18:50,551 Where do I wanna be? And my concentrations are based on, uh, you know, 1430 01:18:50,595 --> 01:18:55,600 what wind I need to utilize to get me to that point, 1431 01:18:55,643 --> 01:18:59,996 because at every altitude, winds are blowing in different directions. 1432 01:19:00,039 --> 01:19:03,477 So I'm able to maneuver to different places. 1433 01:19:03,521 --> 01:19:08,918 So I take a lot of pride now until picking out a spot, and literally, 1434 01:19:08,961 --> 01:19:11,834 sometimes I tell the crew, go to that spot. 1435 01:19:11,877 --> 01:19:14,010 As long as you've got two winds, 1436 01:19:14,053 --> 01:19:18,101 you can control. If you got a left wind and a right wind, 1437 01:19:18,144 --> 01:19:22,888 you just have to find out what level of the atmosphere 1438 01:19:22,932 --> 01:19:25,978 is going in a particular direction that you're going in. 1439 01:19:31,331 --> 01:19:38,556 BILL: When I transferred from University of Nebraska to Morris Brown College, 1440 01:19:38,599 --> 01:19:43,169 my uncle said, "You wanna go to lunch?" I said, "Yeah." 1441 01:19:43,213 --> 01:19:48,392 Took me to lunch and introduced me to Martin Luther King. 1442 01:19:48,435 --> 01:19:50,829 And I didn't know who Martin Luther King was. 1443 01:19:50,873 --> 01:19:53,223 And this was in 1966. 1444 01:19:54,659 --> 01:19:59,838 Having no black experience at all, I vowed then 1445 01:19:59,882 --> 01:20:03,015 that I was going to learn black history, 1446 01:20:03,059 --> 01:20:06,802 that wasn't even taught in the black school that I went to. 1447 01:20:06,845 --> 01:20:10,806 He was pretty much a collector 1448 01:20:10,849 --> 01:20:16,115 and very much organized. 1449 01:20:16,159 --> 01:20:22,252 PATRICIA: We belonged to a postcard club and got to know a lot of dealers. 1450 01:20:22,295 --> 01:20:25,821 And we follow these shows around the Northeast 1451 01:20:25,864 --> 01:20:30,347 just about every weekend that he could do it. 1452 01:20:30,390 --> 01:20:33,611 There were even occasions when, uh, we came away 1453 01:20:33,654 --> 01:20:40,009 with nothing or one or two fabulous additions to his collection. 1454 01:20:40,052 --> 01:20:44,665 This is about 30 years of collecting... 1455 01:20:44,709 --> 01:20:49,409 BILL: The cost and cultural exhibit is a black traveling exhibit that I take 1456 01:20:49,453 --> 01:20:52,891 around two different schools and companies, and I've come up with 1457 01:20:52,935 --> 01:20:57,026 a magnificent African American history exhibit. 1458 01:20:57,069 --> 01:21:00,986 And it's amazing how many black kids 1459 01:21:01,030 --> 01:21:06,687 have no idea... Uh, have no idea of their heritage. 1460 01:21:08,515 --> 01:21:11,257 The exhibit that I've come up with 1461 01:21:11,301 --> 01:21:15,783 covers everything from Africa to current day Black lives matter. 1462 01:21:18,438 --> 01:21:21,702 JOHN: Being the editor of the Northend Agents, 1463 01:21:21,746 --> 01:21:24,836 he used to come in and sit down, 1464 01:21:24,880 --> 01:21:31,712 and we used to just talk and talk about events. 1465 01:21:31,756 --> 01:21:35,151 And Bill is very good with a camera. 1466 01:21:35,194 --> 01:21:37,066 He liked to take a lot of pictures. 1467 01:21:39,982 --> 01:21:44,073 He's been showcasing the lives of people 1468 01:21:44,116 --> 01:21:50,775 and putting their best facets on display. 1469 01:21:50,818 --> 01:21:53,691 He's always been good at pinpointing those strengths 1470 01:21:53,734 --> 01:21:58,087 in people and bringing them to the surface. 1471 01:21:58,130 --> 01:22:02,787 BILL: I was doing a Women's History Month exhibit and this little girl, 1472 01:22:02,830 --> 01:22:06,356 about eight or nine years old, she came up to me, she said, "I didn't know, 1473 01:22:06,399 --> 01:22:09,794 uh, women could fly airplanes." 1474 01:22:09,837 --> 01:22:15,365 Well, last year I was at the library and a lady came up to me 1475 01:22:15,408 --> 01:22:17,976 and she says, "I was that little girl to ask you 1476 01:22:18,020 --> 01:22:20,065 that question about Bessie Coleman. 1477 01:22:20,109 --> 01:22:22,415 And now I'm a student pilot." 1478 01:22:22,459 --> 01:22:26,115 So you never know what just one picture 1479 01:22:26,158 --> 01:22:31,598 in a young child's mind 1480 01:22:31,642 --> 01:22:33,383 can... what it can turn into. 1481 01:22:35,951 --> 01:22:40,738 Here's a toast to all of us being here as a family. 1482 01:22:40,781 --> 01:22:42,958 [CHEERING] 1483 01:22:43,001 --> 01:22:46,918 BILL: I think, one of the biggest things that I've learned in ballooning is 1484 01:22:46,962 --> 01:22:49,573 is failure is not an option. 1485 01:22:49,616 --> 01:22:54,012 Failure is usually one step from success, 1486 01:22:54,056 --> 01:22:56,841 And I've learned that you have to work hard. 1487 01:22:56,884 --> 01:23:04,196 You have to be dedicated. You have to find people who are loyal to you. 1488 01:23:04,240 --> 01:23:09,723 You treat them right, work as a team, 1489 01:23:09,767 --> 01:23:12,944 and you can really achieve whatever you want. 1490 01:23:19,820 --> 01:23:24,869 Ballooning families always socialize with other ballooning families. 1491 01:23:24,912 --> 01:23:29,743 From the time you're born. Okay, as long as you know that there was a festival, 1492 01:23:29,787 --> 01:23:32,572 you could go there by yourself and you'll see a family 1493 01:23:32,616 --> 01:23:35,488 that you know and you spend that weekend with them. 1494 01:23:35,532 --> 01:23:41,407 Um, it's very special that you have relationships with people, 1495 01:23:41,451 --> 01:23:45,063 um, that people know each other multi-generational. 1496 01:23:45,107 --> 01:23:48,240 The second milestone in Bill's life that I thought would be fun 1497 01:23:48,284 --> 01:23:51,243 we got to interview Bill, 1498 01:23:51,287 --> 01:23:55,160 and some of the people who played important roles in his life. 1499 01:23:55,204 --> 01:23:57,554 And because I couldn't interview him, 1500 01:23:57,597 --> 01:24:00,470 without spoiling the surprise, I decided to improvise. 1501 01:24:00,513 --> 01:24:01,775 [PEOPLE LAUGHING] 1502 01:24:01,819 --> 01:24:06,432 So Bill, this is your life according to me. 1503 01:24:06,476 --> 01:24:08,608 [PEOPLE LAUGHING] 1504 01:24:08,652 --> 01:24:13,483 BILL: I chose to do ballooning full time. 1505 01:24:13,526 --> 01:24:18,662 That locked me out of a lot of people who were afraid of heights. 1506 01:24:18,705 --> 01:24:24,015 So I chose a very difficult business to partake in. 1507 01:24:24,059 --> 01:24:29,803 So it's been very difficult just surviving hot-air ballooning 1508 01:24:29,847 --> 01:24:34,721 and then going into every... everywhere I went, 1509 01:24:34,765 --> 01:24:36,506 when people found out what I did, 1510 01:24:36,549 --> 01:24:40,858 "You do what? You crazy," and I would hear everything. 1511 01:24:40,901 --> 01:24:43,904 If you look around at the other balloons in the cruise, 1512 01:24:43,948 --> 01:24:46,429 you don't see people of color. 1513 01:24:46,472 --> 01:24:49,693 -WOMAN: Oh, no. -REPORTER: And it raises the question, 1514 01:24:49,736 --> 01:24:54,785 so what about someone who replaces you when you retire? 1515 01:24:54,828 --> 01:25:00,138 And as the person that writes about it, does PR and promotion, 1516 01:25:00,182 --> 01:25:03,315 it's like, you know, there's gotta be some way to start. 1517 01:25:03,359 --> 01:25:05,404 Everybody sort of has their passion. 1518 01:25:05,448 --> 01:25:11,497 And so it's... How do you start some kind of foundation, something, who trains? 1519 01:25:11,541 --> 01:25:17,155 How do we get kids to follow you, so that once you're gone, the legacy doesn't end there? 1520 01:25:17,199 --> 01:25:21,072 For some reason, people of color 1521 01:25:21,116 --> 01:25:26,860 haven't shared experiences like the white balloon flyers. 1522 01:25:26,904 --> 01:25:29,167 They're telling their friends and their relatives 1523 01:25:29,211 --> 01:25:31,213 that it's the best thing since sliced bread. 1524 01:25:31,256 --> 01:25:34,520 So they're saying, "Okay, let's go up." 1525 01:25:34,564 --> 01:25:40,744 And it's just that we don't have a history of, 1526 01:25:40,787 --> 01:25:45,923 let's say, taking chances when it comes to something in a sport, you know, 1527 01:25:45,966 --> 01:25:50,884 hang gliding, jumping out of planes, with parachutes. You don't see a lot of 1528 01:25:50,928 --> 01:25:53,931 people of color doing that. 1529 01:25:53,974 --> 01:25:59,415 So it's changing. And I think, what Bill's, uh, 1530 01:25:59,458 --> 01:26:05,334 contribution to 40 years of ballooning, he made a big difference 1531 01:26:05,377 --> 01:26:10,382 in those experiences, and that's gonna propel the the business 1532 01:26:10,426 --> 01:26:13,516 and the experience of ballooning for years to come. 1533 01:26:19,086 --> 01:26:22,699 My name is Mick Murphy, real honor and privilege to be here 1534 01:26:22,742 --> 01:26:25,658 not only on behalf of the Balloon Federation of America, 1535 01:26:25,702 --> 01:26:28,270 but as a good friend to Bill Costen. 1536 01:26:28,313 --> 01:26:32,012 Today, I'm here to present the Yost master pilot award, 1537 01:26:32,056 --> 01:26:36,016 which has been given out to only a handful of pilots at this time. 1538 01:26:36,060 --> 01:26:40,238 Represent over 40 years of safe flying. 1539 01:26:40,282 --> 01:26:44,329 So it's quite an honor to receive the highest recognition of the federation 1540 01:26:44,373 --> 01:26:48,464 for an individual pilots skills, but by someone he knew and respected 1541 01:26:48,507 --> 01:26:51,380 without further ado, Bill, please join me on the stage 1542 01:26:51,423 --> 01:26:52,729 [ALL CLAPPING] 1543 01:26:52,772 --> 01:26:55,035 BILL: To receive an award based on the man 1544 01:26:55,079 --> 01:26:58,996 who started hot-air ballooning, I'm totally thrilled. 1545 01:26:59,039 --> 01:27:02,608 Back in early days when I used to sit, you know, 1546 01:27:02,652 --> 01:27:08,614 in a restaurant or a bar, listening to the stories of how he came up 1547 01:27:08,658 --> 01:27:11,226 with the idea of a burner 1548 01:27:11,269 --> 01:27:17,580 to, you know, propel the balloon up in the air to have flown with him 1549 01:27:17,623 --> 01:27:20,626 and against him in different balloon races, 1550 01:27:20,670 --> 01:27:22,976 you know, I just can't even imagine 1551 01:27:23,020 --> 01:27:27,242 getting an award for all the fun that I've had over the years. 1552 01:27:27,285 --> 01:27:31,768 First of all, I wanna thank my crew, my whole crew stand up, please. 1553 01:27:34,510 --> 01:27:37,339 [CHEERING AND CLAPPING] 1554 01:27:41,343 --> 01:27:43,910 BILL: This is for all of us. 1555 01:27:43,954 --> 01:27:48,741 Those people over there used to get up at 4:00 in the morning, 1556 01:27:48,785 --> 01:27:54,094 come out to Farmington, helped me set up the balloon, jump in a car, 1557 01:27:54,138 --> 01:27:59,099 chase the balloon wherever I land. I never knew where I was gonna land. 1558 01:27:59,143 --> 01:28:02,407 They would run through the fields. Come. 1559 01:28:02,451 --> 01:28:06,498 They have actually saved my life many times. 1560 01:28:06,542 --> 01:28:09,719 And I just thank you. This goes to all of us. 1561 01:28:09,762 --> 01:28:12,809 I mean, I couldn't have done none of this without you. 1562 01:28:12,852 --> 01:28:14,724 Well, thank you very much. 1563 01:28:14,767 --> 01:28:21,600 I want people to know that I spent my life entertaining. 1564 01:28:21,644 --> 01:28:27,345 I spent my life trying to be safe and helping them 1565 01:28:27,389 --> 01:28:33,090 to enjoy, experience that they never would have experienced, 1566 01:28:33,133 --> 01:28:36,180 had they not chosen to go up in a balloon. 1567 01:28:36,223 --> 01:28:39,923 Cheers to the best hot-air balloon pilot I've ever had in my life. 1568 01:28:39,966 --> 01:28:41,751 [CHEERING] 1569 01:28:41,794 --> 01:28:47,496 I would like people to know that that I love people. And I love... 1570 01:28:48,584 --> 01:28:50,586 seeing people have fun. 1571 01:28:53,850 --> 01:28:57,375 CHANTAL: It was Tuesday, February 26 2019, 1572 01:28:57,419 --> 01:29:00,422 and I received a call from my dad. 1573 01:29:00,465 --> 01:29:03,207 He said that he was having difficulty walking 1574 01:29:03,250 --> 01:29:05,209 and wasn't sure what was going on. 1575 01:29:06,602 --> 01:29:09,300 I told him to go to the hospital. 1576 01:29:09,344 --> 01:29:11,955 I remember he had to stay the night there that night, 1577 01:29:13,260 --> 01:29:17,352 and I was driving home when I got the call. 1578 01:29:17,395 --> 01:29:24,054 He said the doctor said that he had a stroke and I immediately pulled over. 1579 01:29:24,097 --> 01:29:28,363 I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. I was crying hysterically. 1580 01:29:30,495 --> 01:29:34,281 And he just stayed on the phone with me. 1581 01:29:34,325 --> 01:29:37,894 I don't even know how long the time went by so fast, 1582 01:29:39,504 --> 01:29:40,549 but he was there. 1583 01:29:43,726 --> 01:29:47,033 When I think of my dad, that's who I think of, 1584 01:29:47,077 --> 01:29:52,561 just a genuine, selfless, godly man who would do anything for anyone. 1585 01:29:55,215 --> 01:29:58,131 The next morning, I remember waking up at my brother's house 1586 01:29:58,175 --> 01:30:01,874 and received a call from a family friend. 1587 01:30:01,918 --> 01:30:04,834 She had just found out about Dad having a stroke. 1588 01:30:07,314 --> 01:30:09,447 She began to ask what she could do. 1589 01:30:09,491 --> 01:30:12,407 She wanted to get some community members together and figure out 1590 01:30:12,450 --> 01:30:13,712 how they can help. 1591 01:30:15,758 --> 01:30:19,065 And suddenly she started to weep. 1592 01:30:20,676 --> 01:30:22,721 And in that moment, 1593 01:30:22,765 --> 01:30:26,899 I realized that my dad is not only my hero, 1594 01:30:26,943 --> 01:30:29,424 but I share him with so many others. 1595 01:30:33,863 --> 01:30:36,474 Following the stroke, Dad was determined 1596 01:30:36,518 --> 01:30:38,520 to get back out there and live his life 1597 01:30:38,563 --> 01:30:44,090 with his new normal. Within a month, he had gained his confidence back 1598 01:30:44,134 --> 01:30:48,225 and was walking unassisted. He was back at different events, 1599 01:30:48,268 --> 01:30:51,707 doing photography and displaying his exhibit. 1600 01:30:53,360 --> 01:30:55,493 And I'm just so proud of 1601 01:30:55,537 --> 01:30:59,932 his level of determination and perseverance, 1602 01:30:59,976 --> 01:31:03,283 and I'm convinced nothing will stop him. 1603 01:31:10,856 --> 01:31:15,426 It's really difficult to describe the type of human being my father is. 1604 01:31:17,254 --> 01:31:20,475 But I'm certain that the world needs more people like him. 1605 01:31:22,346 --> 01:31:25,654 My entire life, he taught me that I could do all things 1606 01:31:25,697 --> 01:31:28,570 through Christ who strengthens me. 1607 01:31:28,613 --> 01:31:31,660 There's no mountain that God cannot move 1608 01:31:31,703 --> 01:31:34,576 and there's nothing that you can't overcome. 1609 01:31:36,578 --> 01:31:40,538 To see my dad through a different lens and to tell his story, 1610 01:31:40,582 --> 01:31:44,455 as best as possible has been such a challenge. 1611 01:31:45,804 --> 01:31:49,416 But his voice, his voice remains in my head 1612 01:31:49,460 --> 01:31:55,379 and I'm just grateful to be able to experience him as my father. 1613 01:31:55,422 --> 01:31:59,862 And I'm thankful for all of the moments that we continue to share. 1614 01:32:01,864 --> 01:32:07,173 It's hard, but I'm learning that this is the circle of life. 1615 01:32:09,132 --> 01:32:13,266 And when he passes me his baton and I continue to walk in my light, 1616 01:32:14,441 --> 01:32:17,575 I know that he'll always be there, 1617 01:32:17,619 --> 01:32:20,622 encouraging me and cheering me on. 1618 01:32:26,976 --> 01:32:28,543 [GAS HISSING] 1619 01:32:31,546 --> 01:32:36,986 Thank you for allowing me to share my father's story with you, 1620 01:32:37,029 --> 01:32:41,381 And I want to leave you with one thing that my dad always told me 1621 01:32:42,774 --> 01:32:45,472 and I say it in the most cliche way there is, 1622 01:32:47,126 --> 01:32:49,215 The sky's the limit. 1623 01:32:49,259 --> 01:32:53,872 Literally, the sky is the absolute limit. 1624 01:33:09,932 --> 01:33:12,499 [LAUGHS] All right, go ahead. 1625 01:33:13,675 --> 01:33:15,938 Oh, yeah. 1626 01:33:15,981 --> 01:33:17,461 Go, Dad, Go! 1627 01:33:17,504 --> 01:33:19,376 All right. Come back this way. 1628 01:33:21,073 --> 01:33:24,729 Look at him go! [LAUGHS] 1629 01:33:24,773 --> 01:33:26,426 That's amazing. 1630 01:33:29,168 --> 01:33:31,867 ♪ This life is but a dream 1631 01:33:34,347 --> 01:33:37,873 ♪ We can make come true 1632 01:33:39,657 --> 01:33:42,791 ♪ But it is upto you and me 1633 01:33:44,967 --> 01:33:48,840 ♪ It's what I've learned from you 1634 01:33:50,929 --> 01:33:55,412 ♪ Our reality 1635 01:33:55,455 --> 01:33:58,720 ♪ Is something we can hold 1636 01:34:00,765 --> 01:34:04,987 ♪ Something we can mold 1637 01:34:05,030 --> 01:34:10,601 ♪ Into anything We want it to be 1638 01:34:12,168 --> 01:34:15,519 ♪ You can fly so high above 1639 01:34:17,086 --> 01:34:21,220 ♪ You can laugh And you can love 1640 01:34:21,264 --> 01:34:26,443 ♪ And I love you always be 1641 01:34:26,486 --> 01:34:31,753 ♪ You'll be right here with me 1642 01:34:33,406 --> 01:34:37,193 ♪ You can soar right through The wind 1643 01:34:38,324 --> 01:34:42,198 ♪ You can lose or you can win 1644 01:34:42,241 --> 01:34:47,246 ♪ But you won't know till You try 1645 01:34:47,290 --> 01:34:52,817 ♪ That's the way you live Your life 1646 01:34:52,861 --> 01:34:57,822 ♪ I remember what you said 1647 01:34:57,866 --> 01:35:03,088 ♪ To live my life With no regrets 1648 01:35:03,132 --> 01:35:08,528 ♪ Because we only get One chance 1649 01:35:08,572 --> 01:35:14,099 ♪ To make it count And make it last 1650 01:35:14,143 --> 01:35:19,191 ♪ Even when you go away 1651 01:35:19,235 --> 01:35:24,762 ♪ The things you taught me Always stays 1652 01:35:24,806 --> 01:35:29,767 ♪ On my mind and in my heart 1653 01:35:29,811 --> 01:35:35,381 ♪ So we'll never be apart 1654 01:35:35,425 --> 01:35:38,733 ♪ Apart 1655 01:35:48,046 --> 01:35:51,354 ♪ I just want you to know 1656 01:35:53,443 --> 01:35:57,055 ♪ That your love Helped me grow 1657 01:35:58,840 --> 01:36:01,973 ♪ I don't have to be afraid 1658 01:36:04,193 --> 01:36:07,283 ♪ It'll all be okay 1659 01:36:09,589 --> 01:36:13,202 ♪ You can soar Right through the wind 1660 01:36:14,507 --> 01:36:18,729 ♪ You can lose or you can win 1661 01:36:19,948 --> 01:36:22,820 ♪ I don't need to say it loud 1662 01:36:22,864 --> 01:36:29,000 ♪ But I hope I made you proud 1663 01:36:29,044 --> 01:36:33,831 ♪ I remember what you said 1664 01:36:33,875 --> 01:36:39,271 ♪ To live my life With no regret 1665 01:36:39,315 --> 01:36:44,407 ♪ Because we only get One chance 1666 01:36:44,450 --> 01:36:49,934 ♪ To make it count And make it last 1667 01:36:49,978 --> 01:36:55,113 ♪ Even when you're far away. 1668 01:36:55,157 --> 01:37:00,727 ♪ The things you taught me Always stay 1669 01:37:00,771 --> 01:37:05,863 ♪ On my mind and in my heart 1670 01:37:05,907 --> 01:37:11,303 ♪ So we will never be apart