Hot air balloon festival reaches record number of attendees

>> PHOTOS: The Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival in Middletown

When asked if he’d change anything about this year’s festival, Pearce said: “Nothing went wrong.”

He said attendance Friday and Saturday hit a record 24,700, an increase of 9% from last year. Spectators were permitted to watch the balloons fly into Smith Park for free Sunday morning.

“We had the center stage and the community delivered an epic performance,” Pearce said.

The balloonists performed four competitions and two balloon glows, said Middletown pilot Sean Askren, who competed in the Ohio Challenge.

Askren said he dedicated this year’s event to his good friend and fellow pilot Dave Troutman, of Louisville. Troutman, 57, died on May 22, 2024, his birthday, after battling three bouts of cancer.

During Saturday morning’s competition, the pilots’ target was an oversized T — in honor of Troutman — on the Smith Park grounds.

Askren said he was friends with Troutman for 30 years, and Troutman had competed in 14 Ohio Challenges, being the event’s only two-time winner.

They talked daily and Askren often sought Troutman’s advice on a wide range of topics.

“It was like losing a brother,” Askren said of Troutman’s death.

The competition was won by Andrew Nels, of Atlanta. Askren, sponsored by Airheads candy, finished ninth, the highest of any local pilot. He entered Sunday morning’s flight in 14th place, then climbed into the Top 10.

Whenever Askren and Troutman flew together, they always wore red shirts on Sunday, a tribute to Tiger Woods, Troutman’s favorite PGA golfer. Woods always wears red during the final round of tournaments.

Climbing five places on the final flight meant Troutman was “pretty proud of me,” Askren said.

Askren, 58, earned his student’s piloting license when he was 14, his private license at 17 and his commercial hot air balloon license when he was 19.

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