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June 2 - June 5, 2011

Shoot Out Pilots

Name: Sarah Johnson 7 Years Sarah, along with her husband Mark most enjoy the people in Carson City. Meeting new friends, and making new each year is the highlight of their yearly trips to Shoot-Out.

Name: Jim Birk 40 Years As a young pilot Jim flew in Carson City many years ago with former mayor Dan Herald. His most recent favorite memory is winning the first competitive competition in decades when he returned to Carson City in 2006.

Name: Shawn Raya 24 Years In 2009, Shawn and his wife Sandra participated in the Kids Health and Safety day as they have every year that they have come. It happened to be the first year that the Carson City Lions Club sponsored a booth called “Project Kidsight”. A special camera is used to take a polaroid picture of a child’s eyes, and is then sent to an optometrist for examination. As a result of that picture being taken, they were notified that one of their daughter’s was legally blind in one eye. She now wears glasses and is receiving corrective vision therapy.

Name: Mark Enszer 12 Years Mark’s finds that special bonds that he has made with some of his sponsors, are the most special memories he has of the festival. He also likes that it coincides with the last few games of the Stanley Cup playoffs…!

Name: Jerry Stehpan 37 Years in ballooning (Began flying for the Marine Corp 49 years ago) Along with Daria, Jerry’s favorite thing about Frontier Days is the very friendly people that they meet in Carson City during the festival, as well as the people they meet during take-offs and landings.

Name: Joey Gauthier 36 Years The most wonderful thing about our small town festival according to Joey and his wife Pat, is hands down, the people they have met here. Over the few years, it has been a mini homecoming of sorts when they return to see the friends they have made.

Name: Matt Niemi 4 Years Aside from the flying, the best thing that Matt sees during the yearly event is that everyone in our community is having a good time celebrating our town. Carson City is a great place to live, and helping get the festival ‘off the ground’ every year is something that Matt enjoys very much.

Name: Dave Mohr 25 Years When calling Carson City home for the Frontier Days Weekend, Dave and Cindy Mohr cite the small group of pilots, and the friendliness of the community among their favorite things about the event. Being taken care of by festival staff and the local crew that help them throughout their stay makes it a weekend at home away from home.

Name: Roger Beebe 26 Years While ballooning is one of Roger and Jane’s favorite hobbies, they also love to travel with their RV. Being able to do both at the same time makes the Shoot-Out one of their most favorite events. The friendliness of the organizers, and volunteers coupled with the ability to camp instead of lodging in a hotel for the weekend are the most notable positives of the Frontier Days experience.

Name: Wes Dickerson 31 Years Returning for his second year, Wes most enjoys the Grand parade, the community and the people. Everyone seems to really get excited about the balloons, and it is wonderful to feel so welcome!

Name: Jeff Pestun 13 Years Jeff loves bringing his sport to a great community event.

Name: Larry Coan 6 Years Larry and his family love to return to Carson City each year to see the new friends that they have made, and to spend a weekend camping with the family that they fly with each summer. Frontier Days is the only event in Michigan that hosts their pilots in campers at a private campground, and it is an experience that all of the pilots enjoy!

Name: Don Wertman, II 25 Years Don Wertman’s best memories of the the Shoot-Out are time times around the campfire on Saturday night. There are some really great people in ballooning and this event has a setting different that others. Maybe it's the small town or the great people in the area, but Don and his balloon crew really enjoy this event even if it rains the whole weekend. He thanks the community for having him back for the last 6 Years!

Name: Chuck Walz 18 Years Chuck and his wife Cindy most value the camping, local friends, and the event organizers. Traveling around the state and country attending many events has given them a perspective about event planning. Events that strike a balance between taking care of the pilots, committee, and the community are the events that this husband and wife team enjoy the most!

Name: Paul Petrehn 18 Years Most notable about Carson City is the great hospitality, fun competition and interesting stories around the post-flight campfire.

Name: Ron Groce 39 Years Ron’s favorite thing about the Hot Air Balloon Shoot-Out is the flying. It’s a nice, beautiful place to fly over. It is quiet, and beautifully landscaped.