2008

October 7 & 8, 1972

Pilots

Derek Howard

Matt Widerkher

Bill Murtorff

Karl Stefan

Sid Cutter

Tom Gabel

David Evans

Ray Gallahger

Greg Wilson

Bill Murtorff told me that Marie Ella Davis and some friends formed a group and bought a Semco balloon  in the mid ‘60s in Houston. It mostly did tethers. Every landing was an adventure. Forrest Patton bought a Piccard balloon in the late ‘60s. He flew it for a couple of years and then sold it to a guy in Kansas who printed Forrest’s logbook. Murtorff read it and said it was filled with humorous adventures. Also there was a Raven balloon in Dallas named the “Star of Texas” maybe owned by Robert Mayo. Karl Stefan also flew the balloon at several events.

In Austin, Derek Howard and Randy Rogers bought a Raven balloon in 1970. Derek taught Bill Murtorff in 1971.

Murtorf said the balloon prices back then were: Raven $5000, Piccard $4000 and Semco $3000. He bought the Piccard. In the spring of 1972 he was one of 13 pilots to fly in the first Albuquerque balloon event. Bill’s first student was Tom Gabel.

Lloyd

Poster courtesy of the David Smuck Collection

Pioneers