"CHANNEL CHAMP" EXHIBIT OPENED MAY 20, 2006

Ed Yost, pilot of the flight, and inventor of the modern hot air balloon was present and talked with the people about this historic flight. A short movie with actual footage of the flight photographed, prepared and narrated by Don Piccard, and a short PowerPoint Slide show about the flight made by Museum Board Member, Dennis Nicholson, were shown in the museum theater.

A program of recognition was held at 2:00 p.m. Gary Ruble, President of the National Balloon Museum Board of Directors introduce Orvin Olivier, Balloon Federation of America Board Member, and chair of the BFA Awards Committee who in turn introduced Ed Yost and Russ Pohl. Pohl was a crew member for the flight and Senior Physicist for Raven Industries.

Image Gallery

Click on on image below to open a larger version.

Testing Burner at Cardington Hanger	In Flight	Lifting Off	Russ Pohl, Ed Yost & Don Piccard get ready for flight	Ed Yost & Orvin Olivier in tethered inflation Summer 2005	Display Case & Channel Champ
Channel Champ Exhibit	West Wall of Exhibit	Tethered Inflation at International Balloon Fiesta in Octrober of 2005	France in the distance	Approaching coastline of France	Don Piccard was the Flight Photographer. He is shown here after the flight with a celebratory cigar.
Ed Yost at the controls	Inflated and ready for lift off	The "Channel Champ" landed. Don Piccard at left with hands raised, Ed Yost Standing beside board	Ed Yost with the Channel Champ	Ed Yost and Russ Pohl in Exhibit	Ed Yost Speaking and Answring Questions about the Flight at the Balloon Museum May 2006
Ed Yost, Pilot of the Channel Champ & Inventer of the Modern Hot Air Balloon	Ed Yost Autographing	Minh Tran, Simpson College Student was the artist who painted the exhibit background