{"id":34319,"date":"2015-12-08T12:43:11","date_gmt":"2015-12-08T18:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=34319"},"modified":"2015-12-15T10:59:06","modified_gmt":"2015-12-15T16:59:06","slug":"aiming-high-owc-gear-helps-bring-ballooning-documentaries-to-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/34319-aiming-high-owc-gear-helps-bring-ballooning-documentaries-to-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Aiming High: OWC Gear Helps Bring Ballooning Documentaries to Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It might seem ironic that a 20-year Navy veteran would retire in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin and spend most of his free time around flying machines. But John Ross is a master of anomalies.<\/p>\n

He was also a college IT instructor for 24 years and currently hosts a technology talk show, has served as co-chairman of Flight Line Operations at the EAA\u2019s (Experimental Aircraft Association) Airventure Oshkosh, and is a self-described hot air balloon experience sharer.<\/p>\n

Airventure Oshkosh is an annual weeklong air show held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that attracts aircraft of every type from around the globe. This year, more than 14,000 aircraft were viewed by more than a half million people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe air show is an excellent opportunity for young and old to get up close and personal with some of the coolest aircraft people build, work on and fly,\u201d <\/i>he noted. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of fun for everyone but it\u2019s also a logistical nightmare and every year, the committee of volunteers is amazed that it actually comes together and runs so smoothly.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably no surprise that he \u201cescapes\u201d the bedlam by taking to the skies himself. The difference is he does it in silence in a hot air balloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cFloating over the landscape and maneuvering over the countryside, especially the rising spires and rock walls of the southwest, is great therapy,\u201d <\/i>he explained. \u201cBut over the past two years, I really wanted to share these adventures and the work\/fun of hot air ballooning with a wider audience.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

As a result, he tapped his other passion, visual storytelling to create a series of HD documentaries to highlight the beauty of ballooning. He wanted to tell the whole story, including the hard work that accompanies the flights as well as the tight-knit community of balloonists.<\/p>\n

One of the first was \u201cPlaying on the Rocks,\u201d a film that was done in partnership with Brady Lane (EAA). The film is about the growing event near Gallup, New Mexico that attracts more than 31 participants and is now available on YouTube — http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/qhowszk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 11-minute film was shot in the Red Rocks National Park in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

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Most of the festival events are strictly invitational and his goal is to broaden interest in the sport \u2013 not just to get people to acquire and fly balloons, but also participate as ground crew and occasional passengers.<\/p>\n

Ross is currently editing and producing two more films:<\/p>\n