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88High

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Clouds and sun, warm and more humid.

See OIL, Page 4A

See CROWN, Page 4A

See SHELTER, Page 5A

VOL. CXCIV-No. 223

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Riding the windMeet the man who plansto cross the English Channelwith a bunch of balloons.

SATURDAY EXTRA

Staff photo by Raul R. Rubiera

Carrie Underwood gives the crowd a smile while performing at the Crown Coliseum on Friday. See more photos online at fayobserver.com.

COUNTRY MUSIC AT THE CROWN

UNDERWOOD SOARS

COMINGSUNDAY

! The 2005‘American Idol’ winnerreaches new heightsin Fayetteville.

By Brian DukesStaff writer

Carrie Underwood’s con-cert Friday night at theCrown Coliseum was literal-ly a high-flying affair.

Standing in the back of aminiature pickup suspendedby cables, the reigning

queen of country music glid-ed over the heads of thenear-capacity crowd of7,500 during a cover perfor-mance of John Denver’s“Take Me Home, CountryRoads.”

“You’re not seeing things,people,” Underwood told theaudience. “I am in a flyingblue truck. I think I official-ly have the best seat in thehouse.”

Long before belting out afew tunes in the replica air-

HOME RUN FOR LOCAL VENUE

Hard work, luck led to booking

See CONCERT, Page 4A

By Brian DukesStaff writer

When country music superstarCarrie Underwood stepped on stageat the Crown Coliseum on Fridaynight, it represented a combinationof aggressive marketing, hard workand dumb luck.

“This is huge for us,” Karen Longsaid last week.

Long is the general manager andCEO of the Crown Center. “When

she announced the tour, this was heronly North Carolina date, and we’vegot it. Not Raleigh or Charlotte.”

According to Underwood’s web-site, the singer will be in Greensboroand Charlotte in October.

A near-capacity crowd of about7,500 attended Friday night’s show,part of Underwood’s “Play On”tour.

The concert comes shortly after

ROBESONCOUNTY

Sheltertoo quickto kill,suit says

OIL SLICK LANDFALL

Document: BP had no plan for spill

! An animal rightsgroup claims adoptionefforts are thwarted.

By Mike HixenbaughStaff writer

ST. PAULS — A Winston-Salem animal rights advo-cate is suing the RobesonCounty Animal Shelter foreuthanizing cats and dogs af-ter they had been flaggedfor adoption.

The Gerber Animal LawCenter of Raleigh filed thesuit Thursday in RobesonCounty on behalf of SusanBarrett. After reading thecomplaint, District CourtJudge Jeffrey Moore issueda restraining order barringshelter staff from euthaniz-ing a dog or cat after a res-cue group says it will adoptthe animal.

The suit lists Health

FORT BRAGGSOLDIERS

INTERNETGOES GAGAFOR TROOPS’

PARODYBy Amneris SolanoStaff writer

Army Sgt. Aaron Melcherhas some sweet dancemoves.

His wife, Michelle Melch-er, can attest to that. Andnow, so can the rest of the In-ternet-loving world.

Melcher and several of hisfellow paratroopers have be-come Internet celebrities af-ter filming a parody of aLady Gaga video in Afghan-istan. The soldiers, with the82nd Airborne Division’s 4thBrigade Combat Team,danced their rucksacks off tothe song “Telephone,” com-plete with costumes andchoreography.

The video was postedSee PARODY, Page 5A

Watch the Lady Gaga parodyvideo at fayobserver.com.

By Cain Burdeauand Holbrook MohrThe Associated Press

MOUTH OF THE MISSIS-SIPPI RIVER — BritishPetroleum once downplayedthe possibility of a catas-trophic accident at an off-shore rig that exploded,causing the worst U.S. oilspill in decades along theGulf Coast and endangeringshoreline habitat.

In its 2009 explorationplan and environmental im-pact analysis for the well,BP suggested it was unlike-ly, or virtually impossible,for an accident to occur thatwould lead to a giant crudeoil spill and serious damage

to beaches, fish and mam-mals.

At least 1.6 million gal-lons of oil have spilled so farsince the April 20 explosionthat killed 11 workers, ac-cording to Coast Guard es-timates. One expert saidFriday that the volume ofoil leaking from the wellnearly 5,000 feet below thesurface could actually bemuch higher, and that evenmore may escape if thedrilling equipment contin-ues to erode.

“The sort of occurrencethat we’ve seen on the Deep-water Horizon is clearly un-

AP photo

Danene Birtell, left, and Dr. Erica Miller of Tri-StateBird Rescue and Research clean an oil-covered birdin Fort Jackson, La., on Friday.

Prepare to voteGear up for Tuesday’sprimary election with aguide to region’s races.Perspective

Scottish heritageSt. Andrews PresbyterianCollege band preservesthe bagpipe’s history.Sunday Life Magazine

The Pirate leaderECU’s new head footballcoach, Ruffin McNeill Jr.,has Lumberton roots.Page 1A

GOLF: TIGER WOODS MISSES THE CUT AT QUAIL HOLLOW SPORTS, 1C

SaturdayExtraTHE FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010

Takingflight

Jonathan Trappe plansan extraordinaryadventure in June,

when he will attemptto cross the EnglishChannel via cluster

balloon.Page 2E

inside B I R T H S 7E • P E T S 8E • H I G H S C H O O L H E A D L I N E S 17E • D E A R A B B Y 24E • C O M I C S 24E

THE FAYETTEVILLEAA OBSERVER MAY 1AA , 2010 SATURDAA AYDD EXTRA2E

BillKirby Jr.rr

Organizers of the sixth annual EastoverHeritage Day have something to say.

Bring your lawn chairs.Sit a spell.The celebration is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4

p.m. today at the Eastover Ballpark, kicking offwith a parade at Armstrong Elementary School.Festivities includeuu hamburgers, hot dogs, funnelcakes, ice cream, a bake sale featuring cakesand pies from the community’s finest bakers.

The event also includescrafts, farm exhibits, a carshow and raffles, as well aschildren’s activities. Musicalentertainment will beprovided by the MacWilliams Middle School band,The Stillwater Quartet andthe Craig Woolard Band andMiss Eastover. Proceeds,

according to organizers, provide recreationalopportunities for all ages in the Eastovercommunity. The event is sponsored by theEastover Civic Club, the Eastover CommunityPark Association and community businesses.There is no admission charge. For moreinformation, visit www.townofeastovernc.com orcall 483-6725.% The local chapter of the March of Dimes

“Walk for Babies” fundraiser is scheduled for10 a.m. today on the Methodist Universitycampus at 5400 Ramsey St. Registration for the3.1-mile walk is slated for 9 a.m. Call 483-3691.% The 16th annual Fayetteville Shrine Club

Golf Tournament is scheduled for Thursday atBaywood Golf Course. Registration is at12:30 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start inthe captain’s choice event. Entry fee is $65 pergolfer. Proceeds benefit Fayetteville Shrine Clubactivities and the Sudan Temple TransportationFund. Call 624-3066.% “Please help us save babies,” Jackie Carter

says about the local March of Dimes GolfTournament, which is scheduled for 1 p.m.Friday at King’s Grant Golf and Country Club.Entry fee for the captain’s choice event is $70per golfer, which includes greens fee, cart fee,mulligan’s, red tees, refreshments and a meal.Entry deadline is today. The tournament issponsored by Citifinancial. Call 488-6670 or630-1114.% Entry deadline for the Amy Bill Ministries

Golf Tournament, with proceeds benefitingMoses Mathis, “The Bicycle Man,” is Friday.The cost per golfer is $60. The event isscheduled for 1 p.m. May 14 at Cypress LakesGolf Course. Call 822-1630.% Cheers to the North Fayetteville

Exchange Club, which recently continued withits “Care Bears” program to assist theCumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Deputiesdistribute the stuffed animals to children whohave been victimized by crimes and otherrelated trauma.Bill KirbyKK can be reached at kirbyb@fayobserver.comrror 323-4848, ext. 486.

UP IN THE AIREastover celebratesrich heritage today

BALLOONIST HOLDSONTO CTT HILDLIKE DREAM

Contributed photo by Arnold Greenwell

Pilot Jonathan Trappe and The Spirit Cluster launch at the Wings of Carolina Flying Club at Raleigh Executive Airport inSanford.

By Chick JacobsStaff writer

SANFORD

W hen Jonathan Trappeflies, he goes solo.

But he never fliesalone.WW

Whether gliding two milesabove the Earth in a high-techgondola, or just watching theworld go by in a purloined deskchair from work, the rail-thin37-year-old carries a world ofdreamers in his hip pocket.

“What child hasn’t dreamedof hanging onto a cluster ofballoons and floating off into thesky?” Trappe mused.

The rest of us let go of those

balloons, those dreams, as wegrew older, perhaps glimpsingthem becoming distant dots aswe got on with the business oflife.

Jonathan Trappe didn’t. Usinga blend of wonder and a healthydose of technical projectmanager, he has become perhapsthe world’s foremost spokesmanfor cluster ballooning.

Granted, there’s not muchcompetition for that position.There are maybe a dozencluster balloonists in the world,he says, and generally the onlytime you hear about the groupis when something goes wrong.

Because, he notes, when

things go wrong, they really gowrong.

“When everything is working,the only person who knowsyou’re up there is you,” Trappesays.

Well, you, your flight crew,the authorities and theoccasional airplane pilot whohas to pinch himself.

See BALLOONS, Page 3E

WANT TO LEARNMORE?% Jonathan Trappe’s exploits arechronicled atwww.clusterballoon.com.

THE FAYETTEVILLEAA OBSERVERSATURDAA AYDD EXTRA MAY 1AA , 2010 3E

Balloons: In June, Trappe willww try to make the first cluster flight over the English ChannelFrom Page 2E

% % %Trappe is a stickler for

safety, both for himselfand the unsuspecting publicbelow. When he takes off,everything is done by thebook.

Even if he’s writing thebook as he goes.

“I take safety veryseriously,” he says. It’sabout the only time that hissmile slips from his face.“It’s never acceptable toput others in any danger.”

You get the idea. Thisisn’t your “grab a lawnchair, bungee chords andsome Army surplusweather balloons” yokel ona lark. Trappe is cautious,meticulous in planning andexacting in execution. Hispassion is an unusualmelding of a level-headed,soft-spoken fellow with aneye for details and a mindthat wanders among theclouds.

Cluster ballooning is justwhat the name implies. Acollection of gas-filledballoons (usually helium)are attached to a harness,which holds a passenger.When enough balloons areconnected, they beginfloating.

Some balloonists danglefrom a parasailing sort ofsetup. Some nestle inoversized chairs. Trappeuses a wrap-around harnessthat looks sort of like acar’s child seat.

Like the standard hugesingle-balloon pilot, theyride the wind in silence.Their climbing and fallingthrough the air depends ona system of ballast and gas.

Technically, they areconsidered experimental

aircraft. Since everyonecomes up with their ownsystem, there’s no definedparameters for flight.

“If you can imagine howto do it, then you can doit,” Trappe said.

% % %The first question

Trappe usually fields, afterthe inevitable query abouthis sanity, is if his passionfor floating flight wasfueled by the Disney/Pixarmovie “Up.”

It wasn’t. He wasairborne long before grumpyCarl Fredricksen took flighton the big screen. In fact,Trappe helped Pixar build aballoon-bouyant armchair touse during the film’spublicity tour.

Trappe’s introduction to

his passion was far moremundane: an article in theWall Street Journal aboutan oddball endeavor called“cluster ballooning.’’ Itincluded the now-legendarymisadventure of“Lawnchair” Larry Walters,who in 1982 ended upcrashing a balloon-festoonedlawn chair into some powerwires in southern California,blacking out thousands ofhomes.

Trappe admired the idea,if not the daredeviltry. Ifsuch a flight could be madesafe, it would be worth theeffort.

He began planning hisfirst flight at work,borrowing his desk chairfor the event. For months,he and a group of friendstook over the living room

and back porch of his ever-patient girlfriend (andsubsequent flight crewchief) Nidia Raul-Ramirez,tinkering with balloons,pulleys, rock climbing gearand “what if” scenarios.

Trappe also earned hisFAA certification andlearned to fly hot airballoons. “Every little bitof knowledge might comein handy,’’ he said.

Finally, after figuringeverything from lift perballoon (15 pounds) to ballast(he chose water over sand,figuring if he landed inparched country “you can’tdrink sand”) and enduringsome “substantial, nontrivialfears,” he was ready.

On a muggy summer

Contributed photo; staff photos by Raul R. Rubiera

Jonathan Trappe takes a picture of the view from 4,000 feet above the Sanford airport. Atright, staff photographer Raul R. Rubiera shot photos of Trappe discussing the mechanicsof his balloon cluster. TopTT right, TrappeTT displays the two different types of balloons heuses. Right center, TrappeTT uses a water ballast when he is ballooning. At bottom right,John Hunter, left, from the Wings of Carolina Flying Club and Nidia Raul-Ramirez, Trappe’screw chief and girlfriend, hold up the harness attached to the chair, which Trappe will usethis summer to attempt a crossing of the English Channel.

See BALLOONS, Page 4E

THE FAYETTEVILLEAA OBSERVER MAY 1AA , 2010 SATURDAA AYDD EXTRA4E

YOU DON’T TRAVELAA LIGHTDespite what you might think, packing for a flight suspending by dozens of balloons can bepretty complicated. Here’s Jonathan Frappe’s carry-on luggage for his flights:

BalloonsFrom Page 3E

morning in 2008, about 20volunteers helped JonathanTrappe launch the self-christened “Chairway toHeaven.” Four hours and50 miles later, thecontraption and Trappe setback down in a farmer’smuddy field.

The chair, now retiredfrom flying, was cleanedoff and taken back to hiswork desk at Accenture inRaleigh. He still uses it.

“It’s just as well it wasretired,” he said. “It’s avery comfortable chair ...for about the first hour.”

Trappe’s latest flight, onApril 10, was by far themost ambitious. The flightset a world record forlength of time in the air,and was the firstdocumented overnight flight.

It also included anadditional element ofpotential danger. The windsaloft, which dictate thecraft’s direction, could easilysteer him into the congestedflight paths of RDU or glidehim into restricted air spaceover Fort Bragg.

“It just so happens theywere holding live fireexercises at Bragg on thatday,” Trappe said. “The

restricted airspace aroundPope was closed up to29,000 feet. I didn’t thinkthey’d actually view me asa target, but with all theactivity down there, itwouldn’t be a good day tofloat through.”

Instead, Trappecalculated the currents,reading them like anexperienced riverboat pilotreads a riverbank. He’d hitcha ride on one level, driftingaway from the firepower ofBragg, then climb above thetraffic of RDU.

“The low-level winds

would have pushed us inthe right direction,” headded. But flying a clusterof balloons at about 1,000feet at night isn’t really agood idea. Too many thingslike TV towers are waitingout therein the dark.”

Trappe took off next tothe Wings of CarolinaFlying Club building at theairport. Several of thegroup’s pilots helped fillthe 50-plus balloons anddragged their kids along inthe pre-dawn chill.

“I’m sure they werethinking that they’d never

get a chance to see a guyfloat away in a bunch ofballoons,” Trappe said.“One of the neatest thingswas, as I was floating up, Icould hear one little girlyelling ‘Bye-bye!’ Here Iwas, hundreds of feet inthe air, and her voice wasfloating up to me. She keptyelling as I floated away.”

Day turned to evening asTrappe watched the worldsilently glide below him.

“Up there, there’s nosound. No propellers, noengines. There’s no soundof wind, like in a glider.

You are on the wind. It’struly silent.”

During the night, in aslow mosey less than amile above the greaterRaleigh area, Trappe brokethe silence, chatting withthe RDU control tower,some local Ham radiooperators, even a 737 pilotwho sailed below him.

“The controller at RDU,he was just awesome towork with,” Trappe said.“He told me there was notraffic within 80 miles. Iliterally had the sky tomyself.”

He cruised southeastthrough the night, glidingover Selma just beforedaybreak. Then, with thecoastline closing in andunpleasant memories offellow cluster balloonistswho unwisely ventured overwater, Trappe shifted courseonce more, landing near theWayne-Wilson county line.His support crew and a fewffunimpressed cows werethere to greet him.

% % %Trappe’s next flight will

likely gain more attention— and carry an entirelydifferent collection ofmemories.

In early June, he willattempt to make the firstcluster flight over theEnglish Channel. The time,

and the history, with ageneration of airborne vetsin the region wasn’t lost onhim.

“Early June flying overthe English Channel toFrance means an awful lotto a bunch of people,” hesaid. “If things worked outso I could make the flighton June 6, wouldn’t that beamazing?

“Of course, if I endedup flying over Normandy,I’d be way off course!”

Instead, he plans to takethe most direct route thewinds will allow, flying overas little ocean as possible.

“Way too many thingscould happen,” he said.“That time of year, I’llhave up to 16 hours oflight, but I don’t want touse them all.”

The logistics of flyingfrom one country toanother are complicated,especially if you don’tknow quite where you’relanding. But, Trappe said,it’s one more dream.

“It’s such a narrowribbon of water, but soiconic. It has called toaviators for centuries.”

And he’ll have thedreams of the world ascarry-on luggage.Staff writer Chick Jacobs can bereached at jacobsc@fayobserver.comrror 486-3515.

% Altimeter% Oxygen canister (requiredfor flights above 12,000 feet)% Cold-weather clothing,including gloves and thermalsocks (temperatures aremuch colder aloft)% Sunglasses% Sunscreen (UV rays aremuch stronger above theclouds)% GPS tracking system% Battery-powered beaconand flight lights% LED light (for night reading

of maps)% Motorcycle battery% Backup motorcyclebattery, in case the first onegives out% Aviator maps% Kneeboard for maps% Scanner for ground crew% Scanner for aircraft% Ballast bags, each holdingthree gallons of water. (Whywater, not sand? Becauseyou can’t drink sand.)% Camera

% Flight bag to hold smallstuff% Sandwiches (peanut butterand jelly are traditional)% Passport, pilot license andcraft certification (in case ofwary officials)% Credit card% Cash (in case credit cardsaren’t accepted wherever helands)% Cutting tool for emergencydescent% Parachute (in case cuttingtool was required)

1985: Bragg psyop battalion activated10 YEARS AGO%May 1, 2000:

Fayetteville Police ChiefRon Hansen retires fromthe department he has ledsince 1984.%May 1aa , 2000: About

100 people gather atHighsmith-Rainey MemorialHospital to mark the firstanniversary of the chh ounty’stakeover of the hospital. Thecounty holds a ceremony infront of Highsmith-Raineytt tounveil two plaques markingthe county’s ownership ofthe hospital. This is thesecond time the county hasowned the hospital.

25 YEARS AGO%May 2aa , 1985: The 1st

Special Operation Command

— the 9th PsychologicalOperation Battalion — isactivated. This increases thenumber of active-duty psyopbattalions to four, allstationed at Fort Braggunder the 4th Psyop Group.The unit was originallyformed in April 1952 as the9th Loudspeaker and LeafletCompany at Fort Riley. Itwas inactivated in 1953.

35 YEARS AGO%May 2, 1975: The

Moore County AlcoholicBeverage Control Boardreveals plans to build anew $200,000 centralwarehouse and new ABCstore in Southern Pines.%May 5aa , 1975:

Cumberland CountyCommissioners learn it willcost the county $500,000 tobuy the land and restore thedam to make Hope MillsLake No. 2 into a countypark. The commissionerspurchased an option to buythe 86-acre proposed parksite several months agowhen they thought the landacquisition and damrestoration could be financedfor approximately $100,000.

From theArchiveii s

Michelle Luther

50 YEARS AGO%May 1aa , 1960: Present

and former pastors and thecongregation of GalatiaPresbyterial Church in theSeventy-First communitygather for a groundbreakinguuservice to officially start theconstruction of a newsanctuary. The new buildingbbwill replace the century-oldlandmark which wasdestroyed by fire inDecember.%May 6aa , 1960: The

population in Fayetteville islisted at 46,472, according toU.S. Census Bureau districtsupervisor Ray V. Revels.Fort Bragg’s total barracks-housed military personnelwas 16,353 and 1,425 atPope Air Force Base.

LOOKING BACK

Contributed photo

The large vessel in the center is a World War II submarinechaser used as a dock. The ‘Florida’ is the Oscar P.Breece yacht on the right.