Not many people wake up early on a Sunday morning to see what Dennis Heidemann saw in his backyard on June 14 at 6:55 a.m. Heidemann, a resident of Holley, was in his kitchen looking out into his backyard when a huge shadow came over his house and yard. Heidemann went to a north window that looked over his backyard, only to see a giant hot air balloon landing. He couldn’t believe it and hoped the passengers were okay, and that nothing was wrong.
Heidemann approached the craft and asked if everyone was alright. The pilot, Rick Piendel of Pennsylvania, formerly of Hilton, assured him that everyone was fine; he had been taking a new employee, Jeff Bulmer and his wife Donna, of Medina, for a ride in his hot air balloon. Normally, Piendel would have someone from his ground crew check before landing on someone’s property, but the timing was off with the crew (his wife), and Heidemann’s backyard was near the pick-up area on Route 104.
Heidemann talked to the friendly group about the hot air balloon. They shared interesting stories and information about the company they worked for, Blaser Swisslube Inc., and Heidemann was able to take photos of the hot air balloon, the passengers, and the group breaking down the aircraft for pick up. It was definitely not a typical Sunday morning for Heidemann.
Rick Piendel said that Peter Blaser, president of the Swiss company Blaser Swisslube Inc., loved balloon festivals and noticed that companies had their names on the hot air balloons. He thought it was a great idea and wanted to promote his business in the same way. Blaser now owns over 40 balloons and has 35 pilots all over the world. Piendel manages the balloons in the United States. He builds, inspects, and maintains the balloons on the weekends, and works for the company during the week.
Piendel has flown hot air balloons in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and throughout the United States. In his travels, he has acquired several favorites. Lake Ontario is one of Piendel’s favorite spots to fly over. “I love the views over Lake Ontario. Anything can happen; you could even end up in the lake!” St. George, Utah, is another beautiful spot. “Going over Mount Zion is spectacular,” he said, noting that he goes there every year. “Flying over Switzerland, the colors are beautiful, and the land is maintained like a well-manicured golf course – to perfection.” Since COVID-19, Piendel hasn’t been flying much, and he misses it. He usually attends the Dansville Festival of Balloons, LTD, but it has not yet been determined if that festival will go on as scheduled over Labor Day weekend.
Jeff Bulmer was hired for a sales position in November and is the area manager for Blaser Swisslube Inc. This was his first time in a hot air balloon. Bulmer said, “I was helping get the balloon ready for takeoff, and Rick asked me to get into the basket. The next thing I know, we are sixty feet up. It was incredibly smooth; I didn’t feel a thing in takeoff. The whole ride was magical, and I can’t wait to fly again!”
Blaser Swisslube Inc. produces coolants, cutting oils, and grinding oils for machine shops all over the world. To learn more, visit www.blaser.com/en_US.
