World’s Largest Free-flying Flag Honors America
June 15, 2016
WORLD’S LARGEST FREE-FLYING FLAG HONORS AMERICA ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FLAG DAY
Balloon Festival, PNC Launch Nation’s Celebrations
HOBOKEN, NJ — The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank launched the nation’s Flag Day celebrations by raising the world’s largest free-flying American Flag on Tuesday, June 14 — the 100th anniversary of Flag Day.
The PNC Salutes America special shaped hot air balloon was inflated at Steven’s Institute of Technology in Hoboken in celebration of the centennial anniversary of the establishment of Flag Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and in preparation of its annual flights at the upcoming 34th annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, July 29-30-31, at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ.
Created by pilot Barry DiLibero of Modena, PA following 9/11, the red, white and blue balloon stands a majestic 53 feet tall, is 78 feet wide, 29 feet deep, and weighs 530 pounds. It requires 30 million BTUs of propane to be fully inflated.
The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank has flown the American Flag balloon in the New York area every year since 9/11; this is the 15th consecutive year they have honored the nation by doing so.
It is one of 100 sport and special shaped balloons that will fly at this year’s Festival, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America.
Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman, PNC Senior Vice President Joe Whall and balloon pilot Barry DiLibero were each interviewed as the event garnered strong media coverage with live TV broadcasts on the PIX11 Morning News and News12 New Jersey. Additional media outlets included the News4New York traffic helicopter, Verizon FiOS1 News, The Record and the Jersey Journal/NJ.com.
The balloon also launched the 239th anniversary of the adoption of the flag of the United States by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.
For more information on this year’s Festival visit www.balloonfestival.com.
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