Paul Petrehn wins U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship

Paul Petrehn of Howell, Mich., has been named the winner of this year’s U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship, flown for the second year in Longview.

Petrehn was followed by Rhett Heartsill, Pat Cannon, Jeff Pestun and Joe Zvada to round out the top five.

Wil LaPointe of Collinsville, Okla. is the overall Great Texas Balloon Race winner. Heartsill, of San Angelo, is the Texas State Champion.

The final flight for the races was this morning with a target at East Texas Regional Airport, capping off more than a week of balloon events surrounding the national race and the 36th Great Texas Balloon Race.

via – Longview News-Journal