See inside a hot air balloon’s flight across the Yakima Valley
Walla Walla-based hot air balloon pilot Devin White glances at the altimeter attached to Spectra, making a mental note of his altitude and wind speed. Spectra is White’s rainbow ombre-colored balloon and this year marks the fourth time he’s flown it at the Great Prosser Balloon Rally.
White is one of 24 pilots invited to showcase their balloons at this weekend’s 36th Annual Great Prosser Balloon Rally at the Port of Benton’s Prosser Airport at 111 Nunn Rd.
He looks out to the Lower Yakima Valley’s rolling hills, the glistening Yakima River and stretches of deep green farmland. Dozens of other colorful, floating balloons dot the sky.
For much of his life, ballooning has been a family affair. He started “chasing balloons” at age 10. Now he’s been a commercial pilot for five years, traveling to prestigious festivals like the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and the International Balloon Festival in León, Mexico.
This weekend, White’s mother, Sherry, is piloting the Splendour of Walla Walla and his father is driving the chasing vehicle.
It’s fitting then that his parents’ familiar chatter comes across the his radio.
White chuckles. He’s listening to them make a plan to land their balloon in a nearby field several miles south of the airfield.
White had a smooth ride — mostly following the interstate – and a safe landing at the Clore Winery and Culinary Center.
His crew included the Michener siblings, twins Lindsey and Levi, 16, and their younger brother, Nate, 12.
The three of them are part of White’s Prosser crew and regularly attend the festival to support White. They followed Spectra from the ground, towing a trailer with White’s truck.
The young, energetic crew put in some early morning hours to set up the basket, unfurl the 105,000-cubic-foot balloon, fill it with warm air and help with a successful takeoff and landing before heading to start their day at school.
White will wrap up the hot air balloon season, which typically runs May to October, at the festival. He offers paid hot air balloon rides out of Walla Walla through wallawallaballoonflights.com.
When he’s not flying, he works as a mechanical engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers at the Little Goose Dam on the Snake River.
Conditions were solid Friday. There was very little wind and little change in wind direction. Event chairman Morgan Everett said the good weather meant that flights were longer.
Multiple black pibals — small helium-filled balloons used to assess wind speed and direction — were sent into the air just after sunrise at the Port of Benton’s Prosser Airport before the balloons took flight
Everett expects at least one more day of good weather this weekend.
Depending on the weather, the balloons launch each morning at sunrise about 6:45 to 7:30 a.m. That’s the ideal time for hot air balloon flights, when they have the combination of cold morning air and the hot air inflating the balloon.
Between 500-600 people attended the first day’s events on Friday. Everett expects up to 3,000 on Saturday.
The airfield where the balloons launch is slightly smaller this year. The Port of Benton set up a fence to separate parking and the field and improve security.
About the rally
The festival continues Saturday and Sunday at the Prosser Airport. Parking and admission to the rally are free all weekend. Paid balloon rides are not available.
Visitors are welcome to take photographs from a safe distance. Drones are prohibited around the airport.
At dusk on Saturday, the popular Night Glow Show is held at Art Fiker Stadium at Prosser High School. Balloons will be anchored, illuminated and synchronized to music. Gates open at 6 p.m.
Admission is free for the show. New this year, Ben Franklin Transit will be providing bus service from four local parking lots to the event.
Other weekend events include the Harvest Festival, Caren Mercer-Andreasen Street Painting Festival in downtown Prosser and Saturday farmers market from 8 a.m. to noon.
Visit prosserballoonrally.org for the full schedule.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 4:25 PM.
