Produced by 7 time Emmy award winner Dennis Kane! Available for the first time on DVD!
the
film
Synopsis
Bob Waligunda, a 26-year-old balloonist, decided to embark on an incredible cross country journey few have attempted. He would travel from one coast of the United States to the other in an eight story high red, white and blue hot air balloon, named "America." Launching himself from a barge on the ocean side of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, he began an adventure of a lifetime that would test his resilience against the elements, as well as his faith in the generosity of strangers he would meet along the way. “The Great American Balloon Adventure” is a grand depiction of high risk ballooning set against a stunning backdrop of the most famous landmarks in the U.S. From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Grand Canyon, to Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore, and on to New York City, Bob traversed the American landscape from a breathtaking bird’s eye view. While originally produced in 1971 by seven-time Emmy award winner Dennis Kane for Time Life Films, this documentary also premiered as a one hour TV special on the “Alcoa Hour.” Four decades later, Bob’s extraordinary excursion is now available to own for the first time on DVD.
about
bob
Bob Waligunda
Bob can only be classified as a Type A, Adventurer Extraordinaire. The “Curious
George” of all things risky and a strong proponent of the motto “Don’t live a life full of
regrets.” Bob’s zeal for the most strenuous physical challenges spans many activities
other than ballooning, including the piloting of airplanes and ultralights, sky diving,
hang gliding, scuba diving, canoe racing and bungee jumping, just to name a few.
But his first love above all else is flying. As a child, Bob was filled with awe with all
things that fly. As he gazed into the sky at the airplanes that flew overhead, he imagined
that he, too, could pilot his own aircraft one day. And eventually that spirit for adventure,
that passion for flight, and that enthusiasm for the ultimate adrenaline rush fueled his
desire to learn how to become a pilot.
As a young teenager, Bob focused his attention to aviation by working toward his fixed
wings pilots license in the Civil Air Patrol. However, when he saw his first balloon in
person while attending college, he started training the next morning with the excitement
of a new adventure in flight, with many potential business options. Full Bio
