Balloon Glow
limited edition
Modern hot air balloons were developed around 1960 and are used primarily for recreation. Most hot air balloon launches are made during the cooler hours of the day, at dawn or two to three hours before sunset. At these times of day, the winds are typically light making for easier launch and landing of the balloon. Hot air balloons consists of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air, suspended beneath it is a gondola which carries passengers and (usually) a source of heat, in most cases an open flame. By heating the air inside the envelope, it makes the balloon buoyant since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. What makes ballooning so attractive to most people is the exceptional quiet, the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed.
Fly Girl
limited edition
Introduced in 1940, the Vultee BT-13, nicknamed the "Vultee Vibrator", was the basic trainer flown by most American pilots during World War II. This particular plane was stationed out of Avenger Field in Texas, which at one time was the largest all-female air base in American history.
56 Pontiac Star Chief Hood Ornament
limited edition
According to the author of A History of Cars, the first "hood ornament" was a sun-crested falcon (to bring good luck) mounted on the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun's chariot. The hood ornament is often a distinctive styling element and many marques used it as their primary brand identifier. Gaining popularity in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, many automakers fitted them to their vehicles. Regulations introduced in the United States in 1968 meant the end of fixed stand-up hood ornaments because the projecting decorative designs on a cars hood increased the risk of injury to pedestrians in an accident, all hood ornaments after this date had to be spring designed.