At the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest, these people chase the balloons

At the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest, these people chase the balloons

It was barely 6 a.m., but the crew of Czech Mate was already in action. A half dozen volunteers offloaded equipment for what they hoped would be the first successful flight of the weekend at the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest in Presque Isle. From a trailer hitched to Seth and Katherine Bailey’s truck, out came the basket, the burner, then the massive envelope of the hot air balloon. All around them, a dozen other teams completed the same ritual. W…