NATCHEZ — While the weather for the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race was near perfect all weekend long, many pilots had trouble scoring on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, that was not the case.

Balloonmeister Bill Cunningham said the Sunday morning flight turned out to be the best conditions for the pilots all weekend.

“This morning is what you wait for,” he said. “When you have over 50 pilots score on the same morning, you know the weather is good for flying.”

The morning flight started at 7 a.m., as pilots were told their first target was once again going to be behind the Natchez Mall.

Pilots were told to take off from wherever they thought would lead them to the mall the best, with many choosing lift off at the Adams County Port.

Richard Sabin of Longview, Texas came the closest to the first target, scoring 1,000 points for his toss.

After pilots left the mall, their next target was at Melrose, where a crowd of area residents and tourists waited to see the balloons in action.

John Good of Baton Rouge scored 1,000 points for his toss at Melrose, landing less than a meter away from the center of the target.

The afternoon flight, which is not part of the competition, is a chance for the few pilots that stick around to enjoy the last flight of the weekend.

Approximately half a dozen balloons lifted off south of Vidalia and floated to the Riverfront to complete the final flight of the GMRBR.

Cunningham said the success of the weekend came down to the people behind the scenes running the event.

“It could not have happened without them,” he said. “There are classy, first rate people running this event.”

Spirit of Steckler award winner Suzan Hogue said volunteer work at the festival is what keeps the race going.

“Without the hard work and dedication of the volunteers, who knows what we would do,” she said.

Volunteers who helped crew the balloons for the pilots are always appreciated, Cunningham said.

“They give up their time and come out to help,” he said. “I know the pilots couldn’t fly without the help from the crew members.”

Cunningham said the sponsors for the event should also not go overlooked.

“There always has to be money for an event like this,” he said. “We are thankful for everyone who sponsored a the race in any way.”