Is there anything more beautiful than that photo as we head into Memorial Day Weekend?

The American flag above is a fully-inflated, amazing hot air balloon. It's known as "America One" and took off at about 6:30 a.m. this morning in Omaha, Nebraska where it will also appear tonight at a Balloon Glow in the city. Now, for more on that balloon.

Patriotic Productions says "America One" is the largest American flag hot air balloon in the world. US flag balloon says it's an incredible 78-feet long, 53-feet high, and 33-feet deep. KETV reports the balloon "can hold more than 700,000 3-foot-by-5-foot flags inside it. "America One" weighs 530 pounds and can carry three people.

"America One" is owned by Barry and Teri DiLibero and is based in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. The two ordered the balloon a week after the attacks of September 11, 2001. It's flown over a third of U.S. states, but today is the first time it has been in the Midwest. "America One" isn't the only hot air balloon that Barry and Teri fly around the U.S.

The DiLibero's also own the "Patriot" (The Space Shuttle). This one is 190-feet tall, 115-feet wide, and weighs just under 1,000 pounds.

In the photo below, the two are just above the water in Lewiston/Auburn, Maine.

The third balloon owned by the DiLibero family is "Flighthouse" (The Flying Lighthouse). The "smallest" of these huge and beautiful balloons, it's 115-feet tall, 53-feet wide, and weighs 440 pounds.

Here are the three of them flying side by side.

Here in Cedar Rapids, the annual Freedom Festival Balloon Glow is moving to Saturday night this year and will be held at a new location. Tickets for the June 18 event in the Frisbee Golf Course at Jones Park are now available. In addition to up to 12 hot air balloons, Great American Kites will be returning for the 2022 event.

More From AM 950 KOEL