AN ACR MDT CREW FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE MIDST OF A HOT AIR BALLOON RALLY. NMAC.

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ON ARR IN BMI; CREW NOTICED A COUPLE OF HOT AIR BALLOONS JUST N OF THE ARPT. WE WERE 7 NM E FOR A STRAIGHT-IN RWY 29. AS WE CONTINUED TO DSND; WE NOTICED AT LEAST 50 OR MORE AND THEY WERE BEING LAUNCHED FROM THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF RWY 29 AND THE PREVAILING WINDS WERE CARRYING THEM NE ACROSS THE DEP END OF RWY 29. WE QUESTIONED THE TWR AS TO WHY THE RALLY WASN'T ON THE ATIS. TWR RESPONDED THAT HE 'THOUGHT IT WAS NOTAMED.' I ADVISED THAT WE HADN'T SEEN ANY -- OUR DISPATCH LATER SEARCHED AND ALSO FOUND NONE AT ALL. I ALSO ADVISED TWR THAT THE ATIS WOULD HELP US FOR PLANNING PURPOSES IN THE EVENT OF A MISSED APCH. I BRIEFED THE FO THAT; IN THE EVENT OF A GAR; I WOULD FLY 20 DEGS L (S) MINIMUM TO AVOID ANY BALLOONS. ONCE ASSURED; A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 29 AT XA45 LCL. ON DEP AT XB10 LCL; TWR CALLED US AND CLRED US FOR TKOF; RWY HDG TO 5000 FT WITH NO OTHER ADVISORIES. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT I INTENDED TO HOLD SHORT UNTIL ALL THE BALLOONS WERE AIRBORNE. TWR TOLD ME THAT SEVERAL BALLOONS STILL NEEDED TO BE INFLATED AND THE ONE WHICH WAS FULLY INFLATED WAS TETHERED TO THE GND. I TOLD TWR THAT I WOULD ONLY ACCEPT A TKOF CLRNC IF TWR WAS IN DIRECT RADIO COM WITH THE BALLOONS AND COULD ASSURE US THAT NONE WOULD BE RELEASED UNTIL WE WERE WELL CLR OF THE AREA. TWR ASSURED ME THAT YES; THEY WERE IN DIRECT RADIO COM WITH THE BALLOONS AND THAT THE INFLATED BALLOON WAS TO REMAIN TETHERED. AT ROTATION; I NOTICED THE BALLOON SEEMED TO BE RISING; I GUESSED IT WAS A TETHERED RIDE TO 50 FT OR SO; STILL A VIOLATION OF MY AIRSPACE -- PROBABLY 200 FT S OF RWY 29 AT ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN RWY 29! THEN; I HEARD AN UNIDENTED VOICE YELL; 'I TOLD YOU GUYS TO REMAIN TETHERED!' I CONTINUED OUR CLB ON THE GAR COMMAND BARS TO 1500 FT. I LOOKED OUTSIDE MY WINDOW AND COULD ONLY SEE A SMALL PORTION OF THE BALLOON. IT PROBABLY WASN'T OVER THE RWY YET; BUT CLOSE. WE PROBABLY CLRED IT BY 500 FT. I ASKED THE TWR TO CONFIRM THE BALLOONS RELEASE. THEY CONFIRMED IT. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE TWR WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THE BALLOON'S ACTIONS; SO I DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE ANY COMMOTION ON TWR FREQ. EVEN THOUGH OUR CLRWAY WAS OBSTACLE (BALLOON) FREE ON LNDG; I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABLE RELEASES OF THE BALLOONS. ATIS SHOULD HAVE HAD A PERTINENT REMARK. THE RALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTAMED. ATC NEVER ONCE GAVE OUR ACFT AN ADVISORY (UNSOLICITED). ON ARR IN BMI; THE TWR MADE IT OBVIOUS BY HIS TONE AND DISINTERESTED RESPONSE THAT HE DIDN'T FEEL IT NECESSARY TO ADVISE US OF THE RALLY VIA ATIS. THIS MAN IS CLUELESS! IS IT EVEN LEGAL TO ISSUE TKOF AND LNDG CLRNCS WITH INFLATED BALLOONS SO CLOSE TO THE RWY AND ALSO AIRBORNE IN THE CLRWAY AND OVER THE RWY IN USE?