A HOT AIR BALLOON ABORTED ITS TKOF DUE TO WINDSHEAR ALOFT.

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ON MAY/SUN/96; I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A HOT AIR BALLOON MEET SPONSORED IN WICHITA; KS. THE WIND WAS FORECASTED TO BE 170 DEGS AT 6 KTS ON THE SURFACE AND 25 KTS AT 3000 FT. AT THE PLT BRIEFING; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO ATTEMPT A LAUNCH AS IT WAS WITHIN ALL PARAMETERS OF THE WAIVER. THE HARE BALLOON LAUNCHED WITH THE GENERAL FORECASTED CONDITIONS BEING APPROX THE ACTUAL WINDS. AS ABOUT 1/2 OF THE BALLOONS LAUNCHED; IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE UPPER WINDS WERE INDEED PICKING UP. SINCE I HAD NO PAX; I ASKED MR. Y IF HE WANTED TO GO FOR A WINGS FLT AND TO ALSO TRY A HIGH WIND; SHORT FIELD LNDG. WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE EVENT SAFETY OFFICER; I STARTED INFLATING THE BALLOON. AFTER INFLATION; AND BEING STABLE ON THE GND; I GAVE CTL OF THE BALLOON TO Y. PRIOR TO HIS LAUNCHING; WE OBSERVED THE BALLOON THAT LAUNCHED IN FRONT OF US HAD LAUNCHED AT A FAIRLY HIGH ASSENT RATE AND ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DISTORTION. WE DISCUSSED LAUNCHING AT A SLOWER RATE OF ASSENT IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE DISTORTION. AT APPROX XB00 AM; Y ASKED A CREW MEMBER TO RELEASE THE TIEDOWN. IMMEDIATELY UPON LAUNCH IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT; BTWN FALSE LIFT AND WIND SPD WHICH HAD INCREASED; WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIFT TO CLR THE PWR LINES WHICH WERE ON THE E AND N SIDES OF THE LAUNCH FIELD. BOTH Y AND I TOLD THE CREW TO CLR A PATH IN FRONT OF THE BALLOON. EVEN WITH CONSTANT BURNING THE BALLOON ONLY ACHIEVED AN ALT OF APPROX 12 FT. AFTER CLRING THE LAST CREW PERSON AND SOCCER GOAL ON THE FIELD; Y LANDED THE BALLOON IN A NORMAL DSCNT WITH CREW ASSISTANCE. THE REMAINING BALLOONS QUICKLY DEFLATED AND REMAINED ON THE FIELD. AT APPROX XC00 AM THE WINDS PICKED UP TO APPROX 15 KTS AND LIGHT RAIN WAS RECEIVED.