I’ve been involved in hot air ballooning since I was about 8 years old. A balloon flew over my house and I asked my parents if we could go where it landed. We get there, and the pilot invites us out next time, and hands us a card with his e-mail. Went out the next weekend, crewed and got a flight, and I was hooked. I started dragging my parents out to fly, meeting a whole bunch of other balloonists, and learning a lot. Right now I’m working on ordering a new balloon from Kubicek Balloons

Crew

I’ve had a lot of fun crewing for balloons. Meeting new people, seeing new things, and occasionally getting a free flight out of it rocks. I’ve found that while events are fun, I enjoy flying for the heck of it much more. The events have a lot more work involved for both the crew and pilots, a lot more restrictions, and there’s a lot of travel involved. On the flip side you get to hang out with a lot of friends, see new sights, and fly places you couldn’t otherwise, but I mostly stick with the local recreational flying.

Pilot

Piloting is even more fun than crewing. I’ve learned a lot of what I know from crewing for the different pilots and seeing how they organize and use their systems, and also learned a lot from the pilots I know who have graciously instructed me. The ability to get up and fly over the city in the morning is underrated, and first time fliers are always amazed. Sharing the hobby with friends and acquaintances introduces them to a world they had probably never considered, and provides a perfect morning-time hobby.

One thing I think ballooning does very well is accepting new people and training them. As a kid I was invited in and encouraged even if I couldn’t contribute much, and every time we land we are ambassadors to the sport inviting new members.

Media

    Flying over the city

    A younger me getting a free ride for crewing

    A ride balloon over the water, doing a splash and dash