Byron has been involved in balloons since the summer of 1991. What started as a hobby with friends back in high school, turned into a career after college when he worked for Renaissance Balloons in Brighton, MI from the summer of 1997 through the entire 1998 flying season. There Byron worked as Crew Chief for several corporate sponsored balloon programs such as Jose Cuervo, RJ Reynolds Winston brand and AC Delco. In 1999 Byron became the Sponsorship Chairman for the US National Hot Air Balloon Championships held in Rantoul, IL. Since helping creat the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Balloon Program in 2000, Byron has acted as General Manager, Crew Chief and flies as one of their Pilots today.