I have been flying 17 years. I got involved with ballooning as an "observer" in the mid 80's. I have worked on observer and debriefer staffs for a number of National and Team National Championship events. I got hooked on flying 10 minutes into my first balloon ride. I am proof of an old cliché among balloonists, that your first ride is usually free and your second ride usually costs you thousands of dollars because you've bought a balloon of your own.

My balloon "Hot Flash" is named for the flash of hot pink in it's color scheme ...honest.. nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

My favorite thing about ballooning is the friendships that it fosters, both among the pilots and crews and with the people in the communities we get invited to visit.