I guess I showed a great deal of enthusiasm because she invited me to crew for her and her husband. After about five years of crewing, I knew I wanted my own system and crew. I wanted to form my own team and to experience the challenges and adventures of piloting my own hot air balloon. It's been great fun pulling together a team and training a group of people who share my interest in ballooning. I'm very proud of my crew.
Ballooning is a close-knit community.
There is a close camaraderie among pilots across the United States. Any time I fly in another state, I contact pilots in the area in which I'll be flying. In every instance, they've gone out of their way to ensure I have all the info I need to have a successful and safe flight, and they've always offered to fly their systems with me while I fly mine. With experience comes expertise, and John has taken his ballooning to another level. He has participated in several highly competitive contests and even won an event championship in which 250 balloonists were involved.