Living the high life
Reading your article on hot air ballooning ( April) reminded me of my life as a balloon pilot. I first became involved with ballooning by offering my services as chase crew to a new firm providing pleasure flights close to my home in Northampton. After turning out around 60 times, evenings and weekend early mornings, the owner, feeling bad about not paying me, offered instead to teach me to fly. This led to obtaining a PPL and commercial license, and the start of a new life.
I spent my first 12 years flying for the man who taught me. Later, I worked in Colorado; Australia’s wine region; France’s Loire valley, flying over châteaux; and Chicago, the windy city – not an easy place to fly a balloon. Then, aged 54, I did balloon safaris in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, living nine months each year in a camp in the Mara. Our flight path along the Mara River was spectacular.
I left Kenya for the last time just before my 60th birthday. I’d done 1,999 balloon flights throughout my career. Now, at the age of 71, I look back with pride and enjoyment of the serendipity which led me to where I am now. I loved every minute of my ballooning life, but I have not missed it!