Balloon Guy!
What It Is Like Being a Balloonist in Victoria.
Being a balloonist in is something that stays with you. After many years of flying all over the world I still find myself drawn back to two places that feel like home every time I lift off. The Yarra Valley and Rutherglen.
These two regions could not be more different, yet both give you the same feeling every balloonist looks for. Flying that keeps you engaged and guests who are genuinely excited to see everything.
That is the thing about ballooning. You get to see the look on someone’s face when they experience it for the first time. That moment is why I keep doing this and why every flight feels new no matter how many years you have been floating above the ground.
Below is a little insight into what it is like flying in our two incredible regions.
01
Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is one of the most photographed balloon regions in Australia and for good reason. On a calm clear morning the valley opens in a way that is impossible to explain unless you have seen it with your own eyes.
Rising over the vineyards as the sun comes through the mist is something I never get tired of.
What makes the Yarra Valley special from a pilot’s point of view is the way the winds move through the valley. It keeps you focused and gives you opportunities to make every flight feel like its own little adventure (some adventures are more challenging than others). One days you drift gently above the vineyards. Other days you follow the low-level flows down the river and watch the as you miss all the paddocks you're aiming for.
A lot of passengers start the morning nervous. I hear it all the time.
“I am afraid of heights, but I thought I would give this a go.”
By the time we are ten metres off the ground, their whole expression changes. They realise that ballooning feels nothing like being on a ladder or a balcony. It is steady, calm and almost weightless. The fear disappears and excitement takes over. It is amazing to watch.
For anyone visiting Melbourne or local to the area the Yarra Valley is the perfect place to understand why ballooning is such an addictive profession.
02
Rutherglen
Rutherglen has a different kind of attraction, and I love it just as much. The open farmland, the vineyards and the Murray River region give you a sense of space that is hard to find anywhere else.
Flying here is relaxed and honest. You float above paddocks, cattle, river flats and family run vineyards. The land looks completely different depending on the season. You see harvests, new growth, foggy mornings in the cooler months and bright still mornings in summer.
Whenever I am flying people wave to you as you glide past. Farmers often stop what they are doing to watch the balloon drift across their land so they can have a good yarn about current events. Every flight feels personal and connected to the region.
The flying is also interesting for pilots because the open country gives you room to explore different heights and directions. Some mornings you get beautiful slow flights over Corowa and the river. Other mornings you end up tracking across vineyard rows with the sun rising behind you.
It is peaceful, friendly and full of character. Guests walk away smiling every time.
03
Where it begun
Passengers in Rutherglen and the Yarra Valley often ask how I first got into ballooning. The story has never changed. I started as a kid, helping my family crew for other people who flew balloons. I grew up around early mornings, burners lighting up the paddocks, and the excitement of getting an aircraft off the ground.
As soon as I was old enough to legally get a student pilot licence, I did. I worked through my hours, (sometimes working 3 jobs to pay for it all) kept learning from experienced pilots, and by the time I was 21 I had my full licence. I flew for many years before stepping up to become a commercial pilot, which opened the door to flying more often and taking passengers.
This year is the first time I have been able to share that experience under my own banner with Blue Skies Ballooning and Serenity Hot Air Balloons. It has been a long road, but every early start and every flight have been worth it. There is something about the views in the Yarra Valley and the wide country skies in Rutherglen that stays with you.
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