Don't get fooled by some company's claims as how much combined experience they have or how many years the company has been in existence! 

Ask... how many years your pilot has been flying.

We let our pilot's experience speak for it's self.

Jon Thompson

Jon has been involved in ballooning since the early seventies and comes from a family of balloonists; his oldest brother Jeff (below)  and his father Jim also fly hot air balloons.  Jon has been a licensed plot for over 29 years and has logged thousands of hours flying balloons all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan. For many years Jon traveled extensively throughout the U.S. as a Corporate Balloon Pilot flying for different companies such as Pepsi, Kellogg's, General Motors, ACDelco, and Jose Cuervo Tequila. He still operates balloons for Children's Miracle Network & Re/Max but does most of his flying in Central Florida. Jon can really make his passengers feel at home and at ease in the skies.  Jon is the founder of Black Sheep Balloons.

Jeff Thompson

Jeff, from Thompson Aire, has been flying passengers for over 33 years and has been a full time ride pilot for over half that.  He has been an instructor for the FAA (federal aviation administration) as well as the chief pilot for several large ride operations around the country. He has flown balloons as small as a one man balloon without a basket to as large as a 16 passenger balloon containing 240 thousand cubic feet of air Jeff is probably the most experienced balloon ride pilot in the Orlando area!

Bob Carlton

Bob, from Balloons & Beyond, has been flying balloons since 1976. He is one of the most experienced pilots in the state of Florida having amassed thousands of hours flying all over the United States and the world. He has flown over many countries such as Australia, New Zealand, UK, France, Switzerland, and Canada. From 1978 to 1980 he flew the Budweiser, Black Angus and Westinghouse balloons for World Balloons in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He then moved to Tampa to head the repair station and fly the Tampa Tribune and Freedom Savings balloons. Since 1986, Bob has flown for Disney. He has flown Mickey, Donald, Cinderella's Castle, and most recently in 2000, Spaceship Earth. Besides his experience Bob is also a wonderful entertainer and really can make his passengers feel at ease as he maneuvers his balloon over beautiful Central Florida.

Bob Wilamoski

Bob, from Bob's Balloons, is a native of Orlando, Florida, so he grew up in the area he fly's. He has been an FAA licensed balloon pilot since 1981 and has logged  thousands of flights since then. He flew for the historic "Rosie O'Grady's" in its heyday at Church Street Station. He also toured the United States with "Balloon for America" and several of the big balloon rallies in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bob also is certified in Sky Diving, Scuba Diving and holds a Boat Captain's License from the U.S. Coast Guard. He will go out of his way to make your balloon flight a truly memorable event.

Mark Roberson

Mark started his career in the US Marine Corps in 1977, flying fixed-wing aircraft. He obtained his balloon ratings in the early 1980's and became involved with the FAA.  Mark is a Designated Pilot Examiner, Aviation Safety Counselor, chaired the FAA Balloon Safety Seminar in Lakeland, Florida, for seven years, and has amassed more than 3,500 hours. He has flown all over the US, Central and South America in corporate balloons for The Hard Rock Café, The Ball Park Frank, Bryan, Ford, Mossy Oak, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Miller Genuine Draft, and was chief pilot for Orlando’s world-renowned Rosie O’Grady’s Flying Circus for several years.

Mark also speaks fluent Spanish.