As a family owned and operated business we pride ourselves on being reliable and caring. Our focus is on ensuring passenger safety, providing great customer service and giving you the ultimate hot air ballooning experience. We operate Hot Air Balloon Rides under an Air Operators Certificate issued by CASA, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
FOR CHIEF PILOT, MICHAEL, FLYING ISN’T JUST A PASSION – IT’S IN HIS BLOOD!
He was born into a family of aviators; his father and uncle were both pilots in the RAF and his brother was a hot air balloonist. Michael first learnt to fly fixed wing aeroplanes in Canada before falling in love with hot air ballooning in the UK. Having flown worldwide, Michael holds commercial licenses in Canada, UK and Australia.
He has had the pleasure of flying hot air balloons over the Atherton Tablelands, the Gold Coast and the Hunter Valley and has piloted a balloon twice across the English Channel.
Michael will have you feeling safe and sound throughout your entire flight thanks to over 25 years of flying experience and abundance of knowledge.
BARBARA IS GENERAL MANAGER AND THE CHEERFUL VOICE ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE!
She had always worked in finance, but once she met and married Michael, it didn’t take long for Michael’s passion for all things aviation to ‘rub off’ on her! Barbara uses her administrative skills to run the ‘ground’ side of the business. And if you ask her what her most memorable flight is, she will chuckle as she recounts being aboard a flight across the English Channel with five balloon pilots on board all wanting control.
THEN THERE’S OUR TRAINED GROUND CREW WHO ARE AN INTERESTING BUNCH, ALL WITH A STORY TO TELL!
They have a wealth of knowledge of the area, having either lived or worked the Barossa in the wine and tourism industry. They help us get up and away, looking after passengers, launching the balloons and driving the retrieve vehicles.
STARTING BAROSSA VALLEY BALLOONING WAS AN OBVIOUS, YET EXTREMELY EXCITING CHOICE FOR US.
After originally coming to Australia in 1998, we relocated to the Barossa to be nearer to family.
The Barossa Valley is such an incredibly beautiful region and together with our years of experience it just seemed the only thing to do – fly hot air balloons over it!