Welcome to Velocity Ballooning! If you're wanting the best hot air balloon flight around then you've
(7)
It was a privilege for Velocity Ballooning to conduct an instructional flight with St. Louis Ballooning Adventures very own Kay Gaines this morning in rural St. Charles county! She did an exceptional job with 7 great landings, including her final landing which was challenging, given the surrounding obstacles and speed we were carrying to touchdown. Great job to a very skilled private-pilot-to-be!! 😁
Velocity Ballooning had another great Natchez Balloon Festival that ended with a great flight on Sunday evening. The weekend’s great memories were quickly overshadowed though on Tuesday morning when I got the news that one of my best friends had been involved in a tragic accident.
I’m not sure Casey knew it, but he had become one of my very best friends over the past several years. As a fellow aviator and lover of fine whiskey, motorcycles, fi****ms, and generally all things fast, we bonded pretty quickly with many common interests and a similar sense of humor and pragmatism. Not only was Casey a best friend, but he and Lindsay co-sponsored my balloon for the past couple of years with their business, Ferriday Flying Service Inc. I feel very privileged and honored to have been able to spend much of his last week with him, Lindsay, their son, and a couple of their employees ballooning and having a great “family” time. It was ALWAYS a riot and such fun when Casey was along. One never knew what to expect with him, and that’s one of so many reasons I and others loved him so much. He was never boring to be around! He loved Lindsay, Lehmann, and Dane so incredibly much, and was so proud of his boys. I loved hearing him talk about their accomplishments and what they were up to.
I have many fond memories of our time together. Whether it was flying with him in the Piper, or watching him navigate the Air Tractor, he was an utter master behind the stick and rudders. His perfectionism and attention to the minutia details and safety was extremely impressive. A man after my own professional aviation heart with how he approached his craft! He was an expert in his vocation. But even more importantly than that, he was a gentleman. With class. Real class. The kind of class that matters, not for show or image, but for authentic and sincere impact. His kindness and generosity without a thought for himself or what it would cost was amazingly unbelievable. I have met very few people in my life like him in those regards, and nobody like him as the whole Casey Novak package.
I am humbled and honored to have been able to spend Sunday evening after the balloon flight hanging out with Lindsay, Casey, and a few of our close friends eating pizza, drinking Lindsay’s delicious Bloody Marys, and sipping on some very fine whiskeys. It was the kind of evening Casey and I got to enjoy often, but not often enough. I will cherish that night’s memories for the rest of my years. My heart breaks for all of us that will not be blessed with your presence in our lives anymore Casey, but especially for your wonderful wife and sons.
Casey, I love you. I miss you terribly, as we all do. Life will not be the same without you my friend. You made an eternal impact on us all. I’ll always pour one for you and I’ll see you on the other side! Fly High Casey!
Although the fog and low ceilings kept us on the ground this morning, that afforded Velocity Ballooning an opportunity to put on a show at one of the local schools for a ground tether. We went to Cathedral School in Natchez. Certainly made a lot of children smile, scream (in a good way 😉), and laugh this morning!
Natchez Balloon Festival
Visit Natchez
Sango GMC
Ferriday Flying Service Inc
Dan Gibson Mayor of Natchez
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning had a very productive and busy past two days. Yesterday morning we tethered at Adams County Nursing Center for 20 to 30 residents. This is the highlight of the year for several of them. It’s very humbling to be able to do such a small act of kindness to bring such joy into their lives!
This morning we had a very full morning of giving tether rides to between 80 and 100 students and staff at one of the middle school's science and technology class here in Natchez. They are studying aviation and hot air ballooning in particular this week. What a great opportunity for these kids and a fun time for the crew and myself to interact with them all. We look forward to this each year!
And we were also able to squeeze in a sponsor and instructional flight last night over Giles Island, which included, for the first time, us actually having to land on the island and pack out due to variable winds. Fortunately it’s been dry here and the island roads were not flooded and we had great vehicle access!
I can’t thank the crews that help me enough for all that they do to make this and every event successful! It would NOT happen without them!  🥳
Natchez Balloon Festival
Visit Natchez
Sango GMC
Ferriday Flying Service Inc
Dan Gibson Mayor of Natchez
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Late post here, but back in August, Velocity Ballooning took part in the first of our three annual balloon festivals in Centralia, Illinois at the Centralia Balloon Fest. As usual, we had an amazing time, first and foremost, thanks to our OUTSTANDING sponsors in Centralia, Macz Funeral Homes! They and our crew there TRULY are a part of my family, and I look extremely forward to spending the time I get to spend with them each year! Centralia has THE BEST Balloonmeister as well in Scott McClinton with SkyCab Balloon Promotions Inc! Thanks again for some great memories all!
Oh, and George and I even took first place in the boat race!!! 😜⛵️
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
We're a little partial to Lindstrand Balloons here at Velocity Ballooning, but we have to say that Indy Hot Air's Kubicek looked awfully pretty sitting next to Oasis Saturday afternoon as we prepared for takeoff at The Great Forest Park Balloon Race!! They compliment each other quite well, don't you think? 😁 Two beautiful Hot Air Balloons for sure!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning had another amazing weekend at the 51st running of The Great Forest Park Balloon Race! We were blessed to finish 1st place, among an extremely talented and experienced group of balloon pilots. It's very humbling, and an honor and a privilege to be included in such an awesome group of professional women and men!! Those in the ballooning community have become the best of friends!
I am fortunate to have such a great group of colleagues and true friends! And it couldn't be done without an AWESOME crew on the ground!!
Thanks again to our sponsor this year, Raising Cane's! 🐥
And thanks to A GREAT group of organizers of this SPECTACULAR annual balloon event!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning had a great kick off tonight for the evening glow at The Great Forest Park Balloon Race in St. Louis. Even had a little impromptu dance party to some Barbie Girl jams...🤣🤣🤣
Thanks to Raising Cane's for being our sponsor this year! Bring on the chicken!! 🐥
Come out tomorrow for more fun and our afternoon mass ascension flight!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Who’s coming to see us tonight or tomorrow at the Great Forest Park Balloon Race?!? Glow starts around 6:45PM at the Central Field in Forest Park! 🎈
Velocity Ballooning was able to pull off a first for us yesterday evening! We tethered on the Bluff in Natchez for a baby gender reveal. I’m not sure that’s ever been done from a hot air balloon…anywhere...🤷🏻♂️
It was a very cool experience to be a part of. Congratulations to Robby and Sabrina!
It’s a girl! 💗
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning had a great morning giving tether rides for a couple hours at the Natchez Fly In!!!
Tomorrow morning (Saturday, April 1st) Velocity Ballooning will be taking part in the 2023 Natchez Fly In. If you're in the area, come on out to see lots of cool airplanes, including home builts, warbirds, helicopters, small jets, other general aviation aircraft, and oh yeah....Velocity Ballooning's Hot Air Balloon, Oasis!! 😁 Weather and winds permitting, we will be inflating around 8:00AM for tether rides for as long as we have favorable weather and propane. Hope to see many of you there!!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
It's annual balloon inspection day at Velocity Ballooning! Thanks to LTA Services and today's helpers to get our 2 systems completed before lunch!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
A couple months ago I made a post about the Natchez Balloon Festival's official t-shirt/poster for this year's event and the inspiration photo behind the poster. That photo was taken by Ben Hillyer of the local newspaper, The Natchez Democrat, a couple years ago in the midst of Covid during a night glow on the bluff. Yesterday, I was privileged to get to take his family and another longtime event volunteer for their first flight over the Miss-Lou landscape!
It was a beautiful crisp and sunny morning as we got to fly from Louisiana into Mississippi and back into Louisiana again over Giles Island, the area that has been my favorite place to fly for a while now! Great wind steerage for navigating to a local airport for landing on a nice dry ramp! 😉
Huge thanks to all the crew that came out to help! Some pics below, including the poster and inspiration photo at the bottom.
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning had a GREAT morning giving tether rides to students of the Natchez Middle School's Flight & Space Engineering class! It was so cool to introduce the students to Hot Air Ballooning and give practical, hands-on experience to what they have been studying in class. Huge thanks to Ms. Elizabeth Gail Greer, their teacher, and the administration of the Natchez-Adams School District for allowing us to come in to do this on their grounds with their students today. It will be an experience they will NEVER forget!!
Natchez Balloon Festival
Visit Natchez
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Back in 2020, in the midst of the COVID Crisis, we made our usual trek down to Natchez during October. Although there was not an official balloon festival that year, several regular festival pilots showed up to put balloons in the air for the public. During a glow one breezy evening, we were one of the very few who tethered for the community up on the bluff in the historic district. During the glow, at just the right moment, from just the right perspective, Ben Hillyer snapped this amazing picture of Oasis glowing, with a masked person on a balcony in the foreground. The timing and conditions all aligned for the shot. It was the inspiration image for the 2022 poster for the Natchez Balloon Festival. Velocity Ballooning is very proud to have one of our balloons serve as that inspiration! The original image and poster are posted below. Please visit Ben's Instagram page to check out his other work. https://www.instagram.com/willbhill/
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Another OUTSTANDING Natchez Balloon Festival is in the books. An exhausting yet extremely awesome and fulfilling past week. A HUGE thanks to my sponsors this year, Sango Buick GMC and Ferriday Flying Service! Balloon festivals cost money, a lot of it, and they cannot happen without the support of great sponsors. I am blessed to have THE BEST of them!!
An equally huge thanks to ALL the crew that helped not only myself, but many other pilots here at the festival. We could do none of this without competent and willing crew! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! We even had our sponsors and friends from the Centralia Balloon Fest make the trek down to help crew again this year. That's true dedication! Thanks Macz Funeral Homes! Again, to everyone, THANK YOU!!
The weekend was appropriately capped off with a great flight in a Piper Clipper with my good friend and talented pilot, Casey Novak.
Time to rest a couple days then back to some more Mississippi balloon flying.
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
A cool little video from yesterday afternoon’s flight out over and onto Giles Island. This is an absolutely amazing place to fly!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Natchez Balloon Festival
Another great flight this morning at the Natchez Balloon Festival! Even had a few decent throws on the target.
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
A couple great flights over the past day as we enter the weekend for the Natchez Balloon Festival. Thanks to our awesome sponsors, Sango Buick GMC & Ferriday Flying Service!
That green balloon looks awfully familiar...😁
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Another great morning giving the Adams County Nursing Center residents a static tether display. You can't imagine how much joy this brings into the lives of those living out their last days in what many times is solitude and not a lot of hope. Very humbling and happy to bring smiles to their faces!.
Throwing in a couple more pics from the silty/flour-like soil landing yesterday in the harvested fields adjacent to the Mississippi River in Vidalia, LA.
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
A great first flight to kick off the Natchez Balloon Festival 2022 week with 2 great passengers and a beautiful flight from Mississippi to Louisiana over the Mighty Mississippi River and the Natchez bridge. We had to climb to 5000' to get the track we needed to get across the river into Louisiana.
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
After a rainy afternoon/evening, Velocity Ballooning had a super night of giving the students and alumni of Blackburn College tether rides on campus for their Homecoming weekend for over 3 1/2 hours! It was a great night with great people under the dark and cool skies of Carlinville, IL.
We even had the privilege of having the Balloon Federation of America's crew member of the year for our region, Mr. Lonny Jeanes help out! 😎 And of course 2 of Velocity Ballooning's best as well, Kimberly Vitense & Bryden Vitense ❤️
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Here's a cool time lapse video of all of the balloons that launched to follow the PNC Bank Hare balloon Saturday afternoon at Forest Park for The Great Forest Park Balloon Race! Look fast though if you want to see Velocity Ballooning's Oasis take off. It happens during the first second of the video...🙂
The video also shows all the balloons that inflated for the crowd after the balloons that flew left the field. It's a great video that shows how challenging the surface winds were for everyone!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
What another AMAZING weekend taking part in the historic 50th anniversary of The Great Forest Park Balloon Race!! I’d love to make an individual post for everything that is so deserving on its own to highlight, but I’ll try to hit them all here.
It was a privilege to share the podium last night with one of the original founders of this great event, Dan Schettler, as Dan took first place and Velocity Ballooning’s team placed third in yesterday’s race. How appropriate for Dan, 50 years after he started this huge event for the city and so many pilots, crew, and families, to win the race! Very cool!
It was quite a windy afternoon for a launch yesterday (check out the marked flag in one of the pics below, and the inflation video), and without the AWESOME crew we have, and several others from surrounding balloon crews that help us inflate and launch, we would not have been able to pull it off as successfully as we did. Competent crew for balloon flights means everything for a safe flight operation, especially as near to the crowd line as we were positioned, along with the trees and other obstacles very near our departure corridor. I can’t thank the crew enough for how much I appreciate each and every one of them! Additionally, I was privileged and thankful to take my son Bryden with on the flight, who is also a balloon pilot in training and a very experienced crew member. We had what is typically a nearly impossible flight path, as it took us through the extended centerline of Lambert Airport’s departure runways. I say nearly impossible because this race is the only time we get ATC authorization to do such, and they route all airline traffic and other aircraft around the balloons. A very special flight path indeed!
Everyone came together to help us do our part to contribute to another amazing weekend of celebrating the sport of hot air ballooning in St. Louis with our colleagues and the spectating public. Such a rewarding event. The organizers of this balloon race are THE model and set THE standard for how to run a balloon race and festival! Great job to all and a huge thanks as well to our outstanding sponsor this year, Visit Missouri.
Finally, every balloon event, but especially this one, brings together so many or our family members and best friends to enjoy each other's fellowship and an activity we all love. It affirms to me how truly blessed I am!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning getting ready for the launch this evening!
The Great Forest Park Balloon Race
Visit Missouri
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning enjoyed a beautiful evening of glowing for many 10s of thousands of spectators last night at The Great Forest Park Balloon Race with our awesome sponsor, Visit Missouri!
We also had both Oasis AND Eden set up next to each other for the first time, which was pretty cool!
www.visitmo.com
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning had a great flight last night to kick of the 50th anniversary of The Great Forest Park Balloon Race and we're now enjoying an early Friday morning ground tether at Emerson's Central Fields for our great sponsor, Visit Missouri!
Come on out for tonight's glow and tomorrow's afternoon flight!
www.visitmo.com
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Today was a beautiful day for Velocity Ballooning to attach the banner of our sponsor for the 50th anniversary of The Great Forest Park Balloon Race! We have the distinct privilege of flying one of the race's newest sponsors, Visit Missouri, with the Missouri Division of Tourism! And there's no better way to promote tourism in the Show-Me state than from the serene environment of a Hot Air Balloon, floating peacefully through our great state's skies!!
We're looking forward to a Thursday afternoon fight over the metro area, an amazing glow on Friday night from Forest Park's Emerson Central Fields, and an awe-inspiring mass ascension of 50 balloons from the same fields in the park on Saturday afternoon.
Keep your eyes up and come out to enjoy a breathtaking weekend and long-standing tradition here in St. Louis for the 50th running of the balloon race!
www.visitmo.com
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
Velocity Ballooning "squeezed" in another beautiful flight this morning with 2 fantastic customers before the weekend rain and wind moves in...again...
We're getting excited for the 50th running of The Great Forest Park Balloon Race coming up next weekend!! Keep your eyes to the sky for a lot of balloons in the air Thursday and Saturday afternoons if the weather cooperates. And come out for the glow Friday night for an amazing show!
Velocity Ballooning
636-364-8780
https://velocityballooning.com/
https://g.page/VelocityBallooning
MO
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Velocity Ballooning posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Velocity Ballooning:
Velocity Ballooning had a great kick off tonight for the evening glow at The Great Forest Park Balloon Race in St. Louis. Even had a little impromptu dance party to some Barbie Girl jams...🤣🤣🤣 Thanks to Raising Cane's for being our sponsor this year! Bring on the chicken!! 🐥 Come out tomorrow for more fun and our afternoon mass ascension flight! Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
Velocity Ballooning was able to pull off a first for us yesterday evening! We tethered on the Bluff in Natchez for a baby gender reveal. I’m not sure that’s ever been done from a hot air balloon…anywhere...🤷🏻♂️ It was a very cool experience to be a part of. Congratulations to Robby and Sabrina! It’s a girl! 💗 Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
A cool little video from yesterday afternoon’s flight out over and onto Giles Island. This is an absolutely amazing place to fly! Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning Natchez Balloon Festival
Here's a cool time lapse video of all of the balloons that launched to follow the PNC Bank Hare balloon Saturday afternoon at Forest Park for The Great Forest Park Balloon Race! Look fast though if you want to see Velocity Ballooning's Oasis take off. It happens during the first second of the video...🙂 The video also shows all the balloons that inflated for the crowd after the balloons that flew left the field. It's a great video that shows how challenging the surface winds were for everyone! #greatforestparkballoonrace Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
Velocity Ballooning getting ready for the launch this evening! The Great Forest Park Balloon Race Visit Missouri #greatforestparkballoonrace #visitmo Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
Velocity Ballooning had a GREAT flight this morning out of Natchez! We flew over 14 NM to navigate to throw good enough for a 2nd place finish!! Only 4 inches short of first place. Super nice flight though with awesome crew!! Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
Velocity Ballooning had a fun morning tether today to kick off The Great Forest Park Balloon Race. The "REAL" Schnucks Soldier even got a littler burner time!! Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
Velocity Ballooning had a very special flight last night. Rarely do we get to do fun flights because our schedule is so busy with awesome customers, but yesterday we had to carve out a slot to take 4 very special people into the air. My three oldest grandsons and my only son were the special guests of honor! Bryden flew the entire flight under my instruction and did an outstanding job, and the youngest of my three grandsons, Jacob, got his first balloon flight in! Some pretty special memories and a bit of humor from the kids captured in the video below. Velocity Ballooning 636-364-8780 https://velocityballooning.com/ https://g.page/VelocityBallooning #velocityballooning
Some of THE BEST ground support crew!!! Macz Funeral Homes #velocityballooning #hotairballoon #dropline #centraliaballoonfest #thebest
Having fun glowing in Centralia, IL! #velocityballooning #hotairballoon #fire #fun Macz Funeral Homes Centralia Balloon Fest The Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce
The toast....after the proposal! 💍
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?
Velocity Ballooning was started as a passion many years ago. It was a passion of the heart and soul. As a professional career airplane pilot for nearly three decades, and as much as I thoroughly LOVE flying state-of-the-art business jets, I longed for days of parking the jet in the hangar so that I could relish the unexplainable pleasure of primitive balloon flying.
It’s difficult to adequately describe the joy, peace, and exhilaration of floating effortlessly through the sky in a hot air balloon, taking in the beauty and serenity of this amazing world below, above, and all around you! As much as this “selfish pleasure” brings great satisfaction to my life, I am equally passionate about sharing this incredible experience with others.
With the complete support of our ground crew, which is comprised mostly of family, Velocity Ballooning is able to bring this life-changing experience to anyone who desires this unforgettable adventure.
It’s also important for you to know that as a professional aviator, I value safety above all else in our operation. I attend multiple aviation training events each year, as well as several industry conferences on safety and related focuses in the aviation industry. I have also developed, coordinated, managed, and presented at several aviation safety seminars over the span of my career. Velocity Ballooning loves to have fun in our flying, but NEVER at the expense of safety!
~Kurt
