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23/09/2024
Velocity Ballooning had another great weekend taking part in the 52nd running of The Great Forest Park Balloon Race! HUGE thanks to our sponsor, On the Run St. Louis, the race organizers, and of course the best balloon crew around! We can't do this without amazing crew help, who make me look good, and a wonderful collection of amazing sponsors!
It was a great weekend spending time with family and friends, glowing on Friday night to a massive crowd, and flying a couple great passenges on Saturday afternoon, including Meteorologist Leah Hill with KMOV Channel 4 here in St. Louis!
19/09/2024
Come say hi this weekend! Hope to see you there!
18/08/2024
Velocity Ballooning had another great Centralia Balloon Fest weekend! We only got flights in Friday night and Saturday morning, due to strong winds at the other times, but they were great flights with great passengers!
Thank you to our AMAZING sponsor, Macz Funeral Homes, and all of our equally AMAZING crew for so many more more lifelong memories. Two new passengers got up as well, including 6 year old Charlie!!! 🥳🥰
The pictures epitomize some of the biggest reasons I do this! ♥️♥️♥️
10/08/2024
First time in a while Velocity Ballooning has been in the St. Louis area sky. It was a beautiful morning and great to get a first time passenger up in the air!
13/04/2024
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!! 😁
26/10/2023
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!
20/10/2023
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 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
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!!! 😜⛵️
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 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 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!
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! 🎈
02/04/2023
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!
Velocity Ballooning had a great morning giving tether rides for a couple hours at the Natchez Fly In!!!
31/03/2023
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!!
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.
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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
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Why We Do This...
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!
