On January 1, 1991, I went for my first hot air balloon ride with Stan Hess from the US Hot Air Balloon Team. We flew for about an hour, over French Creek State Park, saw Pottstown to the right and Reading to the left. We flew over, then landed on the Schuylkill River and drifted slowly downstream. Then, we took back to the skies and landed in a quarry. It was like landing on the moon. I remember thinking, "I could do the same thing when I rent a plane from Chester County Airport (where I was working on my fixed wing private pilot certificate at the time). Of course, once I land in here, there will be two problems. One, the plane ain't gonna' look so good after I land. Two, it isn't flying back out". But we did, straight up and out of that quarry, landing in a nearby parking lot.

As you can imagine, that flight left quite an impression. Three weeks later, I had a used balloon in my garage and a $10,000 lighter bank account. My friends howled with laughter. Here, I had purchased an aircraft and had no ticket (pilot's certificate) to fly it. What an incentive to start the long process of getting that valuable piece of paper and a right to my slice of the sky.

A year later, I had my Commercial Certificate, granting me the ability to fly passengers for hire. To share the experience of flying quietly across the sky, forward movement powered by and flying with the wind. And flying with the wind means that there is no wind in the basket in normal, level flight. It's as if the balloon is staying still and the world is scrolling by, until you pick a handful of leaves from a tree, or the basket gently settles on surface of a pond. Then, you realize, balloons are not powered by propane, or wind, but by magic.

I have never returned to airplanes, although I may one day. Sure, I kind of miss them. But I don't miss the turbulence or the noise, and neither will you. I believe that balloons could be called the "Manatees of the the Air". Slow, steady, passive, and always looked upon with fascination by observers. 20 years of flying balloons still holds a fascination for me. I still laugh every time I take off. You know why? Magic.

Barry DiLibero, Pilot/Owner

AApex Sunrides