We just sent out our invitations to pilots to attend this year's Gila Valley Balloon Extravaganza held over New Year's. Pilots will be traveling from Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, California, Texas and possibly other areas. Most pilots love to tell the story of their balloon or how they got into ballooning, so we encourage visitors to welcome our pilots and learn more about them. Every balloon has a name and a story. To see the pilots who attended last year, simply select 2024/2025 from the drop down below.

Pilot:

Philip Bryant is a commercial pilot for Single and Multi-Engine Land Airplanes and Hot Air Balloons. Phil has over 5100 hours logged as PIC with 2200 hours in Hot Air Balloons. He holds an Advanced Ground Instructor rating, also an instrument rating for airplanes and has been an ASMEL Instrument Instructor. Phil began flying in 1963 in Tucson, Arizona while attending the University of Arizona. Graduating in 1967 with a degree in Civil Engineering with structural engineering as his major, he was employed by Shell Oil Company as a District Engineer building petroleum facilities. Among the various assignments that Phil held with Shell was the Manager of Health and Safety for the Products Distribution Department. This assignment allowed Phil to gain an appreciation of the role of Safety in every aspect of our lives. After successive promotions within Shell, he eventually moved to Houston, TX, the head office location of Shell Oil Company. 

While traveling throughout the US and one foreign assignment, he continued to keep his aviation skills current as a flight instructor for General Aviation. Taking his first ride in a Hot Air Balloon in 1991, Phil quickly made the transition from airplanes to balloons. Adding the Lighter than air rating to his pilot certificate. Phil soon began instructing hot air balloons and in 1996 became a Designated Pilot Examiner and FAA Aviation Safety Counselor for Hot Air Balloons serving the Houston Flight Standards District Office. In 2007, Phil obtained a Gas Balloon Rating in 2005, with numerous gas flights in the Americas Challenge and the Gorden Bennet events. Phil has been the Ballooonmeister of the Festival del Globo de Leon for 22 years, terminating in 2023.  A notable HAB event this year was the Italian International Hot Air Balloon Grand Prix in the Umbria area of Italy.

Balloon: Lindstrand A90, multicolored.  It glows well and flies well.  Dual turning vents and is powered by a Lindstrand Super Single burner, which is a totlly redundant burner which is an extremely safe and capable system.  The envelope shows well in photographs due to the multi-colored design.  

Pilot:

In 2018, Mark took his first balloon flight in a special shape balloon during Albuquerque Aloft, a day when pilots fly from local schools around Albuquerque the Friday before Fiesta starts.  By the following Wednesday, Mark went on his second flight during Fiesta and he was hooked.  Knowing he wanted to be around balloons and learn as much as he could, he began crewing for a nationally ranked balloon pilot and followed him to competitions around the country.  Mark crewed with that pilot for three years before buying his own balloon.  Mark loves flying at balloon events and being an ambassador of the sport.  Having family in the Gila Valley, Mark was excited to come visit last spring when he first flew the area with local pilot Greg Lindsey.  He is excited to be returning to fly in the Extravaganza!

Balloon: Air Rocky Top is a 2004 Cameron Z-105.  It was named by the previous owner who owned Rocky Top Press out of New York.  The logo is stylized in the same logo as Rocky Top Press.  The balloon has dual turning vents and a Rapid Deflation System.

Pilot:

Kenny will be one of our featured tether pilots at the Saturday night Glow Show Party.  Though Kenny dreamt of flying since he was seven years old, his first opportunity didn't come until 2009 when he was offered a balloon ride after helping fix a pilot's trailer.  That was all it took for him to catch the ballooning bug!  He began crewing and bought his first balloon in 2011.  By 2013 he earned his private pilot certificate and in 2021, he became a commercial pilot.  Kenny loves volunteering for special events like supporting breast cancer or entertaining crowds at county fairs and he hopes to help others achieve their dream of learning to fly!.  In 2021, Kenny bought Calico Rose, a 135,000 cu ft balloon which allows him to fly and tether additional passengers and he is excited to tether kids here at our New Year's Eve Glow Show Party on Saturday the 30th.

Pilot:

Recruited as a teenager to chase balloons in Iowa in the summer of 1970, Fred Dinkler was assigned to David Schaeffer and Bruce Comstock, both legendary balloon pioneers in hot air ballooning. By the luck of the draw, Fred began pursuing aviation with a life-long passion.  After graduating college in 1976, he was commissioned an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and for the next 14 years flew as an Attack Helicopter Commander, seeing action in Iran in 1980, Boat People rescue operations, and other Indian Ocean operations.  Leaving active duty in 1985, Fred built a successful career in technology consulting across the globe, while continuing to build lasting friendships in the balloon community. Fred and his Crew Chief for Life, Christel, were full-time RVers but now live in southeast Idaho. Fred holds commercial licenses in lighter than air, rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft, is a Life member of the Balloon Federation of America, recipient of the Ed Yost Master Pilot Award for 40 years of accident-free flying, and the Sheilds Trauger Award for managing the BFA website.

Balloon: "Carried Away" is a Kubicek classic spherical balloon, very stable and easy to fly. The K17 basket is large, tall and flat-topped for enhanced passenger safety, and incorporates a door for easy entry to challenged passengers.  The balloon design inciorporates zero lateral stress, eliminating horizontal load gores.  The color pattern is a multicolored pattern that shines like a beacon when glowing at night.

Pilot:

Balloon: Horizontal rainbow stripes top and bottom with wide yellow band in the middle.

Pilot:

Daniel became excited about balloons as a child when his parents began crewing for a hot air balloon pilot in 1985 after attending the Tucson Balloon Festival. Loving the sport, throughout his childhood, Daniel would crew for every pilot possible and especially loved crewing for special shapes. He loved learning about the different systems and different ways pilots worked. By 14, he knew he wanted to be a pilot and began logging student pilot training hours. As an adult, his career and family took priority, but in 2018, his ballooning dream resurfaced when he purchased his first balloon. By 2019, he earned his private pilot license, and just this year became a commercial pilot. He now LOVES sharing his lifelong passion for flying balloons and seeing the joy it gives kids remembering his own special childhood happiness around balloons.

Balloon:

This Aerostar Balloon is named Concho. Its pattern is what Aerostar calls a rally design with a Blue background and Yellow stripes. Concho holds 90,000 cubic foot of air and carries the Pilot and up to 3 passengers. 

Pilot:

Like many pilots, Nancy has been obsessed with hot air ballooning for as long as she can remember! She finally had a chance to take her first ride in 2018.  Hooked and convinced she wanted to be part of the balloon world forever, she became a private pilot in 2020 and a commercial pilot in 2022.  Nancy loves sharing the ballooning experience with everyone she meets.  When she bought her balloon, she named it Elysium, which refers to paradise because she loves floating through the air in her paradise.

Balloon: Rainbow in the sky- paradise

Pilot:

Greg and his wife Susan are both commercial hot air balloon pilots who enjoy flying side-by-side as a husband and wife team. Greg, also a fixed-wing pilot, became a hot air balloon pilot in 2016 to help fulfill a dream of his wife's.  Though not entirely thrilled about ballooning at first, it didn't take long for Greg to become passionate about the sport.  Greg now loves pleasing the crowds at rallies and flies on the Dawn Patrol team in the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, in the Great Reno Balloon Race, and in Boise, Idaho.  The couple opened AZ Air Ventures as a small ride company so they could share the joy of ballooning with people in the Gila Valley.  Four years ago they expanded their efforts by starting the Gila Valley New Year's Balloon Extravaganza, a non-profit organization with the goal of bringing tourism to the Gila Valley and offering a family-friendly way to celebrate New Year's. 

Balloon: Colors of the southwest adorn the top and bottom thirds of the envelope including yellow, red, orange, purple, and light and dark blues. These vibrant colors frame a bright yellow equator where eight silhouetted flying and swimming ducks rest on light blue panels on every other gore.

Pilot:

When a neighbor invited Valerie to "go crew for a balloon in the morning," she thought, "why not," and so it began. Every weekend for the next two and a half years, she crewed for a man who ran a ride business and trained hot air balloon pilots. Though she rode along on some flights, it wasn't until she had the opportunity to take control of the burners that she became hooked. For the next ten months she trained and received her commercial pilot certificate. Shortly after that, she bought her first balloon. Valerie has flown all over the Western US and now loves to fly with her 21-year-old daughter who is also a pilot!

Balloon: A yellow balloon surrounded with primary colors around the equator and on the top.

Pilot:

Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tristan MacLean was introduced to hot air balloons early in life. He started crewing as a teenager and quickly developed a love for the sport, earning his private pilot license in 2017 and commercial license in 2019. While attending Fort Lewis College, he pitched an idea for a ballooning business at the Hawk Tank competition, which helped him start Always Time To Fly. Since then, he's had the chance to fly in events across the country, including as a sponsored pilot at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

For Tristan, ballooning is about more than flight—it's about the people he meets and the experiences they share together. He feels lucky to do what he loves and always tries to make each flight memorable. Finding Tristan on the field is never hard—just look for the crew in cowboy hats and smiles.

Balloon: Hot Minute is a Cameron A-105 hot air balloon with a bold, retro checkerboard design in rich purples, blues, and reds. Its classic style turns heads on the launch field and in the sky, while its name speaks to the spontaneity and adventure that comes with every flight. Whether it’s a quick hop or a calm cruise over the desert, Hot Minute delivers big character in just the right size.

Pilot:

The older brother of Andy Roesch, also flying here in the Extravaganza, Jon started ballooning when his parents bought a hot air balloon and he was only three years old.  As a high school senior in 1992, Jon learned to fly from his dad and earned his pilot's license.  Following high school, Jon flew with his dad and brother for several years, but then was out of ballooning for almost two decades.  In 2012 Jon excitement for ballooning resurfaced when he and his wife, Bonnie, purchased Jitterbug.  Now Jon enjoys flying family and friends in the Phoenix area.

Balloon: Colors are black, purple, teal, and blue.  Chevron pattern with purple on top and bottom and teal and blue in the middle.

Pilot:

Susan and her husband Greg are both commercial hot air balloon pilots who enjoy flying side-by-side as a husband and wife team. Susan started crewing for hot air balloons in 2007 even driving to Albuquerque every month just to crew.  It took nine years for Greg to realize that Susan, a breast and ovarian cancer survivor, deserved to live her dream and get involved.  In 2016 the couple bought a balloon and Greg, already a fixed-wing pilot, became a commercial hot air balloon pilot “to make his wife happy”.  Eager to fully embrace the sport, the couple opened AZ Air Ventures and by January of 2019, Susan became a private hot air balloon pilot then earned her commercial license in June of 2019. The Lindsey's love sharing the joy of ballooning as they travel throughout the west attending events, many in small communities just like Safford.  Four years ago they started the Gila Valley New Year’s Balloon Extravaganza, a non-profit organization with the goal of bringing tourism to the Gila Valley and offering a family-friendly way to celebrate New Year’s. 

Balloon: Colors of the southwest adorn the top and bottom thirds of the envelope including yellow, red, orange, purple, and light and dark blues. These vibrant colors frame a bright yellow equator where eight silhouetted flying and swimming ducks rest on light blue panels on every other gore.

Pilot:

This marks Steve's 20th year of flying after earning his hot air balloon pilot's license in 2003.  He first flew here in the Gila Valley in 2013 when he brought his balloon to Safford for a special celebration for longtime crew member Susan Lindsey.  For nine years, Susan crewed for Steve before buying her own balloon.  While Steve enjoys flying for fun, he also loves competing in balloon competitions where pilots navigate to designated targets attempting to drop markers at certain spots on a field.  He was the first place winner in the first Chuck-A-Duck competition at last year's Extravaganza and hopes to retain his title this year!  Ballooning is a family affair for Steve as he enjoys flying in the southwest with his wife, Patty, and their two daughters Elizamarie and Veronica.

Balloon: Teal color with pink and yellow vertical stripes.

Pilot:

Fixed Wing rating in 1981

Private LTA rating in 1997

Commercial. LTA rating in 2001

Have flown balloons on 3 continents 8 countries and 8 states 

 

Balloon: Multi color. Spiral

Pilot:

Zech & Dr. Ashley Hargrave: A Ballooning Family Soaring High

Together, they bring decades of ballooning and aviation experience, united by a love for flight that spans generations.

Zech's journey into aviation began early, growing up as a second-generation pilot. In 2003, he joined his father and stepmother in launching a family hot air ballooning business. This formative experience sparked a lifelong dedication to the skies. After a brief pause during college in Arizona, Zech's passion reignited when he met Ashley and began crewing for her balloon. That renewed connection to ballooning inspired him to earn his private pilot certificate in 2022, with a commercial rating now on the horizon. His flights have taken him across Arizona, New Mexico, Missouri, Iowa, and California, and he's had the thrill of piloting special shape balloons—a unique niche in the ballooning world.

Beyond ballooning, Zech is deeply rooted in military aviation. He served as an avionic and survivability equipment repairer in the Arizona Army National Guard and currently operates as a KC-135 Stratotanker Crew Chief in the Arizona Air National Guard. His dedication to aviation runs as deep in uniform as it does in a balloon basket.

Ashley's ballooning story began at just eight years old, when she took her first magical flight at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. That unforgettable moment sparked a dream that never faded. With mentorship from her instructor Clare Wade-Callihan, Ashley earned her private pilot certificate in 2007 and her commercial rating in 2021. A familiar face at ballooning events, Ashley has flown in Arizona, New Mexico, and California, served as a dawn patrol pilot in Albuquerque, and piloted a variety of special shape balloons. Her passion for sharing ballooning with others is matched by her commitment to the ballooning community.

A lifelong learner and educator, Ashley also holds a doctorate in educational leadership. Her academic background supports her work as a ballooning instructor and reflects her devotion to teaching and mentorship. Her earlier studies in opera performance gave her a remarkable singing voice, and she's often invited to perform at ballooning events—a blend of artistry and aviation.

Married since 2015, Zech and Ashley celebrated their 10-year anniversary on March 14, 2025—Pi Day. Together, they're raising their 3-year-old son Maximus, who already shows a budding love for balloons. As a family, they cherish the opportunity to inspire others through the wonder of ballooning and continue to write their shared story in the skies.

Balloon:

Bold, brilliant, and impossible to ignore, Opposites Attract is a celebration of contrast, color, and connection. This 2025 Kubicek BB30Z, registered as N7122M, lives up to its name with a vibrant patchwork of bold pinks, deep blues, bright greens, and classic blacks and whites. Pops of yellow and magenta balance against cool grays and teals, creating a visual rhythm that's both playful and precise. Every panel creates a vivid dance between light and dark, soft and sharp, classic and unexpected.

Its eye-catching checkerboard motif spirals gently skyward, making Opposites Attract a standout on any balloon field. Whether seen from the ground or drifting gracefully above the treetops, this balloon embodies the beauty of contrast and the harmony that emerges when opposites come together. Every panel is a conversation between opposites—light and dark, warm and cool, subtle and striking.

Crafted with care by Kubicek Balloons and designed to inspire wonder, Opposites Attract is more than just a hot air balloon—it's a flying tribute to the unexpected beauty that happens when contrast finds harmony, it's a flying mosaic of individuality and balance.

Pilot:

Like many pilots, Debbi's love of ballooning started after attending a balloon event with her family in 1983 in Colorado. Since then, Debbi has been either chasing balloons or flying them. In the beginning, she crewed for and learned to fly from a local Colorado pilot. Many years later, she is now a commercial pilot who has flown in many states and five foreign countries. She and her husband, Don, have owned six different balloons including their latest addition, 'Sans Souci', which continues to follow the 'No Worries' theme of all their previous balloons. Debbi is truly a founding pilot of this event because it all started when she began escaping the cold December and January weather of Colorado to come to Safford and fly. Friends of local pilots Greg and Susan Lindsey, Debbi came each year to fly and the Lindsey's were excited to have someone else flying here in the Gila Valley with them. In 2020, Debbi brought friends with her when she came to visit and the first unofficial Gila Valley New Year's Balloon Extravaganza began with eight pilots gathering over New Years to fly. 

Balloon: It's big and round and has lots of colors! (And a large band of white through the middle...)

Pilot:

Paul and his wife Angela Olguin have been married for over 35 years and have four adult children, two grandchildren, and two dogs. They moved from ABQ NM to Chandler AZ in 1997. Paul started crewing and flying hot air balloons in Albuquerque in 1991. He became a private pilot January on 2014 and a commercial pilot in June on 2015. Paul has flown both small sports balloons and larger 16+-passenger 400,000 cubic feet ride balloons. He has flow balloons in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Texas.  

Balloon:

Silver Lining was built by Kubicek Balloons in Brno Czech Republic in 2017. She is black, silver, yellow, and multiple shades of blue on a white swirl pattern. She has a purple cancer ribbon on her parachute top to honor and remember all those we have lost to cancer or who are cancer survivors, and their caregivers.

Pilot: My love of ballooning began the moment I was born in Albuquerque, a city world-renowned for its vibrant ballooning culture. Growing up surrounded by the colors and excitement of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, I was captivated early on by the magic of flight. That childhood fascination never faded—in fact, it grew stronger over the years. Today, as an adult, I've been a licensed pilot for about four years and proudly own two balloons of my own. What started as a childhood wonder has become a lifelong passion that continues to lift me—literally and figuratively.

Balloon: With its bold greens and vibrant blues Soarenity is sure to be seen. Stacked and staggered chevron cuts make for a very unique one of a kind balloon.

Pilot:

Balloon: Our balloon was designed to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in America.  The balloon n-number is N-1776N and its inaugural flight was July 4th 2017

Pilot:

I have been in and around hot air ballooning since 1983 when I received my first crew experience and flight in Gallup, New Mexico. Even from the first time I loved every aspect of it. I spent my early years as a crew member for a commercial balloon for the local Ford dealership and spent nearly every weekend flying with that pilot and others in the area, with the occasional 'balloon safari' on our summer break since my primary instructor was also a teacher. Lived and worked in Gallup from 1983-1989 when it was a dusty little town, yet with its own special charm.

I am a retired Special Education Teacher (32 years) from Reno, Nevada and balloonist for fun, I enjoy giving the gift of flight to others and especially to kids. I fly numerous events in and around the western states average 15 events a year and at times I have traveled across the USA, have flown in 30 states (so far), 2 Canadian Provinces, traveled to Taitung, Taiwan, and Quianshan, China with one of the special shaped balloons I own and operate. Taking my 'other' shape to Taiwan this summer, for a week of ballooning and I hope to get the right direction to do a free flight with High Top Flier, been a crazy month getting the equipment ready to ship out, but I have 1400# of stuff sitting in a wharehouse in LA waiting to be transported to Taitun, Taiwan. Bonus is I am doing this adenture with my son. 

I especially like the smaller events where everyone knows each other and the smaller towns where ballooning is still a novelty drawing a group of people that have never seen nor been around a hot air balloon. A highlight of my travels has been to be the only balloonist at Burningman in 2006-2010; flying the Red Rocks of Gallup, New Mexico is now my backyard flying area with friends and familiar places, where I started my adventure in ballooning.

            I enjoy getting spectators to help with the inflation and putting a smile on the faces of the crowd gathered to watch the balloon take shape from the moment the basket is off loaded to the time I lift off I try to interact with the spectators and share the excitement. Occasionally, gifting a balloon ride to a random stranger from the field, that is if I don't have sponsors or crew to fly.

I average nearly 100 hours a year, have over 1600 hours flying balloons and I still enjoy the early mornings and fun times. Because FUN is FUN. As an 'ex-student' pilot says, ballooning is the "Best reason ever to set your alarm clock." Just recently retired my old envelop with 1212 hours, and put the replacement in service. Excited to push this one to the limits too.

Balloon: Black with multi colored cahin links around the equator. Synchronicty was pruchased from a guy who was getting out of ballooing and my4th balloon, later on I endedup pruchasing the 'twin' and have it in storage till the earlier version fails its inspections.