What's New

Schedule a Ride now and get the same price that we have been charging our customers for the last 5 years.

The weather has forced a close to this wonderful year of flying hot air balloons..

A Gift Certificate makes a great gift for the holidays. The best news we can give you is when you purchase a Gift Certificate before Christmas you pay this years price for your flight in the 2010 Flying Season. Balloon Flights begin in May and we fly until the weather no longer cooperates which is usually November 1st.

This was our best trip to Mexico and the others were all great. Ted Gauthier and his wife Lynn made their third trip to Guanajuato, Mexico to fly hot air balloons with 9 other American Pilots. Ted's Brother Guy and his wife Sherry along with good friend Bill Adler and his wife Jean all from Longview, Texas also joined in the fun. Ted and Lynn departed from Pontiac, Michigan via commercial airline while Guy drove five hot air balloons to our destination city. The people in this Mexican City greeted us with open arms. Ted stated, "we just had a wonderful time, we always felt welcomed and safe, in fact I felt just as safe in this part of Mexico as I do in my own home".

The group of ten American and one Mexican Balloon pilots flew over the city and country side for 6 days which included a parade, two glows and four flights. They gave many rides to the residents and crews as the weather was almost perfect every day with only one flight cancelled due to high winds.

The organizers from Mexico provided the pilots and crew with a Mexican style "Thanksgiving Dinner" that everyone enjoyed. The city life was alive with music and people during the cool nights. The pilots and their American crews became accustomed to sleeping with no heat in their hotel rooms by having warm wool blankets. After the first day, everyone understood that they needed to give the hotel manager a ten minute warning to start the boiler for a hot shower.

If you are interested in having a great adventure with beautiful scenery you really need to mark this one on your calendar for next year.

On Saturday, October 24, 2009 we celebrated a family member getting married. Our crew chief and brother, Gary Gauthier celebrated the marriage of his daughter Tammy Diane Gauthier to Ronald Steven Plunske. The Wedding Party was held at the Crystal Gardens Banquet Center in Howell, Mi.

The Party in the room next door happened to be the radio station, "Magic 105.1", Halloween Dance Party 2009. Everyone had such a great time at both parties. The radio station was so kind and invited some of the members of the wedding party to come inside and take a look at all the wonderful Halloween costumes.

The Wedding Party had there own personal Vote for the best costume and the "Winner Is".

(Pictured from left to rightin the back row) Dan, Marty, Joe, Ted & Gary Gauthier

These are the kind of Views that you are missing if you don't schedule a ride with FlyBalloons.net

The Fall Colors are here and this is a very popular time for riding in the balloon. The weather is mild and very comfortable, the views are spectacular. Our flying season ends the last week of October (or when the weather begins to get nasty).

So, NOW is the time to schedule your Fall Balloon ride. e-mail us to request a date. You can also call 249-933-0062 at anytime if you have questions. Our Frequently Ask Questions page is also a good source of information.

The Flag City Balloon Festival in Findlay, Ohio is just around the corner and we will be there. If you are attending this event, please try and hook up with us. We would love to talk to you and show you our balloon. We will also be happy to answer any questions you may have. Don't forget your camera.
August 14, 15, 16th, 2009

There is still time to schedule your balloon ride. August, and September are some of the best months of the year to fly in the balloon. The temperatures are just right, the lake color is awesome and the view of the wildlife in the woods are just spectacular.

Pilot Ted Gauthier loaded up his homebuilt hot air balloon at the Oakland International Airport, then picked his brother Gary up and got on the road. They were headed for Lisle, Illinois ( a suburb of Chicago) to transfer his balloon to his brother, Guy's chase vehicle. Guy is the balloonmeister (race official) for the Lisle, Ill balloon event this weekend. Ted, needed to get his hot air balloon and equipment down to Longview, Texas for next weekends, Great Texas Balloon Race. That drive would have been 20 hours, each way...however, his brother guy was heading home to this event on Sunday. Guy offered to drive the balloon and equipment the rest of the way. What great brothers, Gary for helping Ted drive to Lisle, Ill and Guy, offering to take the balloon and equipment the remainder of the trip. Ted and Gary departed home at 3:30pm and were back home at 3:30am, a 12 hour round trip.

Ted Gauthier will also send his homebuilt balloon from Longview, Texas to Guanajato, Mexico in November where he will fly his balloon along with 9 others for this celebration. More on that event as it gets closer.

We had record crowds this week and fantastic weather. We all had such a great time. If you missed this event, you really need to mark this one down on your calendar for next year.

The above drawing was presented by 11 year old Timmy from Howell, Michigan. This is a drawing of Dawn McKenzie's balloon, "Day Dream", that was flown during the event. Dawn traveled from Sherman Oaks, California to pilot this balloon. Audrey, Rebekah and Timmy drew many balloon pictures for the pilots.

Go for a Hot air Balloon Adventure, this 5 minute video will take a minute or two for it to load but it is worth it. See first hand what it is like to ride in one of our Hot air Balloons.

Well, the 2009 flying season is finally here. We think the cold and windy, short days are behind us now and we are ready to fly our balloons once again. We are looking forward to all of the fun and meeting new friends. You can call and schedule your ride today.

Pilot - Travis Gauthier on the wrong end of the balloon, just kidding. Travis, helped his Uncle Ted get his balloon inflated. Check out all the great pictures.

There is not a nicer place to be, than in Michigan in the summer time and this was proven again this holiday weekend. Four perfect days, warm air, clear skies and light to moderate winds aloud us to fly our hot air balloons everyday. Pilot, Ted Gauthier states, "The nice thing about flying a hot air balloon is that you never have two flights that are the same, everyone is a challenge, direction and provides a unique experience". Sunday night was some special night for flying and watching hot air balloons. We were able to get an early start and launch our balloons from a local high school in commerce township. Pilot Ted Gauthier had passengers, Dave and Tracy Poirier in the "Andy balloon" and Pilot Joe Gauthier in the "Joseph's Coat", had passengers, Pete and Kathleen Rosenau. Once in the air, Ted made contacted via radios with his ground crew and brother Joe stating, "Hey Joey, let's try to fly over White Lake, tonight is the Labor Day Mardi Gras, Boat regatta and there should be a lot of people on the island". Joe, said, "lets go for it". The island was about 5 miles away and Ted and Joe began to climb and descend in the wind currents to steer their balloons to there intended target. About 40 minutes later, both of there balloons were directly overhead at approximate 500 feet about the crowd of people and boats. Everyone in the water and on there boats were cheering and waving. We felt like rock starts and the crowd was making noise like they were at a concert. Over the trees the balloons flew and they lowered themselves down to within a few inches of the water, just sailing gently across the lake with many boaters following the balloons' path. Just over one hour into the flight the ground crew asked a homeowner if they were OK with the balloons landing in their yard and they were so happy to have them stop by. The passengers, pilots and crew celebrated with the balloonist prayer, and a toast of some champagne. What a great weekend for flying hot air balloons in Michigan.

We just returned home from a fantastic weekend of hot air ballooning. We attended the Flag City Balloon Race, Aug 15-17, 2008. The weather was absolutely perfect and we flew every morning and evening and were able to participate in the balloon glow. Pilot, Ted Gauthier stated, "I flew my balloon better than I can remember in years, I was able to manuever to every target and only missed one". Ted's crew included his wife Lynn, Brooks and Erin Bosse, Steve, Amy and David Irving. Ted stated, "I made some real technical mistakes early in the event and it really made it tough to gain enough points to get near the top ranked pilots. I ended up in 13th place and I felt pretty good about that because I flew so good, the weather was great and we had a crew that every pilot would love to work with. We had such a great time we can't wait to fly in Findlay, Ohio again".

A special bonus was meeting old (young) friends. Several years ago a very young boy chased Ted's balloon because his name is "Andy". Ted's balloon also has the name Andy on it. The name Andy on the balloon is the name of a good friend of Ted's which has now passed away but Ted continues to honor his name. On the very last balloon flight of the weekend, young "Andy", who is now serveral years older since the first time he met Ted came running out in the field where Ted had just landed. Ted and young Andrew Blackburn had smiles from ear to ear and were so happy to see each other again. Ted, hoisted Andy up in the air and set him down on his basket for a group photo, just like the first time they met. Ted has sent Andy a personal invitation to come next year to help Ted launch his Balloon.

We also had the opportunity to meet new friends, Jack, Bonnie and Jackie. Jack opened up his home and yard (Tiki Bar) to many of the Pilots and Crew. Everyone had such a great time. Jack is pictured on the far right.

July 11, 12th and 13th, 2008, The Great Texas Balloon Race was held in Longview, Texas with the top balloon pilots in the world attending. The 69 hot air balloon pilots that competed in this prestige's event and included the current World, National champions and several past champions. Pilot Dawn (Gauthier) McKenzie from Sherman Oaks, California placed in the 15th position after climbing up from a 20th spot after the first flight. Dawn's uncle, Guy Gauthier from Longview finished in 9th place. Ted Gauthier from Pontiac, Michigan finished in 5th place.

The Gauthier pilots were very proud to have flown so well and place so high in the standings.

Veterans' aid group and hot air balloonist unite for higher cause
June 20, 2008 00:00AM

A longtime Michigan Challenge Balloonfest pilot will team up with Honor Flight Michigan to benefit Livingston
County World War II veterans. Pilot Joey Gauthier, who flies a balloon called Joseph's Coat, will be sponsored
this year by Honor Flight,part of the National Flight Network headquartered in Ohio. The $500 sponsorship
fee was raised by Joyce Fisher, a Howell-area historian who heads up the group's fundraising effort for much
of Michigan. She hopes the sponsorship, and the balloon's presence in front of thousands of people on
Balloonfest weekend, will spread the word of the group's mission of giving WWII veterans a chance to visit
the WWII National Memorial inWashington.
"We are out of time," she said about the area's many veterans waiting for their visit. Seven Livingston County
veterans have made the trip since April 2007, but 11 are still waiting. They are part of a group that numbers
close to 1,000 regionwide who hope to go.
Fisher's "Let your heart take flight" campaign is targeted at sponsors, supporters and veterans "who may not
even know that this program exists," she said. She and other supporters collected returnable bottles and
change "specifically for this sponsorship."
The money raised would have paid the travel costs for one veteran and part of another's trip, but Fisher's
hope is that this sponsorship will draw in corporate sponsorships and bring awareness to areas without a
formal group. "We're hoping this word travels further than just our backyard; and we'll even get people out
of state who will take the message back home and investigate whether they have a group," she said.
Gauthier, who is a Vietnam veteran, said he is honored to be sponsored by Honor Flight Michigan. "I think it's
great (to help raise awareness for veterans and Honor Flight). They need as much help as they can get,"
said the former U.S. Army tank commander.
Fisher specifically requested a veteran to sponsor, "because we thought it would be kind of special."
Gauthier flies in hot air balloon events all over the state, but says Howell's event is one of the best because
"the town really accepts you" as a pilot.
He has flown in 23 of the 24 Howell Balloonfests, and is regularly joined in the air by his pilot brothers Dan,
Marty and Ted. This year, another brother, Guy, will fly as well as his niece, Dawn McKenzie. Another brother,
Gary, crews for the family.
Laurie Humphrey can be reached at lhumphrey@livingstoncommunitynews.com?or 810-844-2003.

Honor Flight Michigan
What: A group of volunteers seeking to raise funds so that every World War II
veteran can be flown to Washington, to visit the WWII National Memorial.
When: Flights run periodically, April-November.
Cost: Every $350 raised will send one veteran. Contributions are tax deductible.
Donations: Honor Flight Michigan Inc., P.O. Box 237, Royal Oak, MI 48068-9998.
Details: www.honorflightmichigan.com or 248-744-0286.

FILE: JAMIE CHARBENEAU-PISELLA,
THE LIVINGSTON COMMUNITY NEWSAt
the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest in Howell, Joey Gauthier
flies Joseph's Coat in the center of the colorful crowd.
This year he is sponsored by Honor Flight,
which hopes to raise awareness of its mission of taking
World War II veterans to the WWII Memorial in Washington.

Joyce Fisher, Howell Archives
Howell Carnegie Library
314 W Grand River Ave
Howell, Michigan 48843
517-546-0720 ext 129
Archives Open to Public
Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 1 - 5pm

Sponsor a Veteran!
Time is running out for them to see the Memorial in Washington D.C .
For more information on how you can help
visit:www.honorflightmichigan.com or send your
tax deductible donation to:
Honor Flight Michigan, Inc. (HLCA)
Box 237,
Royal Oak,Michigan 48068

Ted Gauthier is building a new sport balloon. This is really different. This is a balloon only used for pleasure and will not be used in his balloon ride operations. This is a single passenger balloon. The first phase is building an experimental fuel tank. If you would like to see the photos of the build process, then click on the link below.

The above photo is Ted Gauthier flying his RV-6 near the Blue Water Bridge connecting Michigan and Canada.

Lauren Kohler's RV Slideshow...created by the daughter of -9A builder/owner Terry Kohler.
...from Terry,
"Daughter Lauren put this together. Most of the planes photographed are located at Oakland Pontiac International. The RV6 in Navy paint belongs to Carl Franz, who will likely be teaching a sheet metal class again this year at Oshkosh. The 8 with Airforce Markings belongs to Terry Lutz (he was at the controls of the A380 for its first landing at JFK some months ago. Other photos include the Red/White 6 of DAR Ted Gauthier, the Blue/White 7A of Dave Pohl, Checkerboard RV9A of Ron Drake, Roger Bentlage's RV7 under construction, and Al Becker's Long Eze.
If you look closely, you'll also see the twin engine Defiant of Harry Manvel, a plans-built 15 year masterpiece that also gets a little face time in the new Oshkosh video. Also featured is Mike Lord's Grumman (looks like a store-bought RV), a beautiful Velocity, and of course, my 9A, N323TP. The Murphy Rebel on amphib floats. Both the aircraft and floats were built by Curt Martin. Curt's craftsmanship earned him a Silver Lindy at Oshkosh several years ago. I believe Curt has partial interest in 4 or 5 other planes. Not one of us has been able to verify this with certainty.

Call 248-933-0062 if you have more questions or check out our Freq. Asked Questions.

These are the kind of Views that you are missing if you don't schedule a ride with FlyBalloons.net

So, NOW is the time to schedule your Fall Balloon ride. Call 248-681-8184 to schedule a ride or e-mail us to request a date. You can also call 249-933-0062 at anytime if you have questions. Our Frequently Ask Questions page is also a good source of information.

Yes, the temperatures are falling, but it is still very nice for a balloon ride. A matter of fact, this is most likely the best time of the year to fly in a balloon. We could see for 30 miles, with views of the Detroit Skyline and Lake St. Clair.

Another perfect evening in Michigan. Saturday, September 15, 2007 we launched our balloon from Highland Township and landed in Milford. Take a look at the wonderful views and people we were able to meet.

This is really Cool..........Click on the link below to view the flight path our balloon took.

NOTE: After it is displayed, you can use the scroll bar to zoom in to street level.

"Very Cool", click on the link below and view the track that our balloon flew on Wednesday evening.

What a great time we had this year. We always do. The crew, organizers, volunteers and public are so much fun. Ted missed the first target by only a few yards and almost hit the center of the next target for 5th place giving him an overall score of 15th place. Click on the link below to watch the photo show.

Many of the photos were taken during the Oakland Pontiac International Airport Open House and during the balloon launch, flight and landing site. I am sure you enjoy the pictures.

This is why we think Hot Air Balloons are so much fun. We have such a great time when we go Ballooning....

Take a look at the photo gallery for our balloon flight on Saturday August 4, 2007.

Another Great Evening for Flying, Here are a few pictures of us having fun on Sunday July 29, 2007

Saturday morning’s flight in my hot air balloon was one of the most enjoyable flights I have had in a very long time. This was a surprise because I never really have bad balloon flights. This flight was different because I was in a competition and it turned out to be a pleasure flight. Everyone always asks me why I enjoy ballooning so much and what makes it different from flying my homebuilt airplane. The first thing that I say is, “in a balloon, you never have two flights that are the same”, and “you really don’t know for sure exactly where you are going to end up”. The important thing for me is that I can bring my family and friends along to enjoy the adventure. Saturday morning’s flight could not have made these statements any truer.

It all started out as a normal competition flight. My mind was focused and I had picked out the perfect launch site for the two part task that was in front of me. The winds were great with a lot of steering and I knew that I had the first target zeroed in and I was going to have my baggie inside the legs of the X. Watching the upper level winds with the pibal prior to my launch, I thought that it was going to be very difficult to reach the second target but I did not give up until I crossed what looked like a perfect landing spot. As soon as I saw this piece of property, I knew I had to land. I forgot that I was even flying in a competition. My wife says, “Ted you never give up until you are past the target”. This time was different, I really lost my mind during this competition and think that if you were flying a balloon and had the opportunity to land and meet the people that I did, you would have also forgot the purpose of your flight.

Let me explain. As I crossed over the row of high trees a deer passed in front of me like he was my wife’s pet squirrel. I looked ahead and thought what a neat place. This was a very small home in the middle of no where. I felt like I was in the hills of Tennessee. Don and Sunshine Schmidt were sitting on the front porch in their bathrobes. Don was wearing a straw hat and smoking a cigarette, Sunshine was smiling and waving wildly for me to land on her property. This small little home out in the middle of nowhere had buffalo figures cut of wood, Indian tepees with a small camp fire. This was their little get away. We all found out later that Don and Sunshine’s main home was at the other end of the property. Sunshine said, “You have landed at the FANTASY FARM”, this is our summer home. We stay here all summer. We sleep and eat here, this is our get away. They were so nice to me and my crew. They invited us in to show us the one room home with a bed, kitchen and rocking chairs. It was great to meet such nice people. What a joy. What a morning.

Once I landed and took photos of them and their home, I looked to the sky as I watched at least a dozen balloons climbing high to catch the upper winds for the second target. I knew I lost my focus on the competition because all of those balloons would make their second target. I was smiling from ear to ear because I knew I made the right choice this time by landing. I was having so much fun at this landing spot that I did not care about the competition. Many of you reading this story know me and how competitive that I am but it was a feeling that is hard to explain.

The real question would be if I had a chance to do it over again would I land or go for the target, I think I may land if I thought that I have an opportunity to see such a unique piece of property and meet such wonderful welcoming people who would instantly become your friend. I guess the best way to describe the feeling is when you give or help someone else who is in need and you get that special feeling inside, knowing that you may have made a difference in someone’s life.

This was such a fun balloon flight. I had a great score at the first target and a fantastic flight with beautiful scenery, the landing spot was perfect. Who says that competition has to be serious? I can jump in my airplane a go from point A to point B anytime and that is fun, but I don’t think that you will meet people like Don and Sunshine. Oh yes, the deer that ran in front of me while I was trying to land, Don says, “that’s bucky”, he is here all the time”.

Like the famous golfer Walter Hagan said, “smell the flowers along the way”. I think for this flight, I found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I believe that I got first place that Saturday morning.

Please come on out to the event and say Hi, tell us that you saw our Web page... We are always happy to meet new friends.

We have tried very hard to keep our costs down however, we must increase our ride prices beginning July 1, 2007. If you Schedule a Ride by July 1, 2007 we will honor the same price that we have had for the last 5 years. Schedule a Ride your ride after July 1, 2007 and our new rates will be in effect. The cost of fuel and gasoline along with insurance costs give us no choice. We have been in balloon ride business for more than 30 years and hope you understand and continue to support us. Please compare other balloon ride operators and you will find that FlyBalloons.net will continues to be the best value in the State of Michigan.

Professional Photographer Mike Hacala had the opportunity to capture some great images of our balloons during one of the many hot air balloon festivals that we attend each year..... Take a look by clicking on the link below.

That means good weather and YES, the 2007 flying season has started. Ted and Guy Gauthier just returned from Mexico. They were there flying hot air balloons and visiting friends in San Juan del Rio and San Miguel.

" SPECIAL" Tell us that you viewed our web site and ask for the sweet heart ride. We will be sure to give you a balloon ride for two(2) with no other passengers in the balloon. A balloon ride all to yourself, lots of room and memory for a lifetime.

"SPECIAL" We are happy that we are able to kept last year pricing for this year. In fact, we have not raised our prices for the last four years. This will come to an end (August 1, 2007). Schedule your ride before August 1, 2007 and you will receive the 2006 pricing rates you can take your ride anytime during 2007 flying season.

We are so sure that we provide the best price, safety record and value that invite you to check out our competition.

The weather has forced a close to this wonderful year of flying hot air balloons..

A Gift Certificate makes a great gift for the holidays. The best news we can give you is when you purchase a Gift Certificate before Christmas you pay this years price for your flight in the 2007 Flying Season. Balloon Flights begin in May and we fly until the weather no longer cooperates which is usually November 1st.

Ted & Lynn Gauthier along with Dawn & Mike McKenzie had the opportunity to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico and participate in this years balloon fiesta. This is one event that you must put on your wish list. It is the largest hot air balloon event in the world and it also includes a great gas balloon race.

It is such an awesome site to see 700 balloons in the air at one time. The balloons also fly in the dark which is called the "Dawn Patrol" and they land once the sun rises. The balloon "Glow" (tethered balloons in the dark) is so beautiful. Spectators are able to walk right up to the balloons, talk to the pilots and crew and see first hand what the excitement is all about.

We will have approximately 50 hot air balloons at the Midland Fairgrounds (located adjacent to the Midland/Barstow Airport).

Weather permitting, balloons with launch 6-7am in the mornings and 6pm each night. After dark the balloons will return for a beautiful night glow. The glow's are spectacular.

If you do come the event, please look us up. Ask for any of the Gauthiers. We will have 5 balloons in attendance. Let us know you found us on the web.

FlyBalloons.net, commercial Pilot featured in the Detroit Free Press, Twist magazine.

Dawn McKenzie is the featured women in this weeks "Detroit Free Press", "Twist magazine", July 23, 2006 issue. Click on the link below to read the article written by MICHELLE KREBS.

Are you interested in talking all about Hot air Balloons, then join in on the fun. On June 29, 2006 we launched another service for anyone interested in talking about Hot Air Balloons. Come and join the fun.

This balloon event is over, but the memories will last a lifetime. What a blast. Take a look at the Photo Show and you will see how much fun we had.

Look for all of our hot air balloons at the Michigan Challenge, June 23, 24 and 25th, 2006. Ted, Joey, Danny and Marty Gauthier along with Dawn McKenzie will in competition. This is the best balloon event in Michigan, with more than 60 hot air balloons. Come on out and see why we get so excited about balloons. Bring your family and your camera. We are sure you will leave with memories of a lifetime.

We flew all 5 of our hot air balloons on Saturday night, May 6th. and then four of us got together to launch for sunrise flight Sunday May 7th.

Mike Hacala came out Sunday morning and took some great pictures of our launch. Here is a link to the slide show. Take a look.

Mike McKenzie (left) began his flight lessons this week and was able to log 2.1 hours of flight time with flight instructor Ted Gauthier (right).. Look for future articles from Mike talking about his new adventures.

Yes, Spring is here...... and Yes we are now scheduling and flying our balloons. On Tuesday April 18th , Pilots Joey, Danny and Marty Gauthier took to the skies. The weather has been just wonderful. The fields are drying up, making the balloon recovery enjoyable. Give us a call or drop us an e-mail and join the fun.

Joey Gauthier, a Chief pilot for Flyballoons.net will be proudly flying passengers this season in his new balloon. This new balloon was built by B.R.E.T owned and operated by Guy Gauthier, in Longview, Texas.

New Student Pilot takes the FAA written exam for "Lighter-than-Air Hot Air Balloon"

Mike McKenzie of Clawson, Michigan attended a Hot Air Balloon ground school in Howell, Michigan prior to taking his written exam. Mike will begin his flight instruction early this spring with the flight instructors from FlyBalloons.net. Congratulations to Mike. He studied hard and the results were fantastic and everyone at FlyBalloons.net are very proud of Mike and looking forward to flying with him this season.

Well, it has been an interesting month. Our web site host went out of business and we have been scrambling to have our web site hosted by another company. Things are getting back to normal. It looks like our web site is about 50% back up and working. We will work hard to get all the links working as soon as we can.

The good news is, the weather is starting to get better every day and the ballooning season is just around the corner. Ted Gauthier was able to get out and fly his homebuilt RV-6 airplane twice this week. It was cold (13 degree f.) but the skies were clear.

The Events page for this year has been updated. New dates and events have been updated. Take a look at "Events for 2006"

Michigan Balloon Corp. located near Kalamazoo, Michigan, recently relocated to a new facility. Michigan Balloon Corp is owned by Ron Centers who operates a hot air balloon repair business and ride operation. On December 3, 2005, Michigan Balloon Corp opened there doors with their first Open House. If you are thinking about going for a hot air balloon ride on the western side of Michigan, you should think about giving them a call (269) 327-6446. We had the opportunity to visit their operation and it is really first class.

Lynn and Ted Gauthier just returned from Guanajuato, Mexico. They shipped their balloon with a trucking company and had it sent to Balloon Repair of East Texas. Ted's brother Guy and his wife Sherry then loaded up Ted's Balloon along with his brothers balloon and drove to Mexico. The drive took Guy and Sherry approximately 20 hours from his balloon shop located in Longview, Texas. Ted and Lynn was able to fly by airline to Leon, Mexico with an overnight stop in Houston, Texas. Eight U.S. Balloon pilots and two Mexican balloon pilots flew every day for a 6 day event called de festival Globo in Guanajuato, Mexico. Everyone had a great time. The people were fantastic, the town is so beautiful, the food was wonderful and everyday was "Severe Clear" with perfect ballooning weather. Ted will try to post many of the photos taken on this trip within the next week or two.

Note: If you can not view this photoshow, you may need to download Macromedia Flash player. Download Flash Player Here !

PLEASE, PLEASE be patient for the show to upload. It will be worth it. It should only take a minute or two. Enjoy.

Note: If you can not view this photoshow, you may need to download Macromedia Flash player. Download Flash Player Here !

What a great idea for a Christmas Gift. How many people get a gift that they will remember for a lifetime?

Buy a Gift Certificate between October 15 - December 24, 2005 and pay this years price. Use the gift certificate anytime during the 2006 flying season.

Father & Daughter take 1st & 2nd Place at the FLAG CITY BALLOON RACE, in Findlay, Ohio

A beautiful day for ballooning. The morning flight was spectacular with our guests visiting from France. We were able to launch early to watch the sunrise. We were able to see more than 20 deer along the way. The lakes were crystal clear and with the Detroit skyline on the horizon it showed up through the fog. Visibility was at least 50 miles.

Chistian Amundin tells the balloon pilots and crew, "Thank you for attending the second (Wes's was first) 2005 SE/MBA fly out. It was great to see everyone. Five balloons flew, Jim Lykins, Ted & Dawn Gauthier, Marty Gauthier, Dan Gauthier, and Phil and Marlin Ristenbatt. Other members attending, Howard Barton, and Rob Lykins".

The evening flight began with an invitation to launch from Christian and Pat Amundin's home in Davisburg, Michigan. They invited several balloonists to launch from their property. Five balloons launched which made for a colorful sight. Dawn Gauthier passed her biannual flight review and she flew to 5,200 feet above the ground. Her mother (Lynn) and fiancee (Mike, on the crown line) provided the crew. Dawn and Mike will be married on September 24, 2005.

Pilot Ted Gauthier and his two passengers Sandra & Les (owners of the "Truth Salon", located in West Bloomfield, Mi.) fly by the International Airport Tower window (with permission from the control tower). This beautiful morning flight took the balloon directly over the main tarmac at eye level with the air traffic controllers. Pilot Ted Gauthier contacted the controllers, asked and was given permission do a low fly by. Gauthier stated to the controllers, "be careful you don't spill your coffee", a re-enactment of the movie Top Gun. Everybody had a good laugh.

The above photos include the launch site, Pontiac Lake and the Oakland Pontiac International Airport. This sunrise flight took place on July 20, 2005. If you would like to schedule a ride. Click on this link: http://www.flyballoons.net/contact.cfm

The photo above is Ted Gauthier flying a hang balloon owned by Billy Adler and built by Ted's brother Guy. Guy owns and operates B.R.E.T. Balloon Repair of East Texas. The pilot lays down in a hammock chair below the envelope. No Basket.

What a Blast...... Ted had a grin that lasted all week. Don't be surprised if this is his next homebuilt. We just returned from the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview Texas. We will post many pictures next week and share some of the fun we had. posted 7-12-2005

I am back at home after spending a week in Longview, Texas. The weather was great for flying, both the airplane and the balloon. I flew my RV-6 to Longview, departing on the 4th of July and returned today July 11th. The air was smooth as glass both ways. I made two stops for fuel on the way down. Returning we stopped once for fuel in Columbia, Mo. The trip took us (my brother Gary) six hours flight time each way. On the way home we had to fly north to Tulsa, then route thru Columbia and direct to Pontiac so that we would avoid hurricane Dennis. I have XM satellite weather and did it ever make my trip comfortable. I could see the storms the entire trip. I was able to keep them 50-100 miles away and never even got a drop of rain on my plane. Trips like this one make the plane a real pleasure to fly. Fuel cost was approx. $200.00 each way.

My brother Joey, drove some of the equipment and balloons to Texas (26 hours on the road and $300.00 in gas each way). I am not rubbing it in because I know the true costs of owning an airplane, but I think it is worth it. It is just so nice to have someone else willing to transport the things that the airplane can not haul.

Last Thursday, Lynn landed in Shreveport, LA by Northwest Airline. I flew over and picked her up and flew her back to Longview. I was kind of funny, landing my little cartoon plane behind several major airlines and then parking right next to an American Airline Jet. Lynn was able to arrive and stay for the entire balloon race.

The Great Texas Balloon Race was one of the best events I have attended in a long time. The only problem was me. I guess I am just getting old. Two days before I left for Texas, I twisted my back. Creating a muscle pull in my left hamstring. So, I was useless when it came to lifting things. I was and still am sore, having a hard time walking. It does not bother me when I am sitting. My back never gave me any problems when I was flying (the balloon or the airplane). Funny how that worked out.

We flew every day in Texas. I even got a chance to fly a Hang Balloon that my brother Guy built. No Basket, just a hammock tied to the bottom of the envelope. What a blast. We glowed the balloons each night and every morning we had a competition flight. The first flight, I flew great and was in 5th place overall (75 balloons in the event). Then I dropped to 20th, then out of the money. I flew very well but the competition was fantastic. The last flight I had a score of 2 feet and 15 feet and that was so bad compared to others. Pilots were placing their markers within inches each task. Oh well maybe next year, or the next race.

Michigan Challenge Balloon Festival 2005, took place in Howell, Michigan with 56 hot air balloons attending. Ted Gauthier's balloon was sponsored by Mugg & Bopps Convenience Depot, Inc, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin/Robbins Ice Cream in Howell, Mi. We are a little bias, but we think that we had the best sponsor and the most fun. The truth is that everyone had a great time, the pilots and public who came to the event to witness the most awesome display of colors. If you missed the event this year, you will want to mark your calendar for next years spectacular display.

Dave Birdsong was at the Michigan Challenge Balloon Festival and took some wonderful photos of the event. Take a look and you will see the women pilot that we are so proud of, our very own Dawn Gauthier.

Today's sunrise balloon flight was fantastic. What a beautiful morning it was. We had the opportunity to take Chris and Theresa Marshal for a ride to celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary. Below are a few photos of the adventure.

Tell us that you viewed our web site and ask for the Sweet Heart Ride - " SPECIAL". We will be sure to give you a balloon ride for two(2) with no other passengers in the balloon. A balloon ride all to yourself, lots of room and memories for a lifetime. No additional charge.

Updated the Events page to include the hot air ballon event called "Portland Riverfest ", this event will be held on August 26, 27, 28, 2005 in Portland, Michigan. For info: contact: Colleen Barricklow 517-647-2966

Here is a place to find quality crew to help you launch and retrieve your balloon. Over the years there has been a need to locate crew when traveling around the country or local crew was not available. If you are a person who would like to crew for a balloon pilot or you have used a crew person that you would recommend to others, please send me an e-mail and crews name will be added to this list. If you don't have any experience crewing for a balloon, that is OK. If you are a pilot who was happy with a crew, please give a brief explanation.

Have you always wanted to learn more about Hot Air Ballooning? Meet other pilots and better understand different types of balloon systems. Maybe you just want to do something different. Here is an opportunity for the crew and the pilot to make new friends and help each other out. Some pilots run commercial operations, some fly in competitions and some just fly for the fun of it. Here is your chance to get involved for FREE.

Gauthier Family Scores Top Honors for their flying skills. Ted Gauthier ranked 12th. in the United States with 909.8 points during the 2004 flying season by the North American Balloon Association. His brothers and daughter were also top point leaders. Guy finished 30th. with 862.4points , and Joey finished 77th. with 757.9 points. Ted's daughter Dawn finished 171st. place with 514.7 points.

Dawn Gauthier, Ranked # 1 Female Balloon Pilot in Michigan! It is no wonder why everyone wants to fly with Dawn.