We are excited about so many things for this upcoming season! We are celebrating 1/4 of a century of safely flying thousands of happy passengers from Letchworth Park! We are busy dreaming up some fun stuff so stay tuned!

Denise and I just returned from Austria where I had the pivelage of joing Swiss pilot Jakob Burkard in two gorgeous flights over the Alps. Up to 13,000 ft. with some of the most incredible mountain scenery in the world. I have posted some photos on Facebook and will soon have some on our web page. Please join us as a "Friend of Balloons Over Letchworth on Facebook.

Our 11th annual Red, White & Blue Balloon Rally will take place in the park this year May 25th - 28th. Six planned flights for 30 different balloons. Come join us as a passenger or stay on the ground and snap photos. It's tons of fun!

This May Denise and I are opening a fantastic lodge for nightly rental. It will be perfect for celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary etc. A 750 square ft.chalet style cabin in the woods with what we like to call "rustic luxury". Decorated in the Adirondack great camp style it will feature a gas fireplace, loft bedroom and use of inground pool and hot tub. Give us a call for more details.

Up, up and away!

Ah, what a difference a month makes. It is raining here for the first time in several weeks. Boy, do we need it. I always hate to cancel flights but, the parched yards and crops truly need a drink.

June was not bad for flying and July has been pretty darn good. It seems so nice to have dozens of happy customers instead of spending all day re-scheduling sometimes grumpy folks! Everyone is so excted about their balloon ride that it is a big letdown when it rains or the winds blow hard on their scheduled day. This is all just for fun and beauty. There will always be other days. Days that are safe to fly. Just remember, my butt is up in the air too! My mama didn't raise a fool!

Sunnyside Up, our new balloon has been a big hit. It really glows up in the sky with it's vibrant colors. The smiley face with blue sunglasses has been a big hit. Everyone seems to want to take photos of it.

We have several new items this year. We have ball caps, hoodies, regualar stone washed sweatshirts, wine glassses, golf shirts and of course tee shirts with the new Sunnyside Up logo. We carry them with us on every flight.

Even if you aren't flying with us, please come down and watch. We have been launching 2 or 3 balloons each evening. We get together at 2 hours before sunset. You can call out number each day after 4:30 p.m. to see if the weather is good for it. Please, bring your camera!

June has arrived and the weather pattern has finally taken a turn for the better. The land is beginning to dry up (still a long way to go). Meteorologically, spring is the three months of March, April and May. Both Rochester and Buffalo more than doubled the average rainfall for spring, making it the wettest ever!

Our new balloon Sunnyside Up has been a huge success. Our balloon top may one day be the most photographed part of the park! Please come out to see it. If you would like to watch us launch, you may call us any late afternoon to see if our flight is on. Generally after 4:00 p.m. We'd love to have you!

So, I went out to Ann Arbor Michigan last week and picked up the new balloon at the Cameron Balloon factory. What a terrific experience. Manager Andy Baird, Paul Pethron and the entire staff were very congenial. We inflated it at sunrise on Thursday and checked over all of the lines and ropes etc. I posted photos on Facebook. I am totally and completely pleased with the quality of this new balloon. It's terrific! There are some slight differences from my older balloons and I know that I will readily adjust.

I got the fifty cent tour of the factory and I was very impressed. There were over a dozen people working hard on all phases of building new balloons.

If all goes well this evening, we will inflate Sunnyside Up for the first time in Letchworth and give her a whirl. I can't wait!

Talk about spring fever, geeez! This winter is really dragging on. I've had only one balloon flight in the past 5 months. I need to get to thinner air!! To make it drag out even longer, our new balloon is being built as I write (type?) this and I can't wait to pick it up and fill'er with air! Oh well, good things come to those who wait.

This Thursday morning I am boarding a big bird and flying to Des Moines, Iowa. Why would anyone want to do that, you ask? I am attending our Balloon Federation of America (BFA) convention and safety seminar. (Hasn't the BFA ever heard of Los Vegas?) Each year I attend at least one safety seminar. It gets me "freshened up" for the upcoming flying season. Classes are held for decision making, propane safety and the all important weather. I always come home raring to get in the air, safely!