"Take Off is Optional, Landing is Mandatory" - Up & Away Ballooning Pilot Mike Kijak
Our speaker for Thursday, February 1, 2024, was Mike Kijak, a balloon pilot with Up & Away Ballooning. Mike started Up & Away with his wife in 1999 when he was laid off from his “real job.” He sold the business and retired in Oregon in 2015. Mike came back to Sonoma County in 2019 to “unretire.” He started ballooning in 1993 and got his license in 1997. Mike has spent over 3,123 hours in balloons. Mike also enjoys competing in balloon rallies. In fact, in 2022, he beat out 40 competitors and took first place at the Great Reno Balloon Race!
Mike related some interesting facts about ballooning. Hot air ballooning was first recorded in France in 1783 when papermakers, the Montgolfier brothers, sent up some farmyard animals in a balloon powered by smoke (rather than propane, which is currently almost exclusively used in hot air balloons). The first humans ballooned in France in 1784. Ballooning is usually done in the morning because it is typically cooler in the morning with less wind. Did you know that a balloon pilot cannot “steer” a hot air balloon? Balloons are exclusively steered by the wind. The pilot can only control the vertical travel of the balloon. Before flights, balloon operators launch small helium balloons into the air to determine windspeed and direction, and gauge their flights based on what those helium balloons do. Mike’s balloons typically take off from the Sonoma County airport area and fly downwind until they find a good spot for a landing. Mike has a chase crew on the ground looking for good landing spots and speaking with landowners for permission to land on their property. Mike has some interesting stories about landing in fields and negotiating with irate landowners!
Up & Away Ballooning was the first U.S. balloon company to purchase and use a basket with windows for people in wheelchairs and other disabilities. The basket also had a strong plastic fold-down ramp to enable access. People could see the sights through plexiglass windows without being limited by the need to stand up! This basket was a big hit for his business, since it was the only way for many people to have access to hot air ballooning.
Thank you Mike for the interesting and informative presentation. I’ll wave the next time I see you above my house!
