RMBF Pilot Page

Orval saw his first hot air balloon in 1979 and has chased them ever since. He is recognized for his 27 years of service to the sport of ballooning as a Master Crew Chief and Class C Observer in the BFA. He has officiated at many races, from Launch Director to Scoring Officer. After 25 years of crewing, Orval became a pilot in 2006. He flies primarily in Southern California, but has flown in events throughout the West. Orval has been an inspector in the aerospace industry and is visiting Ruby Mountain as part of his “retirement tour” with his wife and crew chief, Bo.

A fixed wing pilot since his college days (let's not ask how long ago that was), Kent has been enjoying flying hot air balloons since his initial lighter than air flight that came about as the solution to a mid-life crisis. Within six weeks of his first flight in a balloon, he purchased BelleStar, his first balloon, and completed the requirements to earn a FAA commercial pilot certificate. Kent has had the opportunity to travel and fly at locations and events across the western United States, as well many international events in the Middle East as well as South and Central America. Kent's favorite areas to fly are the mountains of Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming as well as the red rock country of Arizona, New Mexico and of course Utah. However, the pyramids of Mexico offer a spectacular experience from a hot air balloon that must be seen. One of his greatest joys is to introduce the sport of hot air ballooning to people for their first time. It is Kent's desire to promote ballooning as a fun filled family activity to the general public and corporate America.

My name is Bill Chapel and I fly the Smokey Bear balloon. I began flying balloons in 1977. I worked for the USDA Forest Service for 36½ years. During the last 17 years of that service, I put together the idea and effort to have a Smokey Bear balloon. Finally, in 1993 we succeeded and flew Smokey in the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for the celebration of Smokey’s 50th birthday. We have our second Smokey balloon now, and in August will celebrate Smokey’s 65th birthday! This is our seventh year to fly in Elko and Spring Creek, Nevada.

In 1979, we came across a balloon flying down around Walnut Creek, and that got me started looking for other balloons. Shortly after that, we found a balloon meet in Stockton; we followed and took pictures. After that my daughter started to crew for balloons in Truckee. Then we started going to the Great Reno Balloon Race. After that, we found that pilots needed crew, so we crewed for some time. But I never got to fly. When I was a teenager, we had a couple of airplanes and I was learning to fly fixed wing. I went to the airport to finish, but had to wait as the airport was being rebuilt. A few days later, I got a call from my daughter that a balloon was for sale. I called and said I'd buy the balloon if I would get training. That was the start of my hot air balloon flying in the 1990s. Now I have flown 13 years at Albuquerque, NM, the same at Great Reno, and many other places in seven states. What I do when I'm not having fun flying, but enjoy doing, is making jewelry. I've owned and operated Stevenson's Jewelry for 40years; time to retire, but wouldn’t know what to do with my spare time. I've got a great crew and trained most of them to be balloon pilots; they still help me when they are flying. We try to land close together to pack up. We have a great time.

"Off the Wall Balloon will be finishing up the 2009 North America Tour at the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival. He and the Pilot/Owner spent 60 days on the road during the summer putting nearly 11,000 miles of asphalt under the tires to attend events in Alabama, Mississippi, Canada, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and finally in Oklahoma before returning home to Nevada and finishing out the tour with fall dates in the area. It was an adventure in all aspects, I know I spent more time at the gas pumps than in the air, but it was the people I met and crews I was assigned that made the tour the most fun."

Kearney started hanging around and crewing for balloons 20 years ago with the Nevada Bell balloon crew. Then the 4-h group started sponsoring a balloon in the GRBR as a fundraiser. Then Nevada Bell bought a new balloon and Pat Irwin talked them into selling their old balloon to Pat and Kearney to use in 4-H. So we learned to fly. Both became pilots in Jan. 1997. Three used balloons later, Kearney bought a brand new Cameron Viva and his wife Deanna named it KEARNEY'S MISTRESS, as she said it is the only thing he is allowed to spend money on other than her. He loves to fly and share the magic of ballooning.

Retired Los Angeles Fireman currently living in Gardnerville NV. Flying balloons for 10 years. Other interests include (but not limited to) music, golf, fishing, diving, traveling, the usual guy stuff. My wife and I have been married for 50 years and have 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Jim and Donna were introduced to ballooning in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1977. Jim had his first balloon free flight in 1978 in Albuquerque. He and Donna were hooked. They were very active in ballooning in Colorado until 1984 when a move to the Portland, Oregon area brought new interests and commitments. It wasn't until a trip back to the 25th Anniversary of the Colorado Springs Balloon Classic in Colorado Springs, and encouragement and interest by their grown children, that another balloon was purchased in 2003. Jim and Donna (both Commercial LTA pilots) enjoy organizing club fly outs with a definite emphasis on fun. Jim's precision and skill at piloting balloons brought him a race win in Reno and he's always competitive in club competition. He and Donna are now living in Spring Creek, Nevada (just outside of Elko) where they have flown for the last several years in the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival. Many things prompted the move, but wide-open balloon flying was one of the major reasons for the life-changing relocation. Jim has student pilots lined up and waiting for instruction in the Great Basin of the high desert at the foot of the gorgeous Ruby Mountains. Donna is a past president of the Ballooning Society of Pikes Peak and assistant race organizer of the Colorado Springs Balloon Classic with Dewey Reinhard. She is presently the president of Ruby Mountain Hot Air, Inc., the current organizing entity of the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival in Elko/Spring Creek, NV.

We started going to the GRBR event, then chasing the balloons, then sponsored a balloon for 4 years. In 1996 we began taking lessons. Bought our first balloon in 1997. Vince got his pilot certificate in 1997 and his commercial in 1999. Chris was crew chief for Vince till getting her pilot certificate in 2004. We have wonderful people who crew for us all year long.

John Miller, pilot of Tahoe Flame calls Grass Valley, CA home. He became involved with ballooning through the Aeronauts program at the Great Reno Balloon Races. You might say it was the proverbial love at first sight. He then shared his love of hot air balloons with his family and friends. Despite the early morning hours, he managed to involve his teenage daughters and their friends. After a few years, he received his pilot certificate and now his goal is to pass on his adventurous spirit by training each of his young crewmembers to become pilots. John's daughter and one of her friends already have their certificates.

Ramon Seelbach has flown his beloved aerostat Up Early every year for 24 years, which makes it one of the older balloons in the air. It underwent extensive renovation in 2001 during which the top 1/3 of the fabric was replaced with a golden crown to compliment its orange, green and yellow vertical stripes. Limiting his flights mostly to Nevada and California now, Ramon has logged over 450 hours of mountain and desert flying and has given countless new friends the thrill of their first balloon flight. Up Early is a size AX-7 balloon manufactured by Aerostar Industries. It holds 77,000 cubic feet of air and stands about as tall as a 7-story building. In normal operation, the maximum temperature in the top of the balloon is 200°F.

I have been flying off and on since 1975 (airplanes) and was looking for a new hobby when my wife's uncle invited me to the 2000 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta to crew his balloon. Well I had fun and he got transferred to Singapore so he had to sell his balloon. To keep it in the family I "talked" my wife into buying it (aka...didn't tell her until it was too late). I received my balloon rating in February 2001, and my commercial rating in 2006. I have flown at events from Oregon to Virginia, and Washington to California, and every event at Elko. As long as my crew is having a safe and fun time, it's been a good day and if we get to fly, that is even more fun.

I was born in Colorado, and raised in Utah by parents that instilled the spirit of adventure and love of the outdoors. My hobbies are: Flying (Plane, Glider, Balloon), Trekking (I've hiked the Chilkoot trail in Alaska and the Kanchenchunga trail in Nepal), Water Skiing, Wind Surfing, White Water Rafting, River Boarding, Mtn Biking, Snow Skiing, and Sport Bikes. I started Hang Gliding as a teenager. I've always had a lust for flight. I've been a Cessna pilot since 2004 and a Glider pilot since 2005. As an adrenaline junkie, I'm drawn to cruising through the air at altitude. I've also got an incurable wanderlust. As a Hot Air Balloon Pilot, I'm able to travel to new places and meet new people while satisfying the need to FLY. After balloon crewing for a great friend for several years, I decided that I'd have to make room for another hobby. So in 2009, I bought a balloon and a couple of months later received my private certificate. Although some of my best experiences have been as crew in the past few years, I am definitely looking forward to what the next few years bring.