My Personal Background
I was born and raised in West Point, Mississippi, not far from Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley. In high school and college, playing varsity football was my favorite sport. I attended Mississippi Delta Jr. College and graduated from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. After graduation, I traveled to Chinle, Arizona and taught school on a Navajo reservation for two years. Next, went to work for J.C. Penny in Beaumont, Texas. Then, I moved to Ft. Smith, Arkansas where my love affair with the sport of hot air ballooning began.
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My military career in the Air Force took me to Spokane and Everett, Washington, Kansas City, Missouri, and Austin, Texas. This travel enabled me to fly balloons in many locations. I ended my career as a recruiter with the Air Force Reserve in Texas. One of my last recruits was my future wife, Estelle
After retiring from the Air Force, I moved to South Florida. I then became a full time graduate student and a full time balloonist. Estelle and I were married at Disney World, in 1992 and we flew our balloon on our honeymoon. We are truly a ballooning family, even our dog, Maggie, flies in the balloon. In 1996, I graduated from Florida International University with a Masters Degree in Social Work. Teaching and Social Work are noble professions but my heart belongs to ballooning.
The South Florida Hot Air Balloon Pilots have been able to share this sport with thousands of people. We all enjoy giving people the thrilling experience a floating in the skies between the Atlantic Ocean and the everglades.
Estelle and I now balloon in Canada every August as well as participate in four or five other balloon festivals annually.
Every balloonist, who flies people for hire, must have a FAA Commercial License and commercial balloon insurance. The balloonists in South Florida fly together and confer with each other about weather conditions and safety. We decide as a group, after consulting flight service, if the weather is suitable for flying.
Come join us for the most beautiful and unique experience of a lifetime.
Estelle and Wayne