Hi, My name is Jeff. I am a new sponsor of WDWMagic and thought I should post a note to introduce myself.
I have been flying hot air balloons since I was 15. I received my pilots license when I turned 16 and have been flying hot air balloons ever since. I am now 47 and have been a pilot for 32 years and still love it.
I started out as a competition pilot and was ranked as one of the top 5 in the country for several years. I have flown corporate balloons for Kellogg's, Buick, Pizza Hut, BBT and others. I spent 6 years as a flight instructor for the FAA. I still am requested as a guest speaker at FAA pilot safety seminars here in Florida. I have spent 18 years flying passengers and have found that my true love is taking people for their first flight in a balloon. I love that I can re-live my first flight each day through their eyes.
Many of you may have flown with me here in the Disney area in the past. I was the Chief Pilot for Orange Blossom Balloons for 8 years. I left them in February of this year because I did not agree with some of their policy's. Mainly that they were focused on the dollars and not the passengers. I believe that this is a once in a lifetime event for most passengers and it should be PERFECT. So Thompson Aire Inc. was borne.
Many of you know how hard it is to start a new business. Especially when you have to invest several hundred thousand dollars in equipment. The balloons are around $55,000 each. My philosophy is get the best and be the best so the money was not as much of a concern as was having the right tools to make things perfect.
If you have flown with me in the past please share your adventure with others on this site since your referral will carry much more weight than if I talk all day. If you have questions about hot air balloons feel free to send me a note. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and guarantee you wont stump me with any questions.
I recently did a video lesson for a website called expertvillage and I will post another note when the video is up on the web. I think it will be about three weeks before it goes up. I will also be posting video on my website soon.
I will also be running a special this year at Christmas where you can purchase a gift certificate at a reduced price that you can use later in the year when you plan a trip to Orlando. I will post the details on that at a later date.
Anyway, Hi, I look forward to questions and comments from all of you.
Jeff
I have been flying hot air balloons since I was 15. I received my pilots license when I turned 16 and have been flying hot air balloons ever since. I am now 47 and have been a pilot for 32 years and still love it.
I started out as a competition pilot and was ranked as one of the top 5 in the country for several years. I have flown corporate balloons for Kellogg's, Buick, Pizza Hut, BBT and others. I spent 6 years as a flight instructor for the FAA. I still am requested as a guest speaker at FAA pilot safety seminars here in Florida. I have spent 18 years flying passengers and have found that my true love is taking people for their first flight in a balloon. I love that I can re-live my first flight each day through their eyes.
Many of you may have flown with me here in the Disney area in the past. I was the Chief Pilot for Orange Blossom Balloons for 8 years. I left them in February of this year because I did not agree with some of their policy's. Mainly that they were focused on the dollars and not the passengers. I believe that this is a once in a lifetime event for most passengers and it should be PERFECT. So Thompson Aire Inc. was borne.
Many of you know how hard it is to start a new business. Especially when you have to invest several hundred thousand dollars in equipment. The balloons are around $55,000 each. My philosophy is get the best and be the best so the money was not as much of a concern as was having the right tools to make things perfect.
If you have flown with me in the past please share your adventure with others on this site since your referral will carry much more weight than if I talk all day. If you have questions about hot air balloons feel free to send me a note. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and guarantee you wont stump me with any questions.
I recently did a video lesson for a website called expertvillage and I will post another note when the video is up on the web. I think it will be about three weeks before it goes up. I will also be posting video on my website soon.
I will also be running a special this year at Christmas where you can purchase a gift certificate at a reduced price that you can use later in the year when you plan a trip to Orlando. I will post the details on that at a later date.
Anyway, Hi, I look forward to questions and comments from all of you.
Jeff
