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Colorado Hot Air Balloon

COLORADO PILOT BIOS

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Colorado Hot Air Balloon Pilot Bruce Wellens - Total Years: 35

Bruce is the company founder and pilots one of our many balloons every chance he gets. There were only 200 balloons in the world in 1973, when he and his wife, Patty, borrowed $12,000 and ordered their first balloon from Raven Industries. "Piloting balloons is special because we share a "first-time experience" with hundreds of people each year. In the past 30 years, I have flown movie stars and even farmers I picked up from their fields on the spur of the moment. Floating slowly over the countryside gives a person a unique feeling of exploration with the world passing under your feet. Everyone remembers their first balloon flight, even if they forget their first date."

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Colorado Balloon Pilot

John Bagwell - Total Years: 33

A full-time professional balloonist, John has loved flying since 1975, completing 13 flight logbooks. Licensed in both Hot Air and Gas balloons, he bagan flying commercially in 1982, and has now flown over 35,000 passengers, including celebrities like President and Betty Ford, Michael Douglas and Claire Booth Luce. John loves to teach his passengers about the balloon, landmarks and wildlife as well as introducing them to a whole new experience. After joining Unicorn in 1985, John graduated to flying the big ride balloons. John enjoys honing his piloting skills by flying many different size of balloons and flying over 300 days each year. Chief Pilot John has the distinction of flying all 21 Unicorn balloons, including the newest one.

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Colorado Springs Balloon Pilot

Mark Fosburg - Total Years: 27

In addition to flying passengers, Mark is the company Balloon Operations Manager and is responsible for maintaining equipment and training crew personnel. Taught by two other company pilots, he has flown the Unicorn balloons and others over 20 years. Flying in a crowd is no problem for this eight-year Albuquerque Fiesta veteran. "I like taking people up," Mark says, "Sharing a new experience with them." In his spare time, he likes to fly his personal balloon, "Sunrise".

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Terry Cleaveland - Total years: 14

For the past 14 years Terry has been flying the Colorado circuit. Terry started his career as a glider pilot and then moved into ballooning when looking for more of a challenge. "I love flying. The mornings in Colorado Springs always offer an interesting flight experience. Some days we fly over a 727 taking off and others we're skimming the rock in Castle Rock." Terry flys for fun as ballooning is just a hobby... his real career keeps him busy selling eye glasses to the blind folks of Colorado Springs at Town and Country Optical. His third job and favorite hobby is being a DAD six times over.

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Greg Wellens - Total years: 5

Our youngest pilot and owner of the company, Greg has been flying for 5 years and has been chasing balloons in the family business for 35 years. Greg loves flying in all the locations served by Adventures Out West.

On his off days, Greg preferes to be testing the limits of hot air balloons including flying to 21,000 feet and hops over Pikes Peak. Greg says, "Fun, fun, fun chasin' balloons in the sun. See you in the air."

 

 

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1680 South 21st Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
719.578.0935

5002 E Sweetwater
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
480.991.3666

800.755.0935 
Fax 719.444.0965
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