The Pilots - Part 2

So, want to know a bit more about some of our fabulous pilots. Let me see....

Paul Morlock will be back with us. He and his wife Val changed their lifestyle pretty dramatically this year when they sold their house in Mooresville and began full time RV-ing. They have had many adventures and have logged a lot of miles since then. We're excited they put Carolina BalloonFest into their busy schedule. It's good to have them home for a bit!

Kenny Shumate and Grant Aiello are both former firefighters at Disney, who have also been to clown school (or is that clown college?)! Not only great pilots, but great entertainers. I'd tell you to look for them, but it may be easier to listen for them. They never fail to pay attention to the crowd and get them laughing! We've missed Grant the last couple of years, so are thrilled that Mr. Wonderful has returned!

Several corporate pilots will be in the bunch. These folks fly balloons designed especially to promote certain corporations. We happen to think it is an excellent investment for these corporations to advertise this way, so if you know anyone who works for these corporations let them know you noticed and liked it! Pete Colwell flies the Remax balloon and will be one of the pilots offering tethers at the festival. Beth Wright-Smith will be piloting the Wells Fargo balloon, a new special shaped balloon attending our festival. Look for the flying stagecoach and you can find Beth. Sean Askren will be back with with the Jasper balloon. It's always good to have Sean around so we can get an up-close-and-personal answer to the question "What would Sean Askren do?"

Every pilot has a story and we could write a book about each. I hope you're getting the picture... interesting folks will be flying our skies, won't they?

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