Rich's story starts on a cold Indiana winter day, watching the first hot air balloon drift overhead. That moment stuck. Between a mother who skydived and countless hours around small airports as a kid — packing parachutes by age 14 — aviation wasn't so much a career choice as it was inevitable.
That path led through Navy ROTC and Naval Aviation training, commercial pilot ratings for both single- and multi-engine aircraft, and more than 1,000 flight hours in the S-3 Viking, flying internationally along the way.
Ballooning came later, but for a specific reason. After earning a Commercial Balloon Certificate through the Carolina Balloon Association — ground school, safety seminars, and all — the goal was never really about logging hours.
The move to North Carolina brought the operation closer to family — and closer to the community that Aerizing now flies for. Every flight still carries that original motivation: give people a reason to look up, and give back while doing it.
On flight days, it's rarely a one-person show. A ground crew helps with setup, chase, and everything in between — if that sounds like something you'd want to be part of, we're always looking for more hands.
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