Floating through the air with abandon and no directional control might seem frivolous to some, but to Bob Carlton, it is his joy and life's work.
"I went to college," Carlton says. "My father says to make anything of myself, I had to go to college. But then I learned how to fly a hot-air balloon and two years later began flying corporate balloons. I did not need to go to college for that, and I tell you, it is the most fun thing in the world to do. And I get paid for it."
Carlton is the owner of Balloons & Beyond. His team of qualified pilots fly anytime the weather permits. They have flown newlyweds, business people at corporate retreats, birthday celebrants and couples honoring anniversaries and many other occasions. According to Carlton , every day a balloon flies is a reason to celebrate.
"We have flown so many people over the years," Carlton says. "The newlyweds are fun. They will get married on the ground and then we will go for a ride. It is a beautiful and a peaceful time for them. Then we set down and celebrate with a bottle of champagne."
Perception often is influenced by point of view, and the view from hundreds of feet in the air can introduce a beauty of the land that is not seen from ground level.
Balloonists often are able to observe wildlife undetected from above, seeing the animals and their habitat for miles around.
"You float over them and they don't know you are there," Carlton says. "Then sometimes we have to fire the burner and it will spook them. Deer will hang out together in herds, and when you spook them, they run fast. You can see them bounding along for miles."
Carlton began flying corporate balloons as a pilot for World Balloons in Albuquerque. In 1980, he moved to Tampa to fly corporate balloons for The Tampa Tribune and Freedom Savings Bank. In addition, he was the supervisor of Sports Balloons, a balloon-repair station. Six years later, he was flying for Walt Disney, piloting the Mickey, Donald and Cinderella Castle balloons as well as recently piloting the Spaceship Earth balloon.
He has flown many balloons over many places.
"Flying over Niagara Falls was pretty spectacular," Carlton says. "It was pretty loud, louder than the burners even. We took off from the Canadian side and eased on over."
Balloons & Beyond employs several pilots and has a fleet of balloons.
Jon Thompson, a pilot for Balloons & Beyond, has been flying hot-air balloons his entire life. He was raised in a ballooning family and received his pilot's license when he was 16. He earned his commercial license at age 18.
"I have been blessed to be able to do this for a living," Thompson says. "The freedom, the feeling of being able to float through the air like this is indescribable."
In addition to Carlton and Thompson, Bill Moran and Mike Braddock pilot hot-air balloons for Balloons & Beyond.
For details about Balloons & Beyond, call 813-240- 4844.
