Phoebe's Hot Air Balloon Dream!
Donation protected
Hi! I’m Phoebe Brown; Wanna-be Hot Air Balloon Pilot.
Help me achieve my dream of becoming one of the few hot air female pilots in the world!
I fell crazy in love with hot air ballooning while I was living in Australia. My landlord at the time was a commercial hot air balloonist; one evening he stopped by to let us know there was space available on the balloon and that my roommate and I could ride along. I was incredibly hesitant to go, right up until the moment I actually got into the balloon gondola! After take off, all fears of heights were forever erased and a passion was born within me. Till this day, I will vote that my first balloon flight was the best day of my life!
Following that first flight I continued to ask questions and continued to try and fly as much as possible. How could I achieve my goal of becoming a hot air balloon pilot? Arriving back in the United States, I settled back in California and quickly started the balloon hunt. I knew to achieve this goal I must really go for it and luckily I was able to land a job working with a hot air balloon company located in the Napa Valley.
(Photo: Vineyards during my first flight over Napa)
I met Chelle Hughes in Napa, one of the few female commercial pilots in the world I've ever heard about and lucked out to be able to call her my friend. Becoming friends with your IDOL?! Still blows me away :) Chelle is the only woman to have piloted a hot air balloon at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro located in Amboseli Park, Kenya. I mean, how cool is that?!
I've never found something more rewarding,exciting and soooooo entertaining in my life!
Being around balloons and balloonists, my passion grew into a dream that now seems achievable. The only issue, IT'S EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE($5,000 for my private pilots license)!!!!
I have a once in a lifetime offer to learn to fly in Kalispell, Montana this summer and finish my training in the deserts of Arizona this winter. Eventually with enough funds, I hope to achieve my dream of becoming a commercial pilot :)
Recently I put myself out there and have been accepted to become a student of one of the most experienced and famed hot air balloon pilots in the world, Kevin Flanagan. Kevin has piloted all over the world and is one of a handful with over 9,000 hours of flight time. Kevin's knowledge of balloons inspired me even more knowing only one percent of pilots are women. Just to show, Kevin has instructed over 50 students and only 4 were women.
The ballooning industry may potentially die out without new pilots being trained. With the lack of younger generation pilots, those who were in the balloonist boom of the 1970's are quickly approaching the age of retirement. Who will fill these positions and continue the happiness and entertainment balloons have brought to the world since 1783? I love ballooning with all of my heart and want to continue to bring smiles to the people who see them fly overhead and those who come and experience the joy of floating in the skies.
(Photo I took flying over Winters, California)
I hope I can reach my goal of raising half of the amount needed ($5,000 for my private license and $5,000 for commercial) with this fundraiser while I try to work hard and save to get the other half for my private by the end of fall!
Thank you to all who have given me love and support throughout this endeavor!!
We've always been told to chase our dreams..I just prefer to chase mine by balloon :)
Help me achieve my dream of becoming one of the few hot air female pilots in the world!
I fell crazy in love with hot air ballooning while I was living in Australia. My landlord at the time was a commercial hot air balloonist; one evening he stopped by to let us know there was space available on the balloon and that my roommate and I could ride along. I was incredibly hesitant to go, right up until the moment I actually got into the balloon gondola! After take off, all fears of heights were forever erased and a passion was born within me. Till this day, I will vote that my first balloon flight was the best day of my life!
Following that first flight I continued to ask questions and continued to try and fly as much as possible. How could I achieve my goal of becoming a hot air balloon pilot? Arriving back in the United States, I settled back in California and quickly started the balloon hunt. I knew to achieve this goal I must really go for it and luckily I was able to land a job working with a hot air balloon company located in the Napa Valley.
(Photo: Vineyards during my first flight over Napa)I met Chelle Hughes in Napa, one of the few female commercial pilots in the world I've ever heard about and lucked out to be able to call her my friend. Becoming friends with your IDOL?! Still blows me away :) Chelle is the only woman to have piloted a hot air balloon at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro located in Amboseli Park, Kenya. I mean, how cool is that?!
I've never found something more rewarding,exciting and soooooo entertaining in my life!
Being around balloons and balloonists, my passion grew into a dream that now seems achievable. The only issue, IT'S EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE($5,000 for my private pilots license)!!!!
I have a once in a lifetime offer to learn to fly in Kalispell, Montana this summer and finish my training in the deserts of Arizona this winter. Eventually with enough funds, I hope to achieve my dream of becoming a commercial pilot :)
Recently I put myself out there and have been accepted to become a student of one of the most experienced and famed hot air balloon pilots in the world, Kevin Flanagan. Kevin has piloted all over the world and is one of a handful with over 9,000 hours of flight time. Kevin's knowledge of balloons inspired me even more knowing only one percent of pilots are women. Just to show, Kevin has instructed over 50 students and only 4 were women.
The ballooning industry may potentially die out without new pilots being trained. With the lack of younger generation pilots, those who were in the balloonist boom of the 1970's are quickly approaching the age of retirement. Who will fill these positions and continue the happiness and entertainment balloons have brought to the world since 1783? I love ballooning with all of my heart and want to continue to bring smiles to the people who see them fly overhead and those who come and experience the joy of floating in the skies.
(Photo I took flying over Winters, California)I hope I can reach my goal of raising half of the amount needed ($5,000 for my private license and $5,000 for commercial) with this fundraiser while I try to work hard and save to get the other half for my private by the end of fall!
Thank you to all who have given me love and support throughout this endeavor!!
We've always been told to chase our dreams..I just prefer to chase mine by balloon :)
Organizer
Phoebe Brown
Organizer
Alameda, CA