2025 Pilot Bios



Chief

Byron Denhart

St Joseph, IL

Sponsored by

BalloonMeister


Years Flying Balloons - 35


When you are not flying, what do you enjoy doing?


Spending time with my family, attending and coaching my sons sports teams, renovating our home and just hanging out watching sports and throwing something on the smoker.


Why did you become a pilot?


After being a crew chief for several years it was simply the next step in my progression in the sport.


What do you find is the most challenging about flying a hot air balloon?


Making the balloon do what you want it to do, go where you want it to go. You need to be able to look ahead and decide whether that's what you want to have happen and have the balloon keep doing what it's doing, or manipulate the balloon to make it do what you want it to.


Short description of something interesting that ballooning has allowed you to do?


Simply put, travel the world and meet amazing people. To date, I've been involved with balloons in over 40 states and 5 countries and have the most amazing friends all over the world as a result. Almost anywhere I travel now, I can stop and see friends along the way.


What do you most want the public to know/understand about hot air balloons and flying them?


It's always a challenge as a pilot to fly safely when you're dealing with Mother Nature. Things can change quickly no matter how much prep y