PRIZES to win! PROMOTIONS
Craig Elliott is a rare bird, a professional Hot Air Balloon Pilot for 40 years. Somewhere along the road he took on the pilot nickname of ""Capt. Sunshine."" While this may seem a bit whimsical, one only needed to watch him in action as his enthusiasm for hot air ballooning radiated.He began as a ground crew member for Dr. John Hall, a local balloonist, in 1976, after graduating from Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan, and soon began taking flight lessons in Hot Air Balloons. He obtained associate degrees in Architecture and Solar Technology from Lansing Community College and started his own company, ""Elliott and Sun Builders."" Craig then began employment with Balloon Corporation of America (BCA) in Fenton, Michigan, in 1983.Following extensive travel throughout the USA with the Buick Olympic Balloon, Capt. Sunshine returned to BCA to begin and manage a hot air balloon passenger ride program that grew to be one of the largest and most prestigious in the Midwest. Competing in many balloon events over the years sharpened Capt. Sunshine's skills. In 1984, flying the Buick Olympic Balloon in the Great Preakness Balloon Race in Baltimore, Maryland, he placed third. Flying ""The Gr-r-reat Tony"" Balloon for Kellogg's at the National Balloon Rally in Statesville, North Carolina, he won the top prize in 1985 and returned to take first place again out of one hundred and forty other balloons in 1986. Several other smaller events were also won. He competed in the Battle Creek International Balloon Championships flying the Buick Olympic Balloon in 1986. He also competed at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in 1986 while flying passenger rides and took first place in the McDonald's Race, and in 1989 flying the Virgin Jumbo III Special Shape Balloon for Virgin Atlantic Airways he won second place in the Special Shape Rodeo event at Fiesta.Capt. Sunshine excelled in other aspects during his ballooning career as well. He and his wife, Michelle, planned, and Craig acted as Balloon Meister, for the TV 9&10 Balloon Classic in Traverse City, Michigan. They did the same with the Seven Lakes State Park Balloon Race for ten years running, and five years with the Trans-Michigan Balloon Race.Capt. Sunshine retired from ballooning in 2019 after 43 incredible years of wonderful adventures and excitement. This book will bring you along for the ride. He currently lives in Michigan on a small farm with his wife, Michelle, where they raise chickens and tend several large vegetable gardens.Career Statistics: Flew 68 different balloons in 11 different sizes and classes from 56,000 cu. ft. AX-6 to 216,000 cu. ft. AX-11. Flew 2,693 flights, safely flying 14,401 human passengers, one dog named ""Lucky,"" and one Big Boy statue, thus averaging 5.35 humans and 0.00037 dogs/statues per flight. Over 6,000 bottles of champagne opened post flight!
""The Balloonatics is a story that should be told. Flying in a balloon offers long periods of sublime enjoyment-flying gently through the sky enjoying breathtaking scenery that cannot be replicated in any other aircraft. But those periods can be punctuated by moments of sheer panic and terror. Those moments will go unnoticed by the passengers with a good pilot in control. But a good pilot will remember them forever."" -Mike Kendrick, legendary balloonist and aviation pioneer ""A phantasticly phunny and excellently exciting read! Highly recommended if you enjoy adventure and entertainment. The Balloonatics captures the essence of the heyday of hot air ballooning in the '80s and '90s in a no holds barred tale of phlying, traveling, and partying on the road with professional commercial hot air balloon pilots."" -Denny Floden, aka Capt. Phogg, 1st World Hot Air Balloon Champion ""This sport of ballooning that we love, captures us for different reasons. The experience of floating above the world, the challenge of learning, the thrill of competition, or perhaps simply sharing with others the beauty of the oldest and purest form of flight. But there is a common thread that weaves through it all-community. The Balloonatics reminds us that we share a common bond-part friendship, part laughter, part love of our sport. We may come together for different reasons, but we are united in the love, laughter, and beauty of what we do. We are perhaps unlike other air sports in that regard. We can fight tooth and nail in flight, then laugh, joke, celebrate, and commiserate with each other. The Balloonatics is both a great trip down memory lane, and a reminder that we are privileged to fly and to share this sport with each other."" -Andy Baird, owner of Cameron Balloons
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