BalloonFest Pilot Shares His Passion For The Activity

It was a great morning for flying at Flag City BalloonFest Friday morning and News Director Matt Demczyk had a chance to head up into the sky with one of the pilots.

Jonny Hodge pilots Disco Lemonade and says he’s been around balloons his entire life.

“That’s my father right there,” Jonny said, pointing to the Star Ryder balloon in the sky in the distance that’s piloted by his dad James “Art” Hodge.

And Jonny says in a few years his son will start training to become a hot air balloon pilot.

We asked Jonny what he likes most about hot air ballooning.

“The people, right there there’s a perfect example, you got people out at 8 o’clock in the morning in their driveway excited to see the balloons come over. You land in a neighborhood like this and you’re gonna have a dozen or so kids come out and check out the balloon.”

A big “thank you” to Jonny for the smooth flight.

Flag City BalloonFest runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Findlay’s Emory Adams Park.