Forest Park Balloon Race Program 2018

24 The Great Forest Park Balloon Race • Presented by PNC Bank Butler’s Pantry – Alan Lawson (Leander, TX) Alan has been ballooning for 12 years. Commercial balloon Pilot. Commercial fixed wing Pilot. Glider rating. Seaplane rating. Retired Fireman, 25 years with Springfield Mo. fire department. City of St. Louis – Bill Smiley (Olathe, KS) Bill has been flying balloons since 1980. Smiley is a Mechanical Engineer in Kansas City, he restores antique cars in his spare time and loves to water-ski. Smiley has attended the Great Forest Park Balloon Race since 1989. He owns and operates Hot Expectations Balloon Co flying charter flights in the Kansas City-area. Daniel & Henry Company – Terry Montague (Centralia, MO) Terry has loved ballooning since he saw a balloon floating above his mom and dad’s pasture. After Montague’s first ride, he said he wanted a balloon and before the next year came around he had a balloon system. Montague has flown commercial balloons and banners for companies. Montague has flown in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Mexico. He has more than 400 hours in balloons and enjoys every moment with family and friends. One of Montague’s favorite things is to see the smiles and the fun kids and adults have at balloon events and just flying over town. He celebrates ballooning with his wife Cindy, and his son J.T. and his daughter, Jordan Ohl. Dirty Dogzs – Jason Gaines (O’Fallon, MO) Jason attended his first Great Forest Park Balloon Race at age five in 1978. “I would see the balloons fly over my house in Ballwin all summer long and would make my mom chase them down, I was hooked, they fascinated me for some reason.” Gaines began crewing in 1986 as a 13-year-old, began my flight training in 1997, and realized a childhood dream- come-true when he received his private pilot’s license in 2001 and commercial in 2003. Gaines has more than 800 pic hours and has flown in 20 states and 3 countries. Drury Hotels - Joe Nepute (St. Louis, MO) Joe was born in St. Louis and has been flying since he was 14. He is a corporate pilot for a local company. He has over 14,000 flying hours in many types of aircraft both for airlines and corporate flight departments. He started flying balloons during 2010 in Dubai and is a now a commercial balloon pilot. Joe is also an experienced skydiver. His first flight in a balloon did not end in a landing as he jumped out of the balloon. That flight and jump gave him the ballooning bug. His most memorable flight to date was a flight over the snow-covered Austrian Alps to a height of 13,500 ft. He currently resides and balloons around the St Louis Metro area in the Spectrum Balloon. He is honored to be in St Louis, flying in the Great Forest Park Balloon race with such an excellent and renowned group of balloon pilots.