Calgary Balloon Club

Before modern inflation fans became common and powerful, cold inflations sometimes required a little extra help — and a little extra bravery. As Dennis Myrthu recalls from the early days of ballooning, crew members would stand inside the mouth of the balloon during inflation, holding the fabric open to help create a larger pocket of air before the hot inflation began. These volunteers earned the memorable nickname “Cremation Charlies.”

Dennis remembers being volunteered for the job while Stan operated the burner, “If you get too hot, lower your arms and I will stop burning and let you out.” Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, those instructions were forgotten. Dennis recalls that he lowered his arms, his face felt like it was on fire, and he eventually collapsed to the floor before crawling out for fresh air. He adds that it was both his first and last experience as a “Cremation Charlie.”

Ballooning has changed a great deal over the years, but the stories from those early days remain unforgettable.

Fresh on the heels of the Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival, we just found out that Calgary Balloon Club pilot Scott Gordon has just officially earned his Flight Instructors rating for Hot Air Balloons! Scott has been flying balloons since September of 2021 and in addition to flying with the club has helped to organize and run the Arizona Balloon Classic for the past three years. His two favorite places to fly from are the cricket field in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada and Hespero, Alberta. Congrats Scott. We are super excited for you.

If you have ever dreamed of learning to fly a Hot Air Balloon and float above the landscape, we can help you! The club is a Transport Canada Flight Training Unit. We have the instructors to teach you and we even have a bright yellow Sundance 90,000 cubic foot rental balloon that members have access too.

You can send us a message here, check out our web page at www.calgaryballoonclub.ca or send us an email to learn about how to get started.