Book your flight and fly with the actual operator in your area!

Glad you are here!

My name is Jeff Thompson.  You can go to my website www.thompsonaire.com to learn more about me if you do not already know me.

Let me explain what this site is all about.  Several years ago I was fed up with the national ticket sales people.  They sell flights and expect the operators to provide the service and literally take all the profit.  In the end all the operator ended up with was the risk and sweat from the effort.  I thought it would be a great idea if we had a national listing of all the professional operators who ACTUALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BALLOONS.  One site where who ever wanted to fly in a balloon could go and find professionals in there area where they could book and fly directly with the owners and operators of BALLOONS.  I know a crazy idea!

Any of you who are reading this need not have me explain the problems with the national ticket sales people.  I could go into a long list of problems I have had with them and the passengers they have provided.

My goal here was to have a site where we could all benefit but.  As with any website there is a TON of time involved and cost.  I was originally charging a one time annual fee of $150 to be on the site.  I was compiling as comprehensive a list of operators as I could.  At that time there was just not enough interest or willingness to be listed to make the site even pay for itself so it has just been out here in limbo for a few years.

Lately there have been many questions as to what this site is about and why it is here. 

Let me be clear.  I am not trying to make any money off the backs of honest balloon people like myself.  All I wanted to do is pay the costs of keeping a site like this going.

Imagine if you were to hire a new secretary to handle your phones and pay bills and follow up on emails and so on.  Now imagine having to hire someone who was also able to build websites and do graphics and such.  What would you expect to pay this employee?  35K, 40K..  So...  To make this site work for all the actual operators like you and I, we would need about 250 operators who would be willing to pay between $100 and $150 (About the cost of one ride) to make this site work.  I spent two years trying to make that happen.  I was unable.

If you wish to see this site be reconstructed and or get listed on it then please send me a note.  Let me know that there is now enough interest to make this work.

Jeff