Seattle Ballooning’s Hot Air Balloon Pilots
Our hot air balloon pilots love introducing new people to the magic of flight. Want to know more about us?
At Seattle Ballooning, we are committed to employing the best balloon pilots in the world. A great balloon pilot is defined by skill, precision, and adaptability—qualities essential for navigating the stunning yet challenging landscape around Seattle and Mt. Rainier. Surrounded by the Cascade Mountains, Puget Sound, dense forests, rivers, and lakes, our flying area demands that pilots use wind currents at different altitudes to reach precise locations. That’s why all our pilots are competition pilots, trained to navigate complex courses and drop markers within a 10-meter target area.
🏅 Flew at the World Championship and European Championship
Flying since 2009, Eliav combines a lifelong passion for competitive ballooning with a deep commitment to preserving its history. He is proud to represent his country at the 2026 World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Krosno, Poland, and is one of the leading hot air balloon historians in the world.
🏅 US 2024 Top Female Pilot of the Year
McKenna is one of the only active female commercial hot air balloon pilots in the NW. She loves to fly hot air balloons and train new pilots. She is a lead instructor in Seattle Ballooning’s young aeronauts program.
Zack Griego is an experienced hot air balloon pilot from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a 3rd generation balloon pilot, and an avid entertainer! Zack spends his summers with Seattle Ballooning, and his winters flying commercially in Phoenix. In his first year of competition ballooning, he earned Rookie of the Year at Top Gun.
I took my first hot air balloon flight when I was 18 years old, and it quietly reshaped the course of my life. What began as curiosity turned almost immediately into something deeper. From the moment the balloon lifted off the ground, I felt a sense of clarity and calm that I had never experienced…
Cooper is an FAA commercial hot air balloon pilot and a homegrown member of the Seattle Ballooning team. He began crewing at 16 and purchased his first balloon at 17. Cooper flies commercially in Enumclaw during the summer and Boise, Idaho the rest of the year.
🏅 Flew at the World Championship
Cameron has been in the business of ballooning since he was 13. In 2018, he was selected for the Junior US National Team and competed in Poland for the Junior World Championship. In 2020, Cameron was ranked 2nd overall in the US for hot air balloon competition. He currently currently is flying in Tanzania Africa.
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