The Balloon Society of Kentucky announced this month its intention to honour two of its finest and most pioneering hot air balloon pilots with a brand-new exhibition, which will detail aspects of the society’s ballooning history.
Both Jim Schoo and Edward LaFontaine will have artefacts from their own ballooning pasts showcased at the exhibition. The two men served as pilots in the Air Force in World War II and received honours for their services. They took their enthusiasm for aeronautics onwards with them into hot air ballooning. Schoo was a founder member of the Balloon Society of Kentucky, which he helped to establish in 1976. The society consists of over 100 balloonists from across the region. He would often be seen participating in the Kentucky Derby Balloon Festival. At the exhibition, it will be his balloon skirt that will be on display.
LaFontaine remains an active member of the aviation community in Kentucky. He has been involved in directing the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, where the exhibition will take place, and he manages the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame. At 80 years old, he can still be found flying a hot air balloon. It will be his balloon basket that will be on display.
Hot air ballooning continues to inspire aspiring and established aeronauts across the ages. To experience hot air ballooning adventures in the UK, people can book hot air ballooning flights over Bath, Bristol, and other parts of the southwest.
