The year was 1974 and our July Balloonmeister had finished a particularly frustrating day as a high school band director. Walking out of the band hall he noticed a balloon floating serenely across the sky above. From that moment on Bob Willbanks would march to the beat of a different drummer...
Willbanks tracked down the pilot of the balloon he saw that day. Concerned that his teacher's salary would not allow the purchase of a balloon ride, Willbanks arranged to crew in trade for a ride. Thus began a relationship with Delta Airlines pilot Ron Lively that would continue through to Willbanks' certification as a balloon pilot.
Early on in his career Willbanks was to experience virtually every facet of ballooning. He trained under Lively's guidance in an experimental Stokes balloon. Along the way the two teamed to build their own balloon.
"I had worked through high school and college at an upholstery shop," says Willbanks, "so I already had a familiarity with industrial sewing machines." Lively offered the financing and Willbanks "sweat equity" while fabric was found from a nearby shirt manufacturer. "This guy had some nylon taffeta that he said they had decided not to use to make nylon windbreakers," says Willbanks. "The reason they had decided not to use it was because it was ugly." It was so ugly that Lively and Willbanks were able to buy the fabric at 40¢ per yard. Willbanks sewed the envelope together in about 30 days, working in Lively's garage after band rehearsals. He also built a burner and basket to complete the system then flew it for about ten years. "I still have the envelope but it hasn't been out of the bag for about five years now so I'm a little afraid to smell it. It's hard to turn loose of those nostalgic things that created so much fun for you."
Ballooning remained a hobby for Willbanks until 1978 when he left teaching and started his own ballooning company doing, "a little of anything if it helped pay the bills." Willbanks did balloon repair, instructed students, flew commercial contracts, and hired out as balloonmeister and/or safety officer to regional events. Through Ron Lively he was introduced to Mike Adams and soon became a contract weaver, building baskets for Adams balloons.
In 1992 Willbanks took part in the Christopher Columbus Rediscovers America Ballooning Quest - a 39-day cross-country rolling balloon event. For the Quest he had built the signature balloon and shared its piloting duties with event organizer Jerry Rainwater. Like that afternoon in 1974, this event would again change the beat of Willbanks' drum.
"I had never driven across the United States before and had no idea how vast the country was." The friendships formed on that venture, especially with the international pilots involved, sparked Willbanks' latest interest a ballooning safari operation in Slovenia. Working with Slovenian's National Champion, Avi Soren, Willbanks envisions a touring operation marketed largely to native Slovenians who reside in the US but perhaps have never visited their homeland.
Willbanks is clearly smitten with European ballooning. A two-time visitor to Lorraine, France and Rohrmoos, Austria he envisions the day when he can permanently store a balloon of his own in Europe.
"If you can fly a balloon in Europe it's like having the golden key to the city wherever you go," says Willbanks. "It gives you a means to interact with the local population in a way that is impossible to do on any bus, train or other type tour. I remember my first landing in Slovenia," he says. "We set the balloon down on the top of a ridge above a quiet valley and suddenly four families came out of their houses to greet us. None of them could speak a word of English but each was carrying a schnapps bottle and a shot glass and it was clear they would be insulted if we just said no - so we did our best to accommodate their wishes."
Twenty three years in any sport is a long time and Willbanks has seen a lot come and go. As one who used to work with students in a music hall, we wondered about Willbanks' views on growing the sport of ballooning today.
"Kid's today are different than in our generation - they're Ninetendo warriors. We have to make a conscious effort to get them to look up and away from the video screen to find out about ballooning. Every opportunity we have to give a kid a t-shirt, lift them into a basket or let them help pack a balloon is important because you never know when you might spark the imagination of another Don Piccard, or Ed Yost, or Per Lindstrand, or someone like that. We need their spark or our sport will go flat and eventually die."
And how should Bob Willbanks' contribution to the sport be measured? "Hopefully when the day comes that I can't lift a leg to get into the basket and fly anymore, someone else will help me in and let me fly with them. Otherwise I just hope they can say Bob Willbanks never cut any fences and never left an angry landowner."
Fortunately for us that day seems quite some distance away. Willbanks, like the sport itself, continues to look for new vistas-new ways to enjoy and experience the sport of ballooning. Two immediate goals are to pilot a gas balloon over the Alps and earn an airship rating. Clearly for Bob Willbanks, the band is playing on.
Important Dates:
1974 First balloon ride
1975 Balloon pilot license
1978 Leaves teaching to become full-time balloonist opening Pyro-air
1980 Opens repair station
1989 Merges Pyro-air with Jerry Rainwater's Stone Mountain Safaris to form Aeronautical Adventures
1994 Becomes sole owner of Aeronautical Adventures.
