Calgary Balloon Club

With summer now officially here, we went back in the photo archive a little bit. Summer in southern Alberta usually means a bit of a pause for the local balloonists. Super early mornings, super late evenings means less sleep to get the good flying conditions. Crops mean fewer places to land the balloons.

Some pilots will still do some local flying, maybe even flying over the city! Some will depart soon for festivals in the US. The club stays busy over the summer with social events like Barbeques.

Planning has already started for some super exciting fall events and don't forget you can catch us and some of our friends at the Red Deer Regional Airshow this July 24-26.

-Karl

The Calgary Balloon Club thanks all of the sponsors at Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival 2026. Special thanks to Real Estate Collective, the sponsor of our big yellow club balloon.

If you've ever been curious about the balloons and want to get a closer look, HIIBF ballooning 101 is a great place to start!

Crossing the Atlantic by Hydrogen Balloon!
You can follow along on the adventure on their facebook Atlantic Explorer 2026 Flight Control or their live tracking site at: https://my.yb.tl/pertwood

The Atlantic Explorer has just crossed into the Northumberland Strait between the two Canadian coastal communities of Lorneville & Amherst Shore.

Alicia reports from the basket that they are flying under clear blue skies at just over 20knts.

In the coming hours, the team will analyse and review the position/status of the balloon with the Atlantic looming large…

More soon!

The next big Alberta balloon festival is coming up quick!

Help us fill the skies with colour this September! Our hot air balloon festival returns to High River September 23 to 27, 2026, and we’re looking for sponsors to help bring the event to life.

This festival is only possible through the support of local businesses, organizations, and community partners. Sponsorship opportunities are available for a variety of budgets and involvement levels.

Visit our website https://heritageinninternationalballoonfestival.com/ or message us to learn more about becoming a sponsor.

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.