Balloon Pilots Dean Carlton, Todd Spicer, and Gary Moore all joined Tommy B on D102’s The Big Show for a final preview of this Friday and Saturday’s Balloons Over Vermilion, 2026.
And Gary Moore, a Danville native who graduated from Indiana’s North Vermillion High School, recalled his early days of interest in ballooning, from the old Balloon Classic.
AUDIO: I bought my first balloon ride in 1989, and I started lessons in ’91. I got my license in ’92. It’s been a great trip since. I’ve flown in 24 countries. I’ve flown in 40 of the U.S. states; had a couple of corporate contracts that I’ve drove around and traveled the country with. And I got really lucky. Right out of my days working at General Motors, a guy gave me a shot at flying one of the Tony the Tiger balloons.
And this year at BOV, Gary Moore is giving us a history lesson. He’s flying a balloon that reminds us animals were not only used as test riders in rocket ships, but in balloons as well; a long time ago.
AUDIO: It represents the first balloon flight in history. And the first living creatures on a hot air balloon were a sheep, a rooster, and a duck. They were trying to impress King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette at the time. (That was when they still had their heads!) They lunched the balloons there with the animals because they didn’t know if there was any air up there or not; any oxygen. So they sent them up, they came back all right; and a couple months later they sent two humans up for the first flight.
Remember that it’s all cash at Balloons Over Vermilion this weekend; money at Kennekuk Park will be taken about two miles after you first enter the park.
To hear all of Tommy B’s talk with Dean, Todd, and Gary please go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/big-show-bites-podcast/
