Almost two years after it was completed, John Kugler's newest balloon finally has a name - Flaming Wonder.  Completed in December, 2005, John built the 105,000 cubic foot envelope himself, with assistance from his gas ballooning colleague, Bert Padelt.  The name came, says John, "from the kid in the vacant lot" at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.  We can't wait to hear the rest of the story!

John is a long-time pilot, with 28 years of lighter-than-air experience.  His interest in flying comes from his father, whose idol was Charles Lindberg.  His dad recalled that as a child, one of his brothers brought back a swatch of fabric from a gas balloon that had landed near Max, Nebraska (possibly from one of the races flown from Denver).  John himself was exposed to ballooning by one of the guys at work who had a son that flew balloons (Gary & Janice Sines).  As John says, "the rest is history..."

John flies both hot air and gas balloons (including helium, hydrogen, and ammonia). John taught Steve Fossett how to fly gas balloons, and served as Fossett's Inflation Director on each of his solo round-the-world balloon attempts, including Fossett's successful flight in June 2002. 

Asked where he most likes to fly, John said, "any place other than home.  I take the scenery and terrain for granted, and people just aren't as excited as when a new balloon comes to town."  John recounts his most memorable flight during the RE/Max Cup.  "Flying into downtown Boston at 50 kts...staring at the ocean and Logan Airfield...rocky shores and mostly buildings...yikes after 63 hours aloft."  You'll have to get John to tell you how it all came out.

In 2002, Kugler began the High Plains Freedom Flight, now held in conjunction with McCook Heritage Days.

Contact John at:
807 Spruce Rd.
McCook, NE 69001
jkugler@flynh3.com, or visit his website, www.flynh3.com

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Last updated 6:46 PM 4/7/2008.   Contact webmaster with questions or comments about this site.