06/01/2026
Few balloonists in the world can maneuver their aircraft well enough to race in the World Hot Air Balloon Championship, held every other year in wide-open skies, where there are scant power lines that might ensnare these gossamer vehicles. About one hundred balloonists qualify. Only fifty or so—the best of the best—return frequently. But even among that exclusive class, there are no competitors quite like the Heartsills. 🎈
They are the first family of balloon racing—the Mannings of a sport with a tiny fraction of football’s fandom. Joe Heartsill, the clan’s 75-year-old patriarch, has spent a lifetime building a fierce bond with his family, and their shared dedication to ballooning—the determination, discipline, and devotion they bring to the sport—is part of what binds them so tightly. Now he has one fervent desire: He wants them to race together on the world stage at least one last time. As he nears retirement, he knows that he’ll soon become like everyone else—an earthbound spectator.
📸: Jeff Wilson
