06/05/2025
Memoriam / Robert Zirpolo
(June 2025)
Chris Mooney has flown west (Google it). When ballooning was in the midst of a renaissance in the early to mid 1980’s, Chris arrived on the CT scene and was hired to start the new CT RE/MAX balloon program. In the following 30+ years, Chris made it possibly the most successful commercial ballooning program in New England. At that time there were approximately 40+ active pilots in CT, and of course we all wanted to know who the “new guy” was. We found that Chris got into the sport in the late 70’s in Philadelphia, flying the 7-Up balloons for Mel Hansen, who managed several commercial ballooning contracts.
One of Chris’ claims to fame was that he met and befriended Mario DeStefano when they were both US Navy, Crewmen on the USS Kitty Hawk from 1961-1963. Chris used to say that in the beginning they were like oil and water, one a stubborn Italian guy, the other a not so stubborn Irish guy. They became the best of friends and after being discharged from the Navy eventually got into ballooning around the same time both seeing the commercial possibilities.
After moving to CT he met his future wife Cindy McCann, a world class horsewoman and trainer from Southbury. They married and eventually settled at their farm, Four Green Fields, in Woodbury where they raised their three children Christopher Jr, Michael and Molly. Their home was a buzz of equestrian and ballooning activities and over the course of a couple of decades hosted the consummate Christmas party attended by hundreds of people from both the ballooning and horse worlds.
Chris approached a weekend of flying like someone spending a day at Belmont Park betting on horses. He might have half a dozen appearances booked. Once a morning flight was on the books we sometimes would speak on the phone trying to analyze the weather for the afternoon slot. For him, that next flight could have been hundreds of miles away from the morning location. These conversations would take place with Chris in the back seat of his van being driven to the next gig by his steady companion and consummate crew chief Jeff Radcliffe (aka Tonto). Chris always said that Jeff was one of the biggest reasons his RE/MAX program was so successful.
Chris remained active in his ballooning roots, supporting our sport, making frequent trips back to the "GEBA Land" of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He faithfully attended club meetings, seminars and dinners as well in support of the CT Lighter than Air Society (CLAS) here in CT. He was an occasional presenter at seminars usually covering the subject of ballooning as a business.
What Chris did best was pressing the flesh: tethering at schools, meeting and dealing with the public, pilots, RE/MAX agents, and event organizers. Much in the way Johnny Cash sang “I’ve been everywhere, man”, Chris has flown (or tethered) in more places in New England than anyone. He could always find some local crew for his RE/MAX events and always knew where to find LPG (propane) after a late flight on the way to the next gig.
He was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather and always traveled around the country to meet up with his children for holidays, graduations, births, etc. He was predeceased by Cindy in 2017 but kept up flying for RE/MAX until the program ended in 2021. It has since been revitalized by Bruce Byberg who flew for Chris for several years.
His daughter Molly has been bitten by the ballooning bug, is pursuing her balloon pilot certification and managed to get in several flights with her Dad during her training.
In the final five years of his RE/MAX events he would always stop by our house on his way home on Sunday afternoons for an early dinner (he eats like a bird) which he inevitably would take to go as he would never finish it. I don’t have any profound words except that I’ll miss his "Mooneyisms", the biggest one being when he would say, “In any case….”
Clear skies Chris. RZ
