GAA - Gateway Aerostatic Association

06/07/2026

Bert, Alicia, and Peter did it!

06/04/2026

Bert, Peter, and Alicia are airborne and on their way to cross the Atlantic!

YB Tracking link:

https://my.yb.tl/atlantic-explorer

04/21/2026

The 2026 BFA Online Safety Seminar is now live! 🎈

Members can log in to access the full video library and learn from this year’s expert speakers. Don’t forget—if you’re looking to qualify for an insurance discount, you’ll need to watch the videos, purchase the quiz, and complete it to receive your certificate!

Check your email for full details and step-by-step instructions! 📬

03/07/2026

The positive energy and feedback has been incredible the last couple of weeks, and we’re already buzzing with excitement for next year’s seminar. We wanted to give one last thank you to everyone who brought their A-game to our latest session and to all of our presenters and sponsors! We’re already counting down to next year! 🗓️🎈

02/24/2026

The youth balloon camps are looking for donations. Even a small donation can make a big difference. We’re all here to work together towards building a great community/future for ballooning!

🎈 Help Us Lift the Next Generation of Balloonists! 🎈

We rely heavily on donations to make camp possible for our campers. From supplies and training materials to everyday camp essentials, the costs add up quickly — and that’s where YOU can make a huge difference.

An easy and impactful way to support our campers is through our Amazon wishlists. These lists include items we specifically need to run safe, successful, and memorable camps. When you purchase directly from the list, the items ship straight to each camp.

✨ Southeastern Balloon Camp Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2YN6PVJWACCO2?ref_=wl_share

✨ High Sierra Balloon Camp Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2VRWDO0T9ID3J?ref_=wl_share

Every single item purchased helps reduce operational costs and allows us to focus our resources on what truly matters — mentoring, flight training, safety education, and inspiring the next generation of hot air balloon pilots.

If you’ve ever wanted to support youth ballooning in a tangible way, this is it. Whether it’s a small item or a larger need, every contribution helps us.

Thank you for believing in our mission and investing in the future of ballooning

02/21/2026

We gave out dozens of fabulous door prizes to attendees today. Thank you again to all of our amazing sponsors for helping make this possible!

02/21/2026

Caleb Melton, wrapping up today’s presentations with “First Aid”.

Caleb Melton is a certified flight paramedic.

This is Caleb’s first time presenting at our seminar. Thank you for joining us Caleb!

02/21/2026

Kicking off the afternoon presentations, we have Gordon Schwontkowski. Gordon will be presenting “Risk Arenas”.

Gordon Schwontkowski’s ballooning background spans 45 years and roles including corporate crew chief, author, columnist, speaker, consultant, subject matter expert, and product designer. His seminar presentations number in the hundreds while his publications have earned the endorsement of the FAA, OSHA, and other agencies. In 2022 he became the first non-pilot to receive the Shields-Trauger Memorial Award for his contributions to flying safety. Still an avid and active crew chief, Gordon’s work has expanded to include accident analysis and introducing ballooning to ever-larger audiences.

Gordon is a returning presenter for several years now. We always appreciate his wealth of knowledge and experience. Thank you Gordon!

02/21/2026

Todd Spicer is here and will be presenting “Fire Control & Safety Refresher”

Todd Spicer is a commercial hot air balloon pilot and retired Assistant Fire Chief (Danville Fire Department, 28 years)

Thank you Todd for the very informative and valuable presentation!

02/21/2026

Our third presenter is Sanne Haarhuis, who will be presenting “Challenge Yourself”.

Sanne Haarhuis was born in a ballooning family and was involved in competition before she could even fly. She got her European license in 2013 and her American commercial license in 2019. She has flown in several national and international competitions. Flew in all 4 Womens worlds championships, 2 European Women’s championships and one open world championship. Best performance was ending 3rd in the 2023 Women’s Worlds in Australia. She also is the Secretary of the Bureau of the FAI Ballooning Commision (CIA). She is the delegate for the Netherlands and a member of the Rules SubCommittee and the Public and Media Relations SubCommittee. Sanne flies for fun and competition and has flown in 14 countries around the world.

Thank you Sanne for all you do and joining us today!