In 1975, when Jason Jones’s parents began Old World Balloonery, their primary source of revenue was from area businesses looking to advertise their company names and logos upon the brightly colored hard to miss hot air balloons. Today, Old World Balloonery has now become a second generation family business led by Jason and his wife, Kim. They are catering to a different kind of client these days—those who are looking for an adventure, a bucket list experience, or a way of capturing a memory and preserving it for a lifetime to come.
Jason first flew in a hot air balloon when he was just 7 years old, and he went on to get his FAA pilot's license in 1992. After working for other companies he eventually found himself gravitating toward the family business when his parents decided to begin phasing out of it, “I was always passionate about flying,” he shares. As if a second generation family business isn’t remarkable enough—his three children Maddie, Sam and Josie seem to have taken an interest in the business as well. In fact, his oldest daughter, a college freshman, has also just earned her pilot's license. Is Old World Balloonery set to become a third generation family business? Jason laughs and replies “Well, I will never push the kids into it, but if they like it and it continues to interest them, well then that’s pretty great.”
The balloon rides are set for sunrise and sunset each day, when the winds are at their calmest. Peak balloon season tends to line up with daylight savings time from March to November. They typically fly between 1,000 to 3,000 feet above southern Johnson County, Miami County or Cass County showcasing the beautiful views of places like Hillsdale Lake or Longview Lake.
When asked about riders who might fear heights, Jason says, “a ride in a balloon is a smooth, peaceful, enjoyable experience.” In all the years he’s been flying, he says he has never really found the fear of heights to be an issue, people are usually surprised at what an easy ride it is. “Safety is our number one priority. We make sure to keep all equipment functioning safely, having quality people on staff working for us, and most importantly, only flying on safe days.”
Each flight concludes with an alfresco champagne toast and a continental breakfast for sunrise flyers and a sunset snack for evening flyers. Clearly, Jason has a passion for his business and his enjoyment is contagious. With a third generation family business in the making, it’s clear to see that the Jones Family is taking Old World Balloonery to new heights! Learn more about Old World Balloonery by visiting Oldworldballoonery.com.
