Cooperative Balloon Associates   -   2103 S. Main, P.O Box 610  Jacksonville, IL  62651  -  (877) 545-8994

Copyright © 2011 - Cooperative Balloon Associates - All Rights Reserved

Cheri White - Lakeway, TX.  Chief Pilot and General Manager of the Balloon Team, Cheri has been flying balloons for over 35 years and has over 1930 pilot hours.  She is the current America's Challenge Gas Balloon Champion, 2009 BFA Female Top Pilot  and  a former Women's National Hot Air Balloon Champion.  Read "Flight of a Lifetime," from BFA Ballooning Magazine - January/February 2010.  Cheri is a Texas Cooperative member and mother of twins.

Our Balloon Pilots and Support Team

Sam and Jean Edwards - Lakeway, TX.  Sam has been flying balloons since 1974 and has over 2000 pilot hours.  Sam has qualified and competed in three World Championships and 22 U.S. National Championships.  He and Jean own and operate a hot air balloon ride business called "A Better Way to Fly."

Byron Denhart - Urbana, IL  Involved in ballooning for over 16 years, Byron has crewed for and flown balloons in 35 states as well as Austria, Canada and New Zealand.  In addition to flying the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Balloon, Byron has worked with programs for General Motors, Jose Cuervo 1800, RJ Reynolds and the State of Virginia.

Dave and Dij Champion - Paxton, IL.  Dave has been flying balloons since 2000 and has over 850 pilot hours. He is the BFA 2008 IL State Champion.  He has been the CEO of Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative since 1984.  He and Dij enjoy competitve ballooning around the country.

Madeleine White,

Summer Crew

Gordie White

Summer Crew

John Petrehn - Johnny Petrehn-  Leawood KS. Johnny has been involved in ballooning since early childhood, growing up in a ballooning family.  He has logged over 2300 hours flying balloons all around the world.  When not flying the Touchstone Energy Balloon, Johnny can be found flying in balloon competitions.  He won the World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Japan (2006), in Hungary (2010) and he is currently the top ranked hot air balloon pilot in the world.  Johnny’s favorite balloon experience was watching the northern lights from the basket of a gas balloon while flying over Lake Superior.

Aaron Ridenour

Kevin Bernson

Photographer / Crew

James Coleman

Chief Photographer / Crew