CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE

Check out this editorial about my uncle's recent Twente Balloon Festival in Hengelo, The Netherlands. Its all in dutch, but you'll be able to see some cool photos from the festival. GO TO www.hotair.nl also check out www.rienjurg.nl

Mexican Countryside

Flying across the Guanajuato countryside early in the morning. (November 2004 in Mexico) Guanajuato Mexico is one of my favorite cities in the world. Founded in the 1500's by the Spanish.

Lots and Lots and...

Lots of Tequila in New Mexico 1999!!!!

Uncle Rien in Flight

While flying over the Dutch countryside and looking below, my uncle Rien pilots his hot air balloon. www.rienjurg.nl

BEER BALLOON

In the summer of 1990 ... my old swimming friend Rodney Hackett and I travelled over to Holland with our bikes and shoes. We spent the summer hanging out with my Oma, cousins and family. We also helped my uncle as balloon crew. At the end of the trip..my uncle took my friend and I up for five flights in five days. Truely one of the best summers ever. This is picture taken by my Oma of me and Rodney up in the balloon.

Gorden Bennett Helium Balloon Race

My father and his younger brother Rien Jurg in Albquerque, New Mexico for the International Gorden Bennett Helium Balloon Race. This is moments before my uncle takes off in his FESTO Helium Balloon for next 5 plus days to hopefully win the competition with 20 plus other balloons from all over the world. I believe he and his co-pilot placed 2nd or 3rd in the 1999.

Up Up and Away

My brother taking off in 1995 from Hengelo, The Netherlands.

My Brother's First Flight - 1995

My brother's very first balloon flight with my uncle Rien as pilot in the Alfa Romeo Hot Air Balloon. (Summer 1995)

My Uncle's Yellow Pages Balloon

My uncle Rien's Yellow Pages Balloon. It was my uncle's very first corporately sponsored hot air balloon. Some of my earliest childhood drawings were of this balloon. It was also the balloon that I did my very first balloon flight in with my Opa, Father, Uncle and I.

FROM DOWN UNDER

A look at the upside down FESTO balloon from down under while we were at the Albuquerque Balloon Feista 1999. Look at all of the other hot air balloons in the sky. In 1999 they had 1000 balloon participating in the festival. Largest and most photographed event in the world.

RUSS on a BOAT

In Northern Quebec...the FESTO balloon team and I went on a 6 hour boat voyage in July 2004

My Last Night in Guanajuato 2003

The evening before David, Chuck and I headed back by truck to Austin Texas in 2003. Our Mexican friends had a lil get together. TOP ROW: Dante, Norma, ME, Javier, Joyce, David. BOTTOM ROW: Paloma, Patty and Chep. Without any of these people...things would have been alot tougher for me to get my pilots licience in 2003. THANK YOU !!!! We are all friends for life !!!

PACKING UP the BALLOON

After my solo flight in Mexico David, Dante and I began packing the basket and balloon into Javier's pickup truck. (December 2003)

The Children of Mexico

When we landed in the Mexican countryside...all of these kids came to help us pack the balloon. All of the children were amazed by the hot air nalloon landing in the field next to their country school. (December 2003)

My Fellow Balloonists in Mexico

After one of our many flights in 2003 down in Guanajuato, Mexico I took this picture of my ballooning friends. Without them it would have made it alot harder for me to get my pilots licience. Thank you!!! Top: Dante, David, Javier; Bottom: Patty and Chuck

My Examiner, Instructor and Fellow Pilot

After the Leon, Mexico balloon festival, every pilot travelled from Leon to Guanajuato to celebrate a successful balloon festival in 2003. This picture is of my FAA Pilot Examiner and President of the Balloon Federation of America Phip Bryant, my flight instructor and long time friend David Smuck and my fellow pilot and friend Chuck Berry.

REMAKE of the ORIGINAL

This is a picture I took while in New Mexico for the 1999 balloon fiesta. This is a replica of the first original hot air balloon that took off from Paris, France. Obviously this balloon has all of the modern equipement and material...but the colors and design is the same.

NORTHERN QUEBEC 2004

Inbetween balloon flights the Dutch FESTO balloon team and I went on a little adventure. (July 2004)

Tequila Anyone???

Took this at the Albuqerque, New Mexico Balloon Fiesta in 1999. 1000 awesome balloons in the sky. UNREAL !!!

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 1999

My father and I headed down to New Mexico to see my uncle's FESTO BALLOON TEAMS fly in the festival with 1000 other balloons. It was the same week that my uncle competed in the Helium Balloon Race called the Gorden Bennett Race with his FESTO Helium Balloon. (October 1999)