Flight Operations Team
Greg Miller- Commercial Pilot. We start our operations with the pilot. Greg has been in ballooning since 1990.He received his private license in 1996 and in 1997 received his commercial license. Greg has logged close to 500 hours of flight operation in a balloon. He loves to have fun with ballooning and he strives to make your experience one of the best that you will have. Currently he is flying a 90,000 cubic foot balloon that can have 2 couples plus the pilot in the balloon. You know when Greg has arrived on the field when you hear the William Tell Overture. This has become a signature of I'll Fly Away and everywhere we go this song is played.
Cory Miller- Senior Crew Chief, Team Photographer, Web Designer- Cory wears many hats in ballooning. Cory started ballooning in 1990 when his dad Greg had him get out of bed at 3:30 am to go chase balloons. He had so fun that he wanted to continue being part of ballooning. In 1996, he became crew chief for I'll Fly Away.The crew chief is responsible for all ground operations. This includes crew training, driving chase, and getting landowner permission for the balloon to land. While he is crewing, he also loves to takes pictures. Currently he is using a canon 40d digital SLR for all photos. He is also the person behind the scenes in putting together the web site. He works hard in keeping all content current and accurate. In 2007, Cory was elected as President as Willamette Aerostat Society Hot Air Balloon Club which serves Oregon and Washington. He is the first crew member to be elected as President of the club.
Howard Reid- Crew Chief Boise operations.My name is Howard Reid and I am the Crew Chief for the Boise based I’ll Fly Away Hot Air Balloon Adventures. I am a retired air force officer with over 6,600 flight hours. I’ve flown as far north as Thule, Greenland, as far south as Rio De Janeiro, as far to the east as Karachi, Pakistan and as far west as Bangkok, Thailand. After my military retirement I worked for ten years as an aircraft systems instructor for Horizon Air in Portland, Oregon. While at Horizon I became interested in ballooning through a co-worker and started crewing in the summer of 2000 at Maupin, Oregon. I moved to Boise in 2006 and started crewing for I’ll Fly Away in 2007. Howard's experience and knowledge are a valuable tool to our operation.
Julianna and Meyghan Miller- VIP crew- These girls are the daughters of Cory and Christina and granddaughters of Greg. They have both been in ballooning since they were born. They love to go to different rallies because they get to see "Papa" and also get to go swimming after the flight at the hotel. They can be found most times in the chase vehicle until after we have landed. In Walla Walla 2008, Greg took Cory, Christina, Julianna, and Meyghan up. This was the first time that all four have been up together, but also the first ride for both girls.
Rally Crew- These are the people that help us at the rallies that we attend. These are very important people to us as they know the local area, but also help out in any way they can. Without them, we could not fly. The crew is the most important position of the balloon. Many think that the most important person would be the pilot, but that is wrong. The crew are the ones that make the pilot look good. What does it take to become part of our rally crew? A beating heart and the willingness to be around balloons. No knowledge is necessary as the pilot and crew chiefs are willing to train and show you how to work at each position of the balloon. Long pants, good shoes or boots and a pair of leather gloves are recommended as well. We depend on our rally crew as various rallies as our regular crew is not always able to travel with us.
VIP Regular crew- These are the people that have decided to become part of our regular crew in various cities. They are very important to us as they are willing and ready to go fly anytime we need them to. Without them, again we could not fly. If you are interested in joining our operations team as a crew member please send us an email. What does it take to become a part of the team? A beating heart and willingness to be around balloons and learn about them. No experience is necessary. We will train you!!!