National Balloon Classic
2025 Champion:
#62 - Patrick Cloyd
Molon Labe
Indianola, IA
#35
How do hot air balloons compete?
A hot air balloon “race” is based on flying accuracy and skill rather than speed. Pilots compete in several tasks; points are calculated throughout the week to determine the overall North Central Regional Championship, the State Championship, and the highly coveted National Balloon Classic Champion.
The blue square indicates a balloon’s competition Banner Number. Some banners are duplicates if the balloon is flown by more than one pilot.
2026 Pilots
Al Appenzeller
Hidden Surprises
Indianola, IA
Scott Armstrong
Twisted Truth
Urbandale, IA
Alex Augustad
August Sky
Sioux Falls, SD
Bill Baker
Checkered Past
Longview, TX
Christine Bertsch
Champagne Supernova
Indianola, IA
Cory Bloom
CzechMate
Indianola, IA
Adam Boden
Perfect Timing
Indianola, IA
Ken Bolton
Air Forge
Carlisle, IA
Amie Cato
Grilled Cheese
Reno, TX
Benji Clemons
Leftturn
Norwalk, IA
Pam Clemons
Kahwoka
Boone, IA
Brad Craig
Cheetah
Carlisle, IA
Jason Davis
Purple Haze
Milo, IA
Nick Donner
Blue Grass Rocket II
Atlanta, GA
Ken Draughn
Xtremely Contagious
Burlington, NC
Matt Fenster
RE/MAX
Bellevue, NE
Aaron Foelske
The Hummingbird
New Lenox, IL
Mark Harris
Sew Grateful
Denver, CO
Angelica Haus
In a Wink of an Eye
Ankeny, IA
Gary Haynes
Racer Del Sol
Indianola, IA
Joey Hernandez
Rainbow Joyrider
Prosser, WA
Darcy Hoch
Highly Contagious
Milo, IA
Jamie Hohman
Out of the Blue
Olathe, KS
Craig Hunter
Living the Dream
Gretna, NE
Todd Isley
Thin Blue Line II
Carlisle, IA
Andrew James
Aerius
Savannah, MO
Robb Johnson
Joker’s Wild
Council Bluffs, IA
Jason Jones
Red Dawn
Overland Park, KS
Maddie Jones
Chaos
Overland Park, KS
Michael Jones
Thunderbolt
Omaha, NE
Samson Jones
Charlie Brown
Overland Park, KS
Ann Keller
Sapphire Skye
Indianola, IA
Jeremy King
Happy Camper
Indianola, IA
Russell Nauman
Sky Ryder
Des Moines, IA
Jack Nelson
Aerial51
Waukee, IA
Ron Nollen
Last Lap
Hartland, WI
Landon Olson
Reach For The Stars
Indianola, IA
Grant Pfeifer
With A Twist
Des Moines, IA
Holly Pfeifer
Cherry Bomb
Norwalk, IA
Zachary Prickett
Got Lucky
Hartford, IA
Chris Reinert
Break Free
Alta, IA
Tom Ricke
Another Pastime
Clive, IA
Matt Riley
Spirit of Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
Richard Sabin
Sea Breeze
Henderson, TX
Joe Seymour
Joyous Pleasures
Indianola, IA
Bob Shelton
Straylight
Indianola, IA
Bill Smith
Condor II
Storm Lake, IA
Cody Smith
Smith Story
Fort Worth, TX
Susan Stamats
Midnight Glory
Cedar Rapids, IA
Randy Stone
Dark Side of the Balloon
Indianola, IA
Luke Thompson
Step N Up
Pella, IA
Tyler Thompson
Marvel
Des Moines, IA
Ken Walter
WindRacer
Waukesha, WI
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