A hot air balloon pilot prepares to put on a show

WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio — These aren’t fireworks, but balloons that will be lit for a big show and can take you along for the ride.

For more than four decades, Sean Askren has been making magic happen. With a gas-powered fan and a little fire, he can fly in a balloon. He says he started doing it as a family tradition.

“My family got involved in this in the early ’70s, early ’70s, and my dad flew for years and I was part of his crew and I went out on my own, got my own balloon at 14 and got my license and started ballooning professionally at 21,” Askren said.

Since then, he has discovered that there is a science behind it all.

“Hot air is cooler than outside air and that’s what makes your lift,” Askren said.

He said it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. In fact, he said he had to get a license to do it.

“It’s kind of like a small airplane and you do the same tests, you do the same training, the only thing they put on the balloon, so I’m an FAA-registered commercial pilot, and the balloon is an FAA-registered airplane,” Askren said.

Since then, he has been traveling in a hot air balloon across the continents.

“I’ve flown to every continental United States, Scotland, Canada and Mexico,” Askren said.

He also put together a team to help him put on shows that make the balloons glow at night.

“We use a special burner that’s not as hot. And when you do that, it lights up the balloon in the dark. So we have two different types of flames. One that we fly with, one that we use to glow,” Askren said.

He said they are lighting 10 hot air balloons on July 12 for a show in West Carrollton. Until then, he said he will have people flying out to experience the magic of hot air ballooning.

“It’s very surreal, it’s very calm, it’s like a very smooth elevator,” Askren said.

The balloon glow will take place on Elm Street in West Carrollton from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on July 12.

Later this month, on July 19 and 20, there will be a hot air balloon festival in Middletown.