SunKiss Ballooning Blog

Eagles Peak Campgrounds in Robesonia

2009-05-30T04:22:00Z

SunKiss Ballooning is bringing "SunBurst" and "Social Butterfly" down to this campground in Penn. This will get out Festival Tour started and this is the first time that this campground has had this Rally. We are looking forward to hanging out with some of our close friends from NJ, MD, and the guy who is running it who is from up this way near Albany.

During the first week in June though; we will be completing our Ameri-Glow with Americade in Lake George. This will be our 3rd year working with Bill & Christian Dutcher who head Americade and have been great to work with. Everyone has to check this out; it is a great time!

Once we get started with the festivals; we are just about on the road every other weekend going all over the place from Canada to New Mexico, then to Mexico. We are also flying the Clown Balloon (www.clown-n-around.net) which still has some popularity amongst the festivals. The Clown will be showcased in Readington, NJ, Binghampton, NY, possibly in China, and Albuquerque, NM.

Well, we will post more pictures in the photo gallery as soon as we get back from Penn.

Todd Monahan
FAA Certified Commercial Pilot

Rally 4 Abbey

2009-04-30T15:11:00Z

Calling SunKiss Balloon Supporters..... This is a letter I received from a fellow Black Sheep Member!!

Lets support this cause!!

Hello all!
I am coming to you at a time of serious need within our community. Some of you may know about this young lady and for those of you who do not, let me take this opportunity to speak with you about her. 12 year old Abigail, who is a student at Queensbury Central School, went to the nurse one day a couple weeks ago complaining of a bad headache. Within minutes she had passed out in the nurses’ office and was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and lays in critical condition with a prognosis which is not very positive. I was approached by a good friend of Abbey’s father to ask for help to offset some of the families’ costs to travel back and forth to Albany Med as well as costs associated with being at the hospital each day. The person who approached me did so because of how impressed she was with what we accomplished with the Rally 4 Codey and knew that we could put this together and make it a positive day for the family of this young lady.

I met Abbey’s father this afternoon and a lump has been in my throat ever since because his daughter is just a mere 2 weeks younger than my daughter, Allison. It was all I could do to hold back my tears as we talked about what he and his family is going through and the helplessness that they feel being able to do nothing but be there each day and hope for guidance to get them through each day. I could tell how hard it took Abbey’s father, Joe, to talk to me and open up about his daughter and I thanked him for that. I also told him that we have some very remarkable people in this community who pull together in times like this and try to bring some piece of hope to the family whose loved one is sick.

I would like you all to take time and think about if you would like to be a part of the Rally 4 Abbey which will take place on Sunday May 3rd which coincidentally will be Abbey’s 13th birthday. We want to have hot air balloons, food, fun, etc involved and I know that you will help me to make this an incredible day. We are working on a flyer that will be sent to each of you via email which will give more details about this event. If you have any ideas or know of how you wish to help please contact me via email.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this most worthy event.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-11T21:06:00Z

HAPPYHOLIDAY

I am writing to say Thank You to all my Crew and volunteers from all over the country!

I am also writing to say how lucky I am to be a Pilot in the Ballooning World. I have been exposed to some of the greatest people in the world! This year in 2008; I was able to travel down to hang out with Matt, Sally, Eric Hodges, Mike Hernendex, Jon Radawski, and Jim Regan down at Quick Chek in New Jersey, got to spend time with Steve Tuttle, Brian, and all our Camp Friends down at Camp Waubeeka, and then made our way up to St. Jean, Canada where I got to hang out with Jim Regan, John Ross, Bob Romaneschi, Ashley, and Caroline, as well as sharing this with my Crew! My main Crew was Christina Ostrander, Scott & Robin Monahan, Andrew Avon, and Matt & Kara. As I left Canada, I was thinking about our "Black Sheep Rally" where a bunch of pilots symbolize what it is like to stick together and stand up for what we believe in! Soon after the Black Sheep Rally, Scott, Andrew, and myself got on a plane for the World Series of Ballooning! There were 650 balloons registered at Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Fiesta changed my life as a balloonist forever when I got the chance to fly "Joey" Little Bee. Throughout these festivals, I have been able to make some great friends and experiences I will cherrish for the rest of my life. I was able to share my experience with my twin brother, my good friend Andrew, a guy who has experience Fiesta all is life (Eric Hodges), and Bob Romaneschi and many more. It is time to be around my friends and family here in NY but I will cherrish the memories with my friends from all over the world. I am grateful for ballooning and what it has done to my life. I will enjoy my time here with my friends and family as well as look forward to the new experiences I will have in the upcoming year!

THANK YOU EVERYONE IN MY LIFE!!!!

Black Sheep Rally SEPTEMBER 19-21

2008-09-02T13:55:00Z

Black Sheep Squadron Ballooning

A group fly of about 1 dozen local balloonists are staging their own launches throughout the weekend about 1/4 mile north of the Warren County Airport on County Line Road. Come out and meet the local balloonists who fly in the greater Glens Falls region from spring through the fall. Call Todd at 518-796-0373 to schedule rides during the festival weekend (or for some other time).

Wednesday, September 17 6pm - 8 pm
Tribune Tether Rides $25 per person.

Thursday, September 18 5pm
Downtown Launch From Centennial Circle in Glens Falls.

Friday, September 19
Flights Launch at 6:30 am, 5:15 pm launching off County Line Road.

Saturday, September 20
Flights Launch at 6:30 am, 5:15 pm launching off County Line Road.
Tether Rides at Crandall Park at Noon

Sunday, September 21
Flights Launch at 6:30 am, 5:15 pm launching off County Line Road.

Lake Front Radio

2008-07-22T03:18:00Z

Hello Everyone,
SunKiss Ballooning participated in an interview with Lake Front Radio where we discussed the wonderful feeling & views a balloonist gets from flying over bodies of water. Chuck & Mary were wonderful people and a pleasure to talk with about this wonderful sport. This is a great radio show to listen in on when looking at the different aspects of lakes around the region!! Check them out!!

Check out the podcast: Click Here

Lake Front Radio

Mary Thompson , Chuck Thompson and Lee Kantor interview Lakefront Professionals across the nation from their studio in Atlanta, Georgia every Friday afternoon at 12:00 Noon, EDT. Listen each week as we talk to high profile Lake & Waterfront professionals across the USA. Our show is all Lakefront Living, Recreation, Real Estate & Business in and around the nations largest Lakes and Water Bodies.

Lake Front Radio

2008-07-07T20:36:00Z

On July 11, 2008 at 12:00pm I, Todd Monahan (owner/pilot) will be participating in an interview with this radio station in Georgia on flying balloons over bodies of water.

A good friend Jessica who I hung out with in my past was the in between person who took an interest in helping these folks find a balloonist such as myself to interview. I would like to Thank her for taking time out of her busy schedule in helping coordinate this.

Check us out during the show and check out the radio show with Mary & Chuck Thompson!!!
www.lakefrontradio.com

Mary Thompson , Chuck Thompson and Lee Kantor interview Lakefront Professionals across the nation from their studio in Atlanta, Georgia every Friday afternoon at 12:00 Noon, EDT. Listen each week as we talk to high profile Lake & Waterfront professionals across the USA. Our show is all Lakefront Living, Recreation, Real Estate & Business in and around the nations largest Lakes and Water Bodies.

Article in Local Paper

2008-06-12T17:47:00Z

SunKiss Ballooning

"The Hidden Story"

GLENS FALLS - Todd Monahan spent nearly 25 years hoping and dreaming that one day he'd take a hot air balloon ride.

"I remember being 5 years old and going to the Warren County airport with my dad," Monahan, 27, said. "Being excited to get up at 4 a.m. to see balloons -- I wasn't a normal kid. But I remember going to the airport all the time just wishing a pilot would ask me to jump in the basket."

No pilot ever did, and Monahan's parents, he recalled, couldn't spare the money to buy him a ride.

So he waited and waited and waited, and in 2005, he finally got his first hot air balloon ride.

He's been flying ever since, both for business and pleasure.

SunKiss Ballooning is Monahan's fledgling company, and while it opened last June in Glens Falls, this is his first full flying season in business.

Getting to this point, however, took some work.

In February 2006, Monahan traveled to Albuquerque, N.M. to get his private pilot's license. That allowed him to fly for fun -- and to give rides to friends -- but he couldn't take money for the flights, he said.

"I bought my own balloon after that. And every chance I got, I'd fly."

Despite the freedom he felt floating above the Adirondacks at his leisure, Monahan wanted to take his hobby farther. That meant getting another certification.

"On June 1, 2007, I got my commercial license and started flying all kinds of festivals," Monahan said. "I flew in Burlington, New Jersey, Canada."

The commercial license, he added, was what he needed to get paid for providing balloon rides.

Monahan opened SunKiss Ballooning right after he got this license, and since then, he estimates he's given about 50 rides.

While the money he's made from those excursions is nice, getting rich from SunKiss Ballooning isn't in Monahan's plans.

His day job is with the Council for Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Hudson Falls where he works as an adventure program counselor.

Aside from already having a rewarding career, SunKiss Ballooning's earnings are secondary to Monahan because of his passion for flight itself.

"The average ride is about an hour, and it really is a lot of fun," he said. "You meet these people who, before, you had no idea about. It's just you and four people, at most.

"You're standing in this small basket, and you really get to know each other."

And getting to know other people has lead to learning more about the needs of nearby communities and organizations, Monahan said.

Each year, he does his best to donate rides for local events, or to donate money to area charities.

"I donate 1 percent of all my profits to a local, state-recognized charity," he said. "This year, the charity benefits multiple sclerosis."

Monahan also does his best to make sure his paying customers get as much out of their hot air balloon experiences as they can.

Joel and Jennifer Holden of Fort Edward, who got married on Saturday, attested to this.

"We felt very comfortable the whole time," Jennifer Holden said. "We were able to pick out our house during the ride."

"And although we are sunset people, not sunrise, he did make getting up in the morning worth it," her husband added.

The ride itself wasn't the only thing that justified meeting Monahan at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, however.

"After the ride, we had donuts and coffee with the farmer whose field we landed in," Joel Holden said.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," his wife, added. "I would suggest everyone should do it."

SPRING FEVER!!

2008-03-17T18:48:00Z

SPRING FEVER!!!!!!

I woke up this morning to the sun peaking through my window, the first thing I did was look out my window to see how beautiful it looked. The first thought that came into my head was “what a great morning to fly!!” I find myself looking at all the flags on my way into work to see if I could have taken a flight!!!

The Snow is melting day-by-day allowing the ground to soak up the water and breathe! That is just what us balloonist do this time of year; start getting out our trailers, looking over our system, and start reminiscing about the previous years of fun around ballooning.

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU GUYS FOR THE 2008 SEASON!!!

SunKiss Ballooning Goes Tobacco Free!!!

2007-12-11T20:02:00Z

SAY "NO" TO TOBACCO!!!!

SunKiss Ballooning has officially gone Tobacco Free; we have agreed with Reality Check to not accept nor solicit any financial contributions, sponsorships, or gifts from any tobacco company, executive, or activity that promotes tobacco use. We are proud to say that we are not helping the tobacco companies market to our young teens in America!

· Tobacco is still one of the leading preventable causes of death and disease in the world, causing over 25,000 deaths in New York each year.

· Tobacco companies spend more than $11.22 billion in marketing their products each year.

· Research has shown that many tobacco advertisements and tobacco industry tactics have a profound influence on children and may entice them to use theses harmful products.

2007 SunKiss Ballooning

2007-10-16T23:07:00Z

Hey Everyone,
It is coming to the end of a wonderful season for SunKiss Ballooning and I want to thank everyone that has had a part in helping me chase my dream!! There are so many exciting things that happened this year and anyone that has been around me will tell you that all I talk about is ballooning! There isn't a felling that I can identify to explain the way I feel when I get to Pilot the balloon! There are so many more things in store for SunKiss Ballooning! Keep updated with the blog to find out what will be going on in the near future. I can only hope that other people will be able to chase their dream and feel the way I do everytime I get to accomplish another piece of my dream. Lets raise our glasses and toast to a great year of chasing dreams!!!

Todd J. Monahan
Commercial Pilot

1st Annual FlyOff

2007-05-08T02:12:00Z

This weekend coming up on May 12, 2007; local pilots are getting together to have our official 1st group fly. Our take off spot has not yet been determined and won't be until we know what wind direction there is! You can email me when it gets closer and I will let you know! Please stay tuned to upcoming events; you can find these events on my myspace page as well: www.myspace.com/sunkissballooning
Thanks everyone for visiting the website

Todd
Sunkiss Pilot

Welcome

2007-05-07T17:27:00Z

Welcome to SunKiss Ballooning Blog. This blog will be used to send updated information and give event dates such as flying dates and upcoming festivals. Feel free to ask questions and comment on your experiences.