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USA BALLOONING
Welcome to the official website of USA Ballooning - leaders in competitive hot air ballooning
Since 1973, best hot air balloon pilots in the United States have represented our country at the FAI Hot Air Balloon World Championship. The World Championship is held every two years with the 26th event held in September 2026 in Krosno, Poland.
To support Team USA, we encourage you to visit the online store where all proceeds are split among the team to offset travel and logistical costs.
2026 TEAM USA Pilots
Latest News…
ANGOLA BALLOONS ALOFT
Angola Balloons Aloft returned to Angola, Indiana July 10th–12th for its 17th year, drawing 26 competitors
Phil Clinger was calling the tasks again and had the weather he didn't get at Battle Creek the week before. Two competition flights produced eight scored tasks — a four-task Saturday morning opening with a pair of Judge Declared Goals, a Fly On, and a Hesitation Waltz, then a four-task Sunday morning built around a Pilot Declared Goal and three more JDGs.
The scoreboard also produced one of the better finishes of the year. Ben Leatherman opened with back-to-back 1000s and led after the first flight, but he gave the lead back on Sunday: a 500 on his Pilot Declared Goal handed the top spot to Joey Strutz, who won the same task.
They went into the eighth and final task with Strutz leading Leatherman by 178 points. Leatherman responded with a 0.5m drop and 1000pts while Strutz came home with 11.83m and 455pts, and the championship swung back on the last marker of the last flight. Shawn Raya, who closed with 983, 997, and 947, slipped past Strutz on that same task to take second by nine points. Full results available on WMF.
TEAM USA FINISHES
3rd - Joey Strutz
4th - Landon Kohtz
BATTLE CREEK FIELD OF FLIGHT
Field of Flight returned to Battle Creek July 1st–5th with a 34-pilot field and most of Team USA in attendance. Battle Creek remains one of the premier competitions in the United States, and Championship Director Phil Clinger's task calling and Executive Director Barb Haluszka’s hospitality are the reason pilots keep coming back.
Clinger calls tasks in the good old American tradition of baggie throwing while also leveraging newer forms of tasks to layer in difficulty. Its a balance not all can strike.
Weather ran the week this year with several waves of rain and storms. Clinger and his staff never took the easy exit. Three separate competition windows were briefed and taken to the field before conditions finally forced cancellations.
The one flight that did go — Thursday morning, four tasks: Judge Declared Goal, Fly On, a second JDG, and a Maximum Distance — produced one of the tightest results of the season. Joe Heartsill took the championship with 3,859 points, nine ahead of Cory Bloom, with Joe Zvada third another 35 back. Full results available on WMF.
TEAM USA FINISHES
1st - Joe Heartsill
2nd - Cory Bloom
3rd - Joe Zvada
4th - Nick Donner
6th - Joey Strutz
17th - Landon Kohtz
MICHIGAN CHALLENGE XLI — HOWELL, MI
The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest returned to Howell for its 41st running June 26th–28th, drawing a 34-pilot field to one of the Midwest's longest-standing competitions. Howell has always paired a serious competition with a genuine community festival, and the crowds on the Howell High School launch field were as knowledgeable as ever.
After a Friday evening practice flight, Saturday morning produced a full four-task flight — a Fly In, Pilot Declared Goal, Hesitation Waltz, and Judge Declared Goal. Sunday morning delivered three more; Fly in, Judge Declared Goal, and closing with a Gordon Bennett Memorial that kept the championship live to the final marker.
Team USA's Landon Kohtz took the win with 6,652 points, holding off Cory Bloom by 149pts. Former Team USA member Bruce Wood finished third, making it a 284-point spread across the podium. Full results on WMF.
TEAM USA FINISHES
1st - Landon Kohtz
2nd - Cory Bloom
GREAT TEXAS BALLOON RACE
The 49th Great Texas Balloon Race ran June 12th–14th in Longview, Tx, back in it’s orginal form after three years of hosting the US National Championship.
Event Director Sam Parks called the competition, giving pilots an oportunity to fly tasks they might see when Parks directs the US National Championship in Scottsbluff, NE in August.
Two mornings of competition flying went off, then the final day was cancelled on weather. After six tasks, John Petrehn had done enough: he took both the Great Texas Balloon Race and the Texas state title. Chase Donner finished second, and Shawn Raya third. Full results available on WMF.
TEAM USA FINISHES
1st - John Petrehn
2nd - Chase Donner
4th - Rhett Heartsill
5th - Joe Heartsill
6th - Joe Zvada
16th - Cory Bloom
RIO GRANDE CLASSIC - RIO RANCHO, NM
Team USA pilots Joe Heartsill and Cory Bloom competed in the Andy Baird led RGC competition in May. The RGC is a long standing competition hosted by the Top Gun competition club in Albuquerque.
Baird challenged pilots with creative task calling over the three flights including Task 12’s patriotic themed hesitation waltz.
Former Team USA member Jonathan Wright took the victory over Jobe Skinner and Joe Candelaria. Full results on WMF
TEAM USA FINISHES
7th - Joe Heartsill
11th - Cory Bloom
SWISS CUP - LANGENTHAL, SWITZERLAND
Four members of Team USA traveled to Langenthal, Switzerland May 13th-17th for the 22nd Swiss National Championship and Swiss Cup. The international field of 26 pilots included eight top-30 world ranked competitors — including three former World Champions. Directing the event was Claude Weber - FAI Ballooning Commission President and Event Director of the 2026 World Championship. Creating a very tough early season test for the team.
Challenging weather persisted throughout the week with lots of rain and cold temps. Weber and his team balanced the weather challenges well and managed to call eleven tasks across four flights.
Stefan Zeberli of Switzerland claimed the overall win - his eighth Swiss Championship. Roman Hugi finished 2nd and David Strassman finished 3rd. Full results available on WMF.
TEAM USA FINISHES
4th - Joe Zvada
8th - Johnny Petrehn
10th - Rhett Heartsill
15th - Cameron Wall
USA BALLOONING TRAINING CAMP - 2025
Team USA made its way to Knoxville, Tennessee in November for a training camp to sharpen skills in the critical off-season window ahead of the 2026 World Championship.
The camp brought together pilots and team staff for an open-forum format focused on collaboration with the emphasis firmly on growth rather than pure competition.
East Tennessee's rolling terrain and variable fall conditions made for a challenging and productive flying environment, giving pilots the kind of varied practice that closely mirrors conditions in Krosnos, Poland.
THE CLASSIC
The National Balloon Classic in Indianola, IA is a pillar of competition ballooning and always attracts a strong field of pilots - including most of Team USA.
Despite challengin weather, three flights and twelve tasks were completed with the championship on the line right up until the last task.
Patrick Cloyd flew an impressive week to get the victory holding off Joe Zvada in second. Full results available on WMF.
TEAM USA FINISHES
2nd - Joe Zvada
5th - Nick Donner
11th - Cory Bloom
18th - Rhett Heartsill
21st - Chase Donner
35th - Joe Heartsill
38th - Johnny Petrehn
44th - Landon Kohtz
59th - Joey Strutz
BATTLE CREEK FIELD OF FLIGHT
Several members of Team USA traveled to Battle Creek, MI for what many consider one of our ‘major’ championships in the Battle Creek Field of Flight Championship.
Battle Creek has a long history of hosting elite level championships that continue today with their annual event over Independence Day weekend.
Championship Director, Phil Clinger, and staff called eighteen tasks across five flights including a six task flight to kick off the competition. Full results available on WMF.
Team USA Finishes
2nd - Nick Donner
3rd - Johnny Petrehn
4th - Cory Bloom
5th - Joe Zvada
7th - Landon Kohtz
11th - Joey Strutz
JOE ZVADA - BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPION
The 2025 US National Championship returned to Longview, Texas June 10th-15th hosted by The Great Texas Balloon Race. Pilots flew eleven tasks during four flights in challenging weather conditions.
Joe Zvada took the victory claiming his second and back-to-back National Championships. Landon Kohtz finished second and secured Rookie of the Year and Joe Heartsill finished third. Full results available on WMF.
Team USA Finishes
Video from the final flight of the 2025 US National Championship
1st - Joe Zvada
2nd - Landon Kohtz
3rd - Joe Heartsill
4th - Johnny Petrehn
5th - Cory Bloom
6th - Chase Donner
7th - Rhett Heartsill
8th - Joey Strutz
11th - Nick Donner
31st - Cameron Wall
JOE HEARTSILL EARNS PODIUM FINISH
TEAM USA EARNS TOP NATION AT 25TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Team USA battled tough weather conditions and 120 of the best hot air balloon pilots in the world at the 25th World Championship in Szeged, Hungary.
After five flights and 18 tasks, Joe Heartsill claimed third place overall and Team USA placed seven pilots in the top 25 to claim the Top Nation ranking ahead of France and Belgium.
Clement Seigeot of France won his first World Championship with Tomasz Filus of Poland in 2nd.
Team USA Finishes:
3rd - Joe Heartsill
4th - John Petrehn
7th - Joe Heartsill
15th - Nick Donner
17th - Lucas Heartsill
21st - Joe Zvada
24th - Jeremy Rubin
61st - Chase Donner
62nd - Cameron Wall
77th - Bruce Wood
Full results can be viewed on WatchMeFly.
JOE HEARTSILL INDUCTED TO HALL OF FAME
The National Balloon Museum Hall Of Fame inductions occur annually during the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, IA. This year, Team USA’s own Joe Heartsill was among those inducted. Joe’s stellar career as a competitive pilot include multiple National Championship wins, a World Championship, and multiple other global championships. Joe has qualified to represent the USA at 15 or the last 17 World Championships - an incredible mark of elite consistency.
Congrats Joe, Nancy, and the entire Heartsill family on this honor!
NICK DONNER WINS THE CLASSIC
Eight of the ten Team USA pilots traveled to Indianola, Iowa for the National Balloon Classic. A week of intense competition and good ole midwest flying drew everyone in for a last bit of practice before heading to Europe in a few weeks.
Rain, storms, and wind plagued the week, but eight tasks over three flights were completed. Nick Donner took the win with a strong week of flying. I is his third win in four years at the Classic!
Team USA Finishes:
1st - Nick Donner
3rd - Joe Zvada
7th - John Petrehn
9th - Joe Heartsill
16th - Jeremy Rubin
18th - Rhett Heartsill
19th - Chase Donner
49th - Bruce Wood
JOHN PETREHN WINS BATTLE CREEK FIELD OF FLIGHT
Team USA members Bruce Wood, Joe Heartsill, Joe Zvada, and John Petrehn were in the field at the 2024 Battle Creek Field of Flight competition. An event that many consider one of our ‘majors’ with its long history of hosting elite level competitions including multiple National and World Championships.
Championship Director, Phil Clinger’s commitment to calling quality tasks using the BLA provided Team USA pilots with great practice over the four days of competition.
After 14 tasks, John Petrehn flew his Ultramagic Racer to the top spot and claimed the Championship. Joe Zvada finished 2nd, Joe Heartsill in 7th, and Bruce Wood in 8th. Full results available on WMF.
JOE ZVADA - 2024 UNITED STATES NATIONAL CHAMPION
The US National Championship was held June 9th-16th by the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview, Texas. Pilots flew six flights and 26 total tasks. Joe Zvada claimed his first National Championship by 289 points over second place Cory Bloom with Nick Donner finishing in third. Full results available on WMF.
Team USA finishes:
1st Joe Zvada
3rd Nick Donner
4th John Petrehn
5th Chase Donner
6th Cameron Wall
7th Rhett Heartsill
8th Lucas Heartsill
9th Jeremy Rubin
19th Joe Heartsill
25th Bruce Wood
Task 24 MDD - Joe Zvada
JOE HEARTSILL WINS THE RIO GRANDE CLASSIC
The Rio Grande Classic is an annual competition held over Memorial Day weekend in Rio Rancho, NM by the Top Gun balloon competition club.
The RGC is a long running event that embraces the latest in technology and task calling. Many top competitors choose to start their season at the RGC including this year’s winner Joe Heartsill! Full results available on WMF.
JOE ZVADA WINS STYRIAN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN AUSTRIA
The Austrian Competition Club held a regional championship in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria April 27th-30th. Team USA members Joe Zvada, Joe Heartsill, and Bruce Wood made the trip to get some early season practice.
Weather was superb allowing Event Director David Strassman to call 28 tasks over six flights - including a six part evening task that many pilots ranked as among their most challenging flights ever!
Joe Zvada claimed the championship with Peter Molnar of Hungary in second and Joe Heartsill in third. Full results available on WMF.
