About Gateway Hot Air Balloon Adventures

About Gateway Hot Air Ballons & Your Pilot Matt Hurst

I am a second-generation pilot. My dad was a balloon pilot in Tucson, AZ, and had his own company. I grew up around balloons and, from an early age, was crewing on all types and shapes. I moved up to Phoenix and started to crew on more oversized ride balloons and shapes.

I got my license and started to travel doing competition flying, where I became the top-ranked rookie of the year. After I got my commercial license, I began to fly in Indiana for balloons over Bloomington, where I gained experience in larger balloon rides. When I decided to make flying my full-time career, I came across Lehigh Valley Hot Air, where I began to fly daily (weather permitting) and gained experience in tethering and unique shapes. Due to the seasonal nature of flying in Pennsylvania during wintertime, I headed out to Phoenix, AZ, where I flew for Aerogelic Ballooning and gained experience in even larger ride balloons (200,000cf+). I am very versatile and can handle a variety of balloon sizes. I can comfortably fly one size in the morning and another in the afternoon.

I love to be in the air and share experiences with people. I am always professional when flying and am very safety conscious. Come fly with us so we can see the world from new heights!