Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine | JUL ’19 13
Up North
PEOPLE | NATURE | ARTS | NOSTALGIA | BUZZ | WISDOM | CURIOSITIES
I pull into the parking lot at Roy’s General Store
in Traverse City. It’s a cool evening in August and
Jeff Gilles is already there, prepping for our sunset
flight. Jody and Nadine, a couple visiting from Florida,
join me. The flight is Nadine's 70th birthday present,
something that's been on her bucket list for ages.
Presented with a clipboard, we each scribble our
signature, signing our trust over to Gilles. Our faith
is well placed; he's one of the most experienced hot
air balloon pilots in Michigan having taken his first
flight in 1978 at just four years old. Since then, he’s
piloted about 5,000 flights, bringing more than 40,
passengers along for the ride.
The three of us are ushered into Gilles' van and
we take off toward Old Mission Peninsula. We soon
abandon the pavement and pull onto a grassy field
in the middle of Black Star Farms’ vineyard. Gilles
lays out the balloon, unraveling all 300 pounds of
fabric. An industrial fan is angled toward the gaping
mouth and the fabric flutters to life. Before long, it’s
hovering above the ground.
Gilles encourages us to hop in the wicker basket.
Barely a moment passes and we’re floating a thousand
feet above the vineyard. It's magic. The horizon is
blurred in a blue haze. A dog chases us across lawn
after lawn and children squeal in delight and wave. 4
BLUE-SKY GUY
JEFF GILLES
TRAVERSE CITY BALLOON TOURS
He’s flown over the Serengeti in
Tanzania, volcanoes in Costa Rica
and the rolling rice paddies of Japan.
These days, Jeff Gilles is sailing the
skies over Grand Traverse Bay.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KAITLIN DUDLETS
