2009 Balloons
2009 Ashland Balloonfest Balloon Meister
Maury Sullivan
Maury’s interest in ballooning dates back to 1981 and has included sport and competitive ballooning as well as running a commercial balloon contract. Maury initiated the establishment of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival Balloon Classic in 1986, served as the event chairman from 1986 to 1988 and served as the event’s Competition Director in all but four years. Maury has a commercial rating and has logged in excess of 670 hours.
Crewing at four US Nationals and participating in all US Teams events as an official competitor have fostered Maury’s interest in the competitive aspects of hot air ballooning. Maury and his teammates placed third in the 1999 US Teams and Maury was recognized as Rookie of the Year at the 2000 NABA US Nationals in Canton, Mississippi. Maury has been a consistent top twenty pilot in the NABA National Ranking system ranking 12th (2005); 21st (2003); 8th (2002); and, achieving his highest ranking of 2nd in 2001.
While Maury has found competitive flying both instructional and rewarding, he still finds his fondest balloon memories in “Fiesta-type” flying. He flew in the first balloon event in the Soviet Union in 1990, which took place in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), USSR. On one memorable flight he flew his balloon “Glasnost” less than 500 feet over a Soviet Mig air base and, yes, has photos. Not far behind in the most memorable flights category was flying from Canada to the US while seemingly skimming directly over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. In February, 2005 Maury participated in the NOBPA winter Long Jump. This is a flight designed to challenge the pilot and crew in a long distance flight. This was Maury’s first real attempt at such a flight and he flew a total of 178 miles in a flight lasting three hours and forty-eight minutes.
Eclipsing his travels to the USSR and flying over Niagara Falls was his life-altering experience of traveling to Tibet and spending two weeks with the Dalai Lahma. Maury and the Dalai became best of friends and, in exchange for a balloon ride, the Dali bestowed one of life’s greatest treasurers on Maury – he was promised “total consciousness” on his deathbed.
Maury, wife Lynn, and children Maury, Sean, Erin, and Alix frequently travel to the Southwest searching for the perfect margarita and great Southwestern cuisine whose recipes can be utilized in his restaurant business – Pancho’s Southwestern Grille. In 2005, Maury opened his third restaurant Kozmo’s. He now promises his wife that he is out of “projects.”
Maury has been involved with the Northeast Ohio Balloon Pilot’s Association (NOBPA) since 1982 and served as its Treasurer in 1997 and 1998 and as its President in 2000. Maury and Lynn served as chairmen of NOBPA’s annual Safety Seminar, Balloonowledge from 2002-2004 and Maury has organized the educational programming for the 2008 BFA National Convention.
