PILOT

Sean Askren’s ballooning journey began on June 7, 1977, in the Ohio Valley, where he took his very first flight—3,000 feet in the air—alongside his father on just his second training flight. From that moment on, Sean knew ballooning was more than a fascination; it was his calling.

In 1986, he purchased his first balloon on Good Friday and began traveling to compete in ballooning events across the country. His competitive spirit earned him an impressive sixteen top-ten finishes in sixteen events, including appearances at the True Value Cup in Lisle, Illinois, and his hometown favorite, The Great Zinzinnati Balloon Race in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After earning his commercial pilot certificate in 1987, Sean set his sights on a professional ballooning career—and achieved that goal in 1991 when he was hired by Renaissance Balloons in Brighton, Michigan.

In 2003, he launched his own operation, Askren Air Balloon Team. Since then, Sean has built an extensive résumé of high-profile flights and events. He has flown out of every NASCAR track on the circuit, logged over ninety midday flights, crossed the Continental Divide two years in a row, and piloted the NFC balloon at Super Bowl XLV as well as the Coca-Cola balloon at the NCAA Final Four.

A dedicated and experienced balloonist, Sean has been a regular at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for more than 30 years and served as assistant crew on Team Zvada at the FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Austria.