Flying as a family

Ever since Patrick Cloyd reached adulthood, he’s been piloting hot air balloons. After receiving his license at 18 in 2007, he’s been finding every opportunity he could to fly.

From working on the grounds for other pilots as a part of Iowa’s National Balloon Classic to finally reaching the heights in his own balloon, Cloyd has been through a lot. This year, after competing in the National Balloon Classic since 2009, he was able to take home the top prize.

“It’s surreal. Even today, there’s definitely times where I think, ‘did that really happen?’” Cloyd said. “Besides having video footage of those flights, I don’t remember much about them, I’m so focused. But, it’s a huge honor to have won it, especially being local.”

As an Indianola native, which also represents where the National Balloon Classic takes place, Cloyd said he’s proud to represent the city he was raised in.

Cloyd will have a much more relaxing time in Creston as one of the pilots for this year’s annual Balloon Days. This year, he is sponsored by Fenton Construction.

The journey into piloting hot air balloons began in middle school at the National Balloon Classic where he crewed and got his first taste for ballooning. As a kid, Cloyd said he’d always been fascinated with aviation.

When he was 16 and chasing chances for flight, he joined the Des Moines Pilot Club to undergo training. Unfortunately, the club disbanded a few months after Cloyd joined, sending him back to square one. He turned to his family.

“I didn’t have anything to fly at that point,” Cloyd said. “I was talking to my dad and I told him ‘I didn’t know how I would get one, but I’m going to try to buy a balloon.’ He likes aviation as well. He said, ‘let’s see if we can buy one together.’”

Family has always been a part of Cloyd’s experience in piloting, training together with his father as they worked to get their pilot licenses. Then, after meeting at the balloon field in the National Balloon Classic while crewing, he would work together with his future wife, Katie.

“We met and talked as friends, then a month later I ended up going to basic training for the Iowa Air National Guard,” Cloyd said. “I was gone for eight or nine months, but we kept in contact over a couple years.”

When the pair started dating, Katie would lead the crew while Cloyd piloted. Together, the couple would compete and fly together through many years of competitions and flights. On the day Cloyd proposed, it was during one evening flight of the National Balloon Classic.

“Crews aren’t typically allowed on the balloon field, but that night they parked and ran out because they knew what was happening,” Cloyd said. “It was an amazing moment.”

Cloyd owes a large portion of his success to his wife, especially as they worked to become more efficient as they continued competing. From the flying style to the tools prepared on the balloon, everything can make a difference.

“Even all the way down to how we’re packing things up and getting things ready for the next flight, we’ve gone through every bit of detail,” Cloyd said. “Collectively, it gives you an advantage, and it led to a couple top 10 finishes.”

This year, that preparation led to Cloyd winning the National Balloon Classic, the competition that inspired him, brought his family together and continues to be an annual tradition. With his balloon named Molon Labe out of a field of 108 pilots from across the country, including pilots from the U.K. and Japan, Cloyd came out on top.

Winning together with his family meant the world to Cloyd. As he prepares for his flights in Creston, Cloyd said he’s happy to have some flights with a much lower stress level this week.

Cloyd hopes for temps in the high 60s, low wind speeds around 3-4 mph on the surface and up to 15 mph at around 1,000 feet. To young pilots who are inspired by the annual hot air balloons, his advice is simple.

“Get out and put the reps in and get practice, as much as you can,” Cloyd said. “Eventually, you will be where you want to be.”