Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A local pilot will be on hand for this weekend’s 41st Annual Michigan Challenge Balloonfest – promoting his new book and sharing firsthand stories with visitors from more than four decades in the skies.

Craig Elliott, known to many as "Captain Sunshine", will be appearing throughout Balloonfest weekend to meet attendees, sign books, share photographs, and talk about his remarkable career as a hot air balloon pilot.

Over the course of 42 years, Elliott completed more than 2,600 balloon flights, carried over 14,000 passengers, flew 68 different balloons, competed in major balloon races across the country, and accumulated enough stories to fill a lifetime.

Those adventures became the inspiration for his memoir, The Balloonatics, a collection of humorous, heartwarming, and often unbelievable true stories from the golden age of hot air ballooning.

It’s described as “A humorous and entertaining memoir chronicling more than four decades of hot air balloon adventures, competitions, friendships, mishaps, and unforgettable moments from one of Michigan's most recognized balloon pilots”.

Elliott hails from the Holly/Fenton area and told WHMI he’s excited to attend this weekend’s event and surprisingly, he never took part in the Michigan Challenge.

Festival attendees can stop by the CM Elliott Books booth to meet Elliott, purchase signed copies of The Balloonatics, view historical balloon photographs, and hear stories from a career that included encounters with aviation legends, competitive balloon racing, cross-country adventures, celebrity pilots, and countless memorable flights.

Elliott said "People often tell me they had no idea some of these things happened in the world of ballooning. The stories are real, and many are even crazier than people imagine."

It is an adult book, although he has another new project in the works – a children’s series that teaches kids about the art and science of hot air ballooning. It will feature several of the balloons he’s flown over the years.

The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is one of the premier hot air balloon festivals in the United States - drawing thousands of visitors annually for mass ascensions, night glows, family activities, food vendors, and aviation-related attractions.

A release states “Whether you're an aviation enthusiast, history buff, adventure seeker, or simply curious about life above the treetops, Craig Elliott's stories offer a unique glimpse into one of the most fascinating forms of flight ever invented”.

More information is available in the provided links.

Main Photo: Elliott Flying at the Grand Traverse Resort back in the 80's.