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Newspaper article (source not listed) copied from a binder entitled “Balloons” at the Warren County Historical Society, Indianola, Iowa. The Grays set up the Hawkeye Aerostation Society, devoted to flying balloons and meeting nice people. By 1974 the Grays bought their own balloon, and were flying at rallies as often as possible. As early as 1972 Phil had engaged in his first competition. Ballooning had got into his system, and he loved it. However, Linda recalled, she was not enthusiastic about flying. But she enjoyed working on the ground crew and seeing the wide assortment of colors and balloons. “Linda encouraged me to get into ballooning. She thought they were beautiful,” Gray said. Phil began selling balloons and training people to fly and as his interest mounted, the demands for time between his work and his hobby became increasingly difficult to manage. “We got to the point where we either had to do one or the other,” he said. “We decided ballooning was our choice.” In 1974 they received a certified FAA repair station license to rebuild or repair balloons. They also began studying balloons and building experimental models. In working on the experimental models, they had to submit their procedure for building, testing and inspecting the balloons to the FAA. The first prototype was completed five years ago. It flew perfectly, and is still flying, Linda said. At the same time that they were submitting design drawings to the FAA engineering department in Wichita, Kansas, writing flight manuals and maintenance manuals, the Grays began building their new house.“We ended up working very long hours,” Phil said. “and we’re still working very long hours to get business into production.” At first, the Grays were building the balloons in their home, using polyester aluminum, wicker, and plywood. It takes about three to four months to build one balloon, they said. |
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| They are still using their home as a “factory,” but Phil said they have outgrown the building, and would like to construct a new shop in which to work. They are also considering hiring more employees, they said. In the meantime, Ray Gray, Phil’s father, helps as do the Gray children, Jill, 14, and Brooke, 9. There are also 10 other people who help in building the balloons. “Nobody does something like we’ve done by themselves,” Phil said. “We’ve had a lot of good friends and family. I really want to thank the people that have helped. I hope this business is goo enough to someday pay them back.” Indeed, business does appear to be good, he noted. “Believe it or not, the demand is high,” he said. “The business is growing so rapidly it is hard to keep up with it.” But now that the long trips to Wichita to discuss design and manufacturing plans and procedures are completed, the family will be able to devote more time to the business. Their business, National Ballooning Ltd., has already built 16 balloons, which have been inspected and approved by the FAA, prior to the grant of the production certificate. It is the only company that manufactures hot air balloons in Iowa. Phil said the balloons they build start at $7,595 and go as high in price as $9,995. The family and friends were happy Thursday as the final certification procedure was completed. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing a balloon inflated and seeing it fly away,” he said. “It’s a great thing, and the person always has a big smile on their face.” |