We are a locally owned and operated small business that places great importance on safety and sharing a genuine and personal experience of flight with our passengers. We hope that the uniqueness of both what we do and how we do it will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
Our pilots hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate (“license”) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), maintain a Second-Class Medical Certificate through a Aviation Medical Examiner, and have extensive training and flight experience. All of our balloons are regularly maintained and inspected in accordance with FAA requirements. Our decision to fly, or not, on any given day is always based on the safety and well being of our passengers and ourselves.
Sol Lothe, Owner and Pilot
My Story starts off as a child who loved spinning whirly-gigs, building model airplanes and balsa wood gliders, throwing little “Poopa Trooper” rubber figurines with plastic parachutes into the air, and going to air shows with my dad. I learned to skydive while in College and was in the air and jumping out of and off of anything I could with my parachute at any opportunity that presented itself.
Shortly after moving to Santa Fe at the end of 2011 and meeting my wonderful wife, I had the good fortune to meet Johnny Lewis, an exceptional balloon pilot who became my flying mentor. I trained with him as I earned my Private Pilot Certificate and shortly thereafter my Commercial Certificate. I flew as a commercial pilot with Santa Fe Balloons for several years.
A stroke of luck opened the door for me to start flying part time over the Rio Grande Gorge here in Taos for Pueblo Balloon, before being given the opportunity to fill the role of Lead Pilot for them. I flew in that capacity up until the Spring of 2020 when circumstances changed such that they closed down the operation and I started Rio Grande Balloons.
