Jim Duncan

Jim Duncan was intrigued by a balloon that flew over his house one morning in 1978. He began crewing in 1979, was subsequently trained, and received his private and commercial licenses in 1984. Since that time, Jim has honed his skills, which earned him the New Jersey State title four times and the Great Eastern Balloon Association championship eight times.

Jim has owned and operated his hot air balloon company, “Cloud 9,” since 1984. He has flown in numerous racing events from New Jersey to Montana, in Albuquerque and at the National Championships in Baton Rouge.

Recently, Jim has had the pleasure of working with Bert Padelt to construct balloons that are used in record attempts. He and Bert marched in the Macy’s Day Parade to monitor the lead balloon, and participated in the launch for the “Transatlantic Challenge” in 2007. In February of 2008, they traveled to Saga, Japan to launch the “Celestial Eagle;” however, inclement weather prevented the flight across the Pacific.

Jim enjoys experiencing the sense of adventure and especially appreciates flying in new and challenging areas as he continues to enjoy the competitive spirit of ballooning and the camaraderie.

He is looking forward to jumping off cliffs with Fred in the near future.