Mary Beth and Dick Young

Mary Beth and Dick Young have been involved in ballooning since 1977. They started with the fun of learning to crew with many different types of balloons and pilots, and then became balloon owners of “Going My Way” in 1993. Both Dick and Mary Beth are FAA- Certified Commercial Hot Air Balloon Pilots for their company, “A Beautiful Balloon.” They truly love sharing the magical moments of Ballooning with others!

Flying from the Warren County Farmers’ Fair, over the scenic countryside in the beautiful Harmony area, is a favorite with Dick & Mary Beth. Even when weather keeps them on the ground, they enjoy sharing their amazing Walkabout Balloon with the Fair crowds.

During the past 14 years, Dick has flown over 630 hours. Recent highlights of Dick’s ballooning include: a 2003 Long Jump from NJ to PA of about 100 miles which won him 1st place in the BFA National Competition, and another Long Jump during the same year from NJ to CT that earned him 3rd place nationally. In 2008, Dick achieved another 3rd place nationally in BFA Long Jump, with a 147-mile Flight from Lake Placid, NY to Northampton, MA.

Mary Beth has flown over 400 joy-filled hours (most of them!) One especially memorable flight was from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, flying right over the city, seeing the jets coming and going from BWI, and landing an hour later on a high school football field!

Other memorable places Mary Beth and Dick have flown include Quechee, VT, Monument Valley, AZ, Long Island Festival, NY, Weymouth, MA Festival (a very few miles south of Boston!), Williamsport, PA (at an active airport!), and their all-time favorite location: over Lake George, NY and the Adirondacks.