Hot Air Ballooning

Our Pilots

Our Chief Pilots

Ismail Keremoglu

Our Chief Pilot
- Fixed wing aircraft pilot.
- Instructor pilot for hot air balloons, gliders and sky diving.
- Turkish National Hot Air Balloon Champion since 1997.

With more than 21 years of aviation experience, Ismail has been flying passengers in this region for nine years and has over 3,600 hours as pilot in charge. Ismail is also an instructor pilot for hot air balloons, gliders and sky diving and is a fixed wing aircraft pilot; he has observed and participated in numerous festivals and competitions both nationally and internationally.
In addition to his many other awards and memberships, Ismail has been the Turkish National Hot Air Balloon Champion since 1997, and is also a member of the United States Parachute Association (USPA) and the British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC). Ismail, who is fluent in English, has a larger than life personality that draws people to him from all over the world.

Pilot

Joao Eduardo Rodrigues

Our Pilot
Joao (also known as Rodrigues) comes from Portugal and also speaks fluent English. He began flying in Cappadocia in 2006. Joao was a paratrooper in the Portuguese army until his retirement in 2001. He has flown hot air balloons, and acted as an instructor, in France, Turkey, and Portugal and in the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania.
Joao is an experienced sky diver, an expert in the repair and maintenance of hot air balloons and is also a member of the BBAC.

Pilot

Bulent Gurhan

Our Pilot
- Ballon, Microlight Pilot and Hang Gliding expert
- Represented Turkey as team captain at World Air Games for both Microlight and Hang-Gliding

Bulent is Istanbul and, in addition to being a licensed balloon pilot, is also one of Turkey's premier Microlight pilots and Hang-Gliding experts. He served as Chief of the Microlight and Hang-Gliding Department for the Turkish Aeronautical Association for more than a decade; and represented Turkey in the World Air Games as the team captain for both Microlight and Hang-Gliding competition. Like our other pilots, Bulent has done hundreds of parachute drops!