Future Lake City flights on the horizon for hot air balloon pilot
Many people reported seeing a hot air balloon over Lake City last Thursday, Oct. 29. The flight began in Oakhurst Circle in the Jewel neighborhood, where a crew arrived by trailer and prepared the balloon for takeoff.
For residents, the event provided plenty of photo opportunities, but it also sparked questions. Who was launching the balloon? What’s their story? How was that location chosen?
I tracked down the guy responsible and got some answers. Mike Lesmeister, aka the Flitemeister, is the owner of Lesmeister Balloon Company, which he established in Rochester in 1997. This February will mark 30 years of balloon flight for the Flitemeister.
How did Mike become interested in hot air balloons? It’s not the answer you’d expect, but the story is rooted in a relatable problem: “It was my dad’s 55th or 56th birthday and we were complaining that he never uses anything we get him.” Someone suggested a hot air balloon ride and that seemed to be the ticket. On the day of his father’s balloon flight, Lesmeister found a vantage point to capture the experience from the ground. “I was taking pictures with my 35mm camera, and this thing came up, so massive and so quietly. I had never seen a balloon before, never cared about balloons.”
But that experience changed everything for him. In the years that followed, Lesmeister purchased that balloon and several others from legendary Rochester balloon pilot George Ibach, who also taught him to fly. Nearly three decades later, Lesmeister has logged more than 1,300 flights.
Through his year of experience, the Flitemeister has learned as much about meteorology as he has about piloting a hot air balloon. In fact, both skill sets are crucial for a successful flight.
“If you want to know what the weather will be like in the next 48 hours, ask a balloon pilot,” he said. “Two to three days before we fly, we track the winds.”
They monitor surface winds, upper-level wind layers, temperature, pressure, visibility and cloud cover to determine whether conditions are safe and how to navigate the flight.
Last Thursday, Lesmeister arrived in Lake City early to scout potential launch sites, releasing pibals, short for pilot balloons, from various locations including Underwood Park and Lincoln High School. The small helium balloons help pilots measure wind speed and direction at various altitudes before takeoff.
His goal was to find a launch site that would provide panoramic views of Lake Pepin without sending the balloon into the water. The Jewel neighborhood proved to be the right choice, and with careful planning and navigation, Lesmeister gave his passengers a safe and scenic flight.
In 2027, Mike plans to expand operations in Pepin, Wisconsin, where his preparation is already in the works for a balloon museum. He also intends to operate out of Lake City, allowing people to book hot air balloon flights overlooking Lake Pepin. He’s currently training new balloon pilots to carry his legacy into the future.
Hopefully that answered some questions for curious residents! I’ll provide updates as Lesmeister’s plans for operations in Lake City take shape.