From the beginning….
From 2002, Gert-Jan Masselink worked from Vlaardingen as a freelance balloonist for clients from all over the country. In 2006 he started his own ballooning company under the name De Luchtreiziger Ballonvaarten. The company specialized in offering balloon rides in South Holland, as this was the province where he lived. Gert-Jan built up the company with great passion, together with his partner Marieke Moerman.
In the early years the company grew rapidly and a freelance balloonist had to be hired regularly. Patrick de Bont was one of them. This collaboration went so well that Patrick, with his own company, took care of a large part of the balloon rides for De Luchtreiziger Ballonvaarten with great enthusiasm in 2019 and 2020. The step for Patrick to take over the daily management of De Luchtreiziger Ballonvaarten together with his wife Jessica was therefore a small step. This happened on January 1, 2021, Gert-Jan took a step back from that date and Patrick & Jessica took over the daily management. In the coming years, Gert-Jan will mainly be seen on the starting field as the regular pilot of De Luchtreiziger Ballonvaarten. Nothing will change for passengers with the change of day-to-day management.
Why at a local ballooning company
If you want to make a balloon ride, you prefer to do it in your own environment. We know South Holland and have many more starting fields there than the large nationally operating hot-air balloon companies. When we have to change starting places, because the wind direction requires it, we have many alternatives within South Holland. Note that many balloon companies on the internet pretend to be local companies, but they are absolutely not. The chance that you will ultimately not take off in the area of your choice but will be sent to Brabant or Utrecht via the ‘small print’ is unfortunately not inconsiderable. Fortunately, that does not happen to us, we only sail above the De Randstad, the Green Heart and the Hoeksche Waard.
Our passion for ballooning ….
De Luchtreiziger Ballonvaarten is a ballooning company with employees with a passion for everything that flies. Led by Patrick & Jessica de Bont, all crew members do their utmost to let their passengers experience how impressive a balloon flight can be.
We always work according to the human scale. Our passenger groups are not huge, so we can personally give everyone the explanation they want. And if visibility is insufficient due to low-hanging clouds, for example, we will be happy to make a new appointment with you. After all, you only make a balloon flight once in your life.
Personal and affordable
With us, you are not a number that automatically checks in and is still unexpectedly sent to a starting location far outside of South Holland. We take the time for our passengers and for the balloon ride. Simply because we like ballooning the best there is.
But there’s more! Because we succeed in keeping our (overhead) costs as low as possible, we can, in addition to this personal guidance, also compete in terms of price with larger-scale ballooning companies.
Safe
We are a government-recognized (ILenT) ballooning company that has made ballooning in this province its specialty. We have many years of experience with balloon rides above the ‘Green Heart’ of South Holland. This unique area with its many meadows and ditches places special demands on the pilot. Our pilots ensure a safe and carefree Air trip with their experience and knowledge of the area.
We are affiliated with the CBN (Commercial Balloon Drivers Netherlands), part of the KNVvL (Royal Dutch Aviation Association). We conduct all our balloon rides in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as in accordance with the code of conduct and requirements set by the CBN for its members. Safety always comes first. All our passengers are of course insured during the balloon flight.
