Tracy was one of the founding fathers of modern hot-air-ballooning. He is best
known for his creative design and safety innovations which made balloons beautiful,
more functional, and safer to fly.
He set eleven world altitude records and was the first
balloonist to fly across the nation. His interest also extended into designing and
manufacturing gas balloons and airships. Tracy will be long remembered for his 58
years of contributions as a lighter-than-air pioneer.
After leaving the Army as a paratrooper, Tracy made his first balloon out of three
cargo parachutes and named it Old Lumpy. The balloon was an AX-5 (N8654E). The
carriage was simply a lawn chair with two propane tanks attached on each side.
Tracy first flew Old Lumpy on October 13, 1961 in Wayzata, MN.
In January 1962, Tracy entered and won the first St. Paul Carnival Balloon Race.
He also won the race the next two years.
Tracy built his second balloon, N8654E,
which he used for commercial work.
In January 1963 Tracy built his third and fourth
balloons. N1072Z was used for training and was sold to Aerostat Club Society (Karl
Stefan, president). N1073Z was used for commercial work. Tracy’s fifth balloon,
N4633T, was a special super pressure balloon used for commercial tethering work.
Tracy built a special helium gas balloon, Charlie Brown, N66B. On May 11, 1964 he flew
it to an altitude of 37,800 feet (over seven miles) and set 11 world records; some still
stands today. The photo to the right was taken just after take-off.
Tracy met Brenda Bogan while doing a promotion in Austin, TX. She moved to Minnesota
and became Tracy’s secretary. Tracy trained her as a balloon pilot, and built a balloon,
N7526U, in which she set a world hot-air-balloon AX-3 altitude record of 9,770’
on Sept 3, 1965.
On Dec 21, 1965, Tracy and Brenda were married in Austin.
In January Tracy, Brenda, and Terry Wright moved to Chester, SC where he built N4723S,
an 90,000 cu. ft. AX-8. With Lennox Corporation as his sponsor, Tracy became the first
balloonist to fly across the United States. On April 9, 1966, he took off from the famed
Hotel de Coronado near San Diego, CA. After five months of equipment malfunctions, balloon
failures and injuries, he landed at Cape May, NJ on September 11, 1966.
In June 1967, Tracy moved to a warehouse at 426 Foster Avenue in Charlotte, NC where
he lived and worked for the next few years. He built three balloons, N2818, N3139 and
N2164. He downsized the large balloon he flew cross country to make a training balloon.
In 1968 he decided he wanted to start manufacturing FAA certified balloons, which later he
named the FireFly balloon.
Bill Meadows heard about Tracy from a friend. After several visits, Bill decided
he wanted to become involved in the sport. Tracy agreed to train Bill but only
after he finished building a balloon for the Beach Mountain Corp. that was opening
a new theme park named The Land of OZ in Banner Elk, NC.
Tracy completed the Land of Oz balloon the first couple days of October. This balloon
was very special because the carriage was the first triangle wicker carriage Tracy
had designed and built. The photo shows Tracy weaving that carriage in the Foster Avenue
warehouse.
Tracy called Bill and said he had just completed the Land of Oz balloon but had not had
time to make a test fligh. Tracy asked if he could stop by Statesville on the way to
Banner Elk and combine the test flight with Bill’s first training flight. They agreed
on Saturday October 4th.
From the Newtown Plaza at 5:00 pm Bill and Tracy made the first
balloon flight in Statesville and Iredell County. The 75 minute flight over downtown
Statesville ended on Buffalo Shoals Road just east of the Statesville Airport.
In the image, Bill is in the carriage and Tracy is in the jump suit.
Tracy founded The Balloon Works (TBW) and moved to an abandoned women's prison in north
Charlotte. Balloonist Dodds Meddock, Karl Stefan, and Terry Wright
made up the design team. For over two years they designed and tested the balloon which
would later become known as the FireFly Balloon.
Tracy designed a revolutionary venting and deflation
system the “Parachute Valve” which was test flown to over 11,000 feet by Don Cline
in April 1973.
TBW designed and built eight balloons; four flew in the 1974 First World
Hot Air Balloon Championships in Albuquerque, NM.
In the image from left to right: Karl, Dodds, Tracy
Tracy decided to move to a smaller town outside Charlotte so he would have room to
manufacture and fly balloons. Bill Meadows' company, Balloon Ascensions, had been
been flying balloons north of Statesville for 5 years, so he knew the area would be
perfect for Tracy.
He introduced Tracy to Raeford Rhyne who had a grass airstrip (NC15) and two closed
chicken houses that he offered Tracy for $50 rent per month. In late 1973 and early
1974 Tracy moved TBW (along with Dodds, Karl, and Terry) to Rhyne Aerodrome, ten miles
north of Statesville near Love Valley, NC. After the move, Tracy asked Bill Meadows to
become TBW’s national sales director. Anna Rhyne became the receptionist. Over the
next couple of years, the chicken houses were upgraded as a viable manufacturing facility.
In 1974 TBW received the long-awaited FAA production certificate.
Sales and production took off big time! TBW had found a home in the foothills of the
Brushy Mountains. The main building remains as it was in 1974. A historical must see,
especially for visiting balloonists.
Raeford and Anna Rhyne made everyone working at TBW feel right at home. They were a
gracious couple who did everything they could to help make Rhyne Aerodrome a wonderful
place to build balloons.
TBW would employee over 60 locals to build FireFly balloons.
Craftsmen sewed balloons, wove wicker carriages, built burners and hand crafted the
many parts that made up a hot-air-balloon.
As production increased the second chicken
house was used to cut and sew balloon envelopes. An abandoned grocery store on the
corner was used to produce all the artwork panels. The photo shows 15 carriages under
construction in the original chicken house.
In 1982 Tracy decided to sell TBW, retire, and move to Colorado. The new owners let go
all of the management team and most of the employees. They moved TBW to a warehouse
in Statesville. The new owners relationship with the dealers and customers just didn't
work out so the number of dealers and orders withered on the vine. TBW was sold again!
The next new owners changed the name to Firefly Balloons and moved again. The company
continues to operate today but on a much smaller scale. The company is held together
by a few dedicated people whose love for Tracy's balloon is the glue that binds.
FireFly Balloons is located at 850 Meacham Road in Statesville and visitors are welcome
anytime. Their web site is
www.fireflyballoons.net.
In 1984 Tracy decided to move back to Statesville and he founded The Blimp Works,
located three miles south of Rhyne Aerodrome off Damascus Church Road. In operation
for 35 years, The Blimp Works produced a complete line of helium-filled products
very popular among their customers and dealers.
It was here that Tracy designed
and flew the Whispership, one man, single engine, 68’ long helium airship. This
was Tracy’s pet project he loved experimenting with it, but it never advanced
into production.
Tracy received awards for his achievements and design innovations from the BFA, CBA,
FAA, FAI, WLAS, CBA, National Design Academy and The Smithsonian.
In 1985, the
Queen of England awarded Tracy the Wirth Medal for his ballooning achievements
and invention of the Parachute Valve. Tracy said he would like to be remembered,
"that he made ballooning a safer sport".
Tracy passed away on January 20, 2019. He was truly one of the world's pioneers
in hot-air-balloons and lighter-than-air aircraft.
In May 2019, the Blimp Works closed and the Whispership project came to a halt.
Firefly Balloons is still in operation and worth a visit to see
the beautiful FireFly balloons Tracy created.
Thanks Tracy!
Learn about the development of the Carolina Balloon Museum and the location
of its future home.
The history of Ballooning and the people have driven it.
These are stories that inspire!
Why is the museum seven stories tall? To hold a hot air balloon of course!
Learn what you'll see on your path to view an inflated balloon from every angle.
The original art of balloonist Jim Thompson of Talent, Oregon is featured here.
See which piece captures your imagination, and check back for more ballooning gifts.
Learn how you can become involved and contribute your time and talents to the museum.
You are invited to support the Carolina Balloon Museum, a 501c3. Find out how.
Let the Carolina Balloon Museum become the home for your story!
Tracy Barnes
Future Home: