Passion, competence, experience, safety, and satisfaction are the watchwords of our team. All our aeronauts are professional pilots, passionate about their work, and most are instructors with many years of experience. Our company is the leader in its field and has never had an accident.
Our team, both warm and dynamic, will be delighted to share its passion with you and let you experience the fascinating details of its adventures aboard one of our gondolas.
Our reputation, built on excellence, speaks for itself. The company European Balloon Corporation scrl, which uses the trademark "montgolfiere.be", was founded in 1992 and is the most experienced company in Belgium. Its founder, Benoît Siméons, was the youngest European pilot at the age of 16. Benoît was born into a family of aeronauts. Some say he was "conceived" in a gondola, but who knows? He might not be the only one: his two brothers, Patrick and Jean-Frédéric, share the same passion.
Benoît, a sales engineer by training, saw his career take an unexpected turn, leading him to distant horizons. Passionate about adventure and travel, he has explored the four corners of the world aboard his hot air balloon. He has flown over legendary places, such as the Great Wall of China (a world first!), the deserts of Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, and New Mexico, as well as the majestic Swiss Alps and the Karakum Desert, the most dangerous in the world. His exploits also include crossing the English Channel, taking off from Red Square, and numerous adventures in Chile, the USA, Malaysia, Thailand, Namibia, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and Korea. Vice-world champion of airship flying and holder of several national distance and altitude records (12,106 m in an open basket!), Benoît has turned his passion into his profession, taking you into the skies every day.
Benoît holds 2 absolute world distance records and, together with his friend Bob Berben, won the most prestigious, oldest, and most difficult aviation race: the Gordon Bennett Cup. To this day, they hold the record for the longest distance ever flown during this competition, which is more than 100 years old!
In addition to practicing ballooning, Benoît is also a professional helicopter pilot, gas balloon pilot, airship pilot, and skydiver.
As part of various projects, our team is regularly in contact with Luc Trullemans and Bertrand Piccard. Our team was also in regular contact with Steve Fossett until his tragic death in 2007.
Our meteorological consultant is Luc Trullemans. He was kind enough to introduce us to all the intricacies of the profession and the art of accurate weather forecasting, a crucial element for ensuring the safety of our flights.
The undeniable experience of the pilots at "montgolfiere.be" will ensure you fulfill your unique dream safely.