First Light Ballooning
A new business on the North Coast of NSW flying over the spectacular Clarence Valley. The business is a collaboration of three experienced Hot Air Balloon operators, John Wallington, Hyung Kim, and Anton Kerr. The three pilots saw the spectacular and inspiring beauty of the Clarence Valley a few years ago and began working on what is now known as First Light Ballooning. They aim to share the wonderful experience of a Clarence Valley airborne adventure with their passengers.
About Your Pilots
John was the Australian National Hot Air Balloon Champion in 1988-90 and again in 1992-94. He is best known for his record breaking nonstop trans-Australia balloon flight with Dick Smith in 1993 and the trans-Tasman (New Zealand to Australia) flight in 2000. In 1995 John was awarded The Montgolfiere Diploma – the World´s highest ballooning award. John is the Chief Pilot of Balloon Aloft, Canberra.
Kim is Director and Pilot of Balloon Aloft, Canberra and started his flying career in South Korea in 1998 and in 2009 he gained his Australian Commercial Balloon Pilot’s license. He has extensive experience flying balloons in most of Australia’s premier ballooning locations and is widely respected for his piloting skill.
Anton grew up in a hot air ballooning family learning to fly from his father in Canowindra, NSW and is the Chief Pilot of the family business, Balloon Joy Flights. He is the developer of Balloon Nav, a specialist balloon navigation app and notably has flown in two world championships, Slovenia 2022 and Hungary 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
OUR COMMITMENT:
First Light Ballooning is committed to minimising the impact of our operations on the environment. We operate in compliance with all relevant environmental legislation and we strive to use environmental best practices in all we do. Our goal is to operate in an ecologically sustainable manner. We will:
Provide an environmentally sound workplace, and implement a range of environmentally sound work practices.
Integrate the consideration of environmental concerns and impact into all of our decision-making and activities.
Promote environmental awareness among our employees and encourage them to work in an environmentally responsible manner
Work closely with our employees, contractors, suppliers, clients and partners to develop and implement agreed environmental initiatives consistent with this policy.
Communicate our environmental commitment to clients, customers contractors and the public and encourage them to support it.
Strive to continually improve our environmental performance and minimise the social impact and damage of activities by periodically reviewing our environmental policy in light of our current and planned future activities.
SUSTAINABILITY:
We analyse all our procurement needs and look for the most environmentally sound options available for each need.
Our office lighting is fitted with energy-efficient devices to reduce our electricity usage. Reducing electricity consumption by turning office equipment off when not in use.
We use 100% liquid propane which burns cleaner than butane or petrol. Propane is non-toxic and insoluble in water, so poses no threat to aquifers or the groundwater supply. It is also not harmful to soil and is one of the lightest hydrocarbons in existence; it is one of the cleanest burnings of all alternative fuels.
Our daily flights are also only an hour in duration causing a very low level of emissions.
We operate a paperless booking system where bookings are entered electronically into our database and confirmations sent to passengers by email whenever possible.
Crew vehicles are powered using diesel rather than petrol. All of our vehicles are regularly maintained and only used for necessary company use and shortest distances worked out where possible.
Reducing, reusing and recycling: We operate a paperless booking system where bookings are entered electronically into our database and confirmations sent to passengers by email whenever possible.
Looking at all our promotional material and stationery to be printed on 100% recycled paper. We recycle printer ink cartridges, computer parts and other aspects of our office waste.
All the champagne bottles used during our balloon flights are recycled.
CONSERVATION:
We are committed to sustainable environmental practices. Our team members strictly adhere to the Tread Lightly (Travel responsibly, Respect the rights of others, Educate yourself, Avoid sensitive areas and Do your part) code of practice which is designed to minimise environmental impact.
We work closely with local landowners and our partners to reduce the impact at our launch and land sites. Immediate action is taken by First Light Ballooning staff to restore any damage which may have inadvertently happened at any site.