Sky High: New RE/MAX hot air balloon to fly Coast skies in 2022

Sunshine Coast Ballooning and RE/MAX Australia are excited to announce that a new hot air balloon will take to the skies early in 2022.

When it launches, the RE/MAX balloon will be the fifth for Sunshine Coast Ballooning and the largest in its fleet and joins more than 120 RE/MAX hot air balloons flying worldwide.

Co-owners Jonathan Oehm and Christian Uhrig are qualified commercial balloon pilots with extensive experience. Piloting the RE/MAX balloon overseas is included in Jonathan’s flying resume.

“I flew RE/MAX balloons in Western Canada through 2017 and 2018,” he said.

“Especially overseas, when you tell someone that you are a balloon pilot, almost inevitably the question will come back, ‘Do you fly one of the RE/MAX balloons?’, they are that recognisable.”

He said he identified RE/MAX as his preferred name for a new balloon because its hot air balloon was a global icon. Sunshine Coast Ballooning owns the balloon and has full operational control.

The RE/MAX balloon will offer charter flight experiences in the region’s skies above Maleny to Caloundra, Eumundi to Noosa, and everything between.

Maleny resident, Michael Davoren, is Board Chairman of RE/MAX Australia and one of its owners.

“I am extremely excited to see the RE/MAX hot air balloon launch on the Sunshine Coast.

“RE/MAX has the largest balloon fleet in the world and the Sunshine Coast balloon will be our second in Australia with the other based on the Gold Coast.

“The RE/MAX balloon symbolises the company’s independence, freedom, innovation and enjoyment and I’ll be very proud indeed when I see it flying above me, literally,” Michael said.

The manufacturer, Kavanagh Balloons is Australia’s only manufacturer of hot air balloons and recognised as one of the major balloon makers in the world today.

“We are delighted the balloon will be Australian-made. In fact, it’s being hand made in Sydney. Build-time is three or four months, and we are anticipating it will be ready to launch in March or April 2022,” Jonathan said.