How One Family Helped Shape a Balloning Tradition
For the Gullo family, hot air ballooning is more than a hobby. It is a family tradition that has built, and, strengthened the local community, and reached new heights across the Shreveport-Bossier area.
The 10th annual Red River Balloon Rally is around the corner, bringing a festival full of activities for all ages, from the Kid Zone to tethered balloon rides that give guests their own hot air balloon experience. But beyond the fun, what is the Balloon Rally really about? What is the goal behind it all?
I spoke with the Gullo family, a family of local hot air balloon pilots whose journey began in the 1990s after a pilot asked to use the field behind their house for a takeoff. Although the weather was not suitable for a launch that day, the encounter sparked Michael and Angie Gullo’s curiosity about hot air ballooning and the Red River Balloon Rally.
The following year, the couple volunteered at the original Red River Ballon Rally, which was held on the fields of LSUS where they experienced their first flights. That decision opened the door to a passion that would eventually become a family tradition. What started with one balloon ride has grown into decades of flying, volunteering, mentoring new enthusiasts, and sharing their unforgettable stories.
Michael Gullo was the first of the pair to step inside a hot air balloon.
“It was a good flight. I enjoyed it so much I got a balloon after it,” Michael said.
For Angie, watching Michael’s first landing was unforgettable.
“The ending of the flight was a high-wind landing, which was unexpected,” Angie said. “All I could see was them dragging across, and I could hear these guys going, ‘Yeehaw.’”
Angie’s first flight took place the next morning with some hesitation. After speaking with older pilots about her back problems, she was unsure if getting into a balloon was the right decision. But with encouragement from Michael, she decided to take the leap.
“It was a perfect landing, a stand-up landing, just gentle and calm,” Angie said. “It was such a beautiful flight flying over the river that I was like, ‘Thank you, God.’ It was serene. It was nothing like I was expecting after seeing the flight the day before.”
Soon after those first flights, Michael began training for his pilot’s license in 1994. While practicing touch-and-go landings at a local auto mall, he radioed his son, Phillip, to see if he wanted to jump in for a ride.
“I just remember running across the field and jumping in the balloon and taking off,” Phillip said. “I have no idea where we landed. I just know I remember taking off and flying over.”
That spontaneous invitation would become Phillip’s first flight and the beginning of another generation’s love for ballooning. Today, Phillip has spent a year working as a boat captain on the Mississippi River and is studying to earn his own hot air balloon pilot’s license, continuing the family’s tradition.
The Gullo legacy also continues through their daughter, Rylee, a 4.0 High School student. Rylee took her first balloon flight at just 12 years old in Natchez, Mississippi. She still remembers seeing pelicans soaring alongside the balloon as it drifted over the river.
Always eager to try new things, Rylee says ballooning has inspired her interest in aviation. While balancing college and academics, she continues helping her family with balloon events whenever she can and hopes to keep the family tradition alive.
For the Gullo family, one of the greatest rewards of ballooning has always been the people. They describe the ballooning community as one big family, where pilots from across the country come together to help one another launch, chase balloons, and celebrate successful flights with a delicious meal.
In the 1990s, Shreveport-Bossier was home to nearly 17 local balloon pilots, and weekends often looked like a mini balloon festival as colorful, patterned balloons filled the morning sky. While those numbers have declined over the years, the Gullo family hopes events like the Red River Balloon Rally will inspire a new generation to discover the sport.
They encourage anyone interested in ballooning to start by joining a crew. According to the family, the best way to learn is to show up, lend a helping hand, ask questions, and become part of the community before ever stepping into the pilot’s basket. If you would like to be a part of the hot air balloon festivities, Crew training will be held Friday, July 10th at 1 pm at the Holiday Inn Express near Louisiana Downs in Bossier. No experience is necessary.
For the Gullo family, hot air ballooning is about far more than floating peacefully above the morning sky. It is about family traditions passed from one generation to the next. It is about giving back to a community that welcomed them with open arms decades ago. And it is about creating memories that continue long after the balloon touches back down. Memories that will be shared with future generations.
You can see the Gullo family and other local pilots in action during the Balloon Rally, Friday & Saturday, July 10-11, 2026, at Louisiana Downs in Shreveport-Bossier.
