RE/MAX Australia and Sunshine Coast Ballooning have recently revealed they’ll be launching a new hot air balloon in early 2022.
It marks the latest addition to the real estate network’s fleet and will join more than 120 RE/MAX hot air balloons already floating across the world.
From Maleny to Caloundra, Eumundi to Noosa, and everywhere in between, the RE/MAX balloon will offer charter flight experiences in the region’s skies. It will also be the fifth and largest in Sunshine Coast Ballooning’s fleet when it launches.
A Maleny native himself, Michael Davoren, owner and chairman of the board of RE/MAX Australia, expressed his excitement about what the launch means for the company: “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.”
Jonathan Oehm and Christian Uhrig, co-owners of family-operated Sunshine Coast Ballooning, are equally delighted with the new addition to their fleet of balloons.
Mr Oehm and Mr Uhrig are both qualified and experienced commercial balloon pilots. The former has had the experience of piloting the RE/MAX balloon across international borders.
“I flew RE/MAX balloons in Western Canada through 2017 and 2018,” Mr Oehm said.
He claimed he chose RE/MAX as the name for a new balloon because the company’s hot air balloon is a global icon.
“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.
Mr Davoren acknowledged this global recognition with pride: “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 balloon’s manufacturer, Kavanagh Balloons, is Australia’s only manufacturer of hot air balloons and is 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 handmade in Sydney. Build-time is three or four months, and we are anticipating it will be ready to launch in March or April 2022,” Mr Oehm quipped.
Sunshine Coast Ballooning is the sole owner of the balloon and has complete operational control over it.
