Elevation
Michael's Balloon 'Elevation'  
was stolen on October 6, 2006 in
Albuquerque, NM.
Articles
Roswell Daily Record - October 18, 2006

Balloonist encourages disabled
not to let anything deter them

Karen Michael
Record Staff Writer

After a car accident in 1996 left Michael Glen
paralyzed from the waist down, he decided to
continue meeting life as enthusiastically as he had
before, going on to become the world’s first paraplegic
balloon pilot, and looking forward to going skydiving.


Glen, 31, of Tucson, Ariz., was the keynote speaker at
the opening of Roswell’s celebration of Disability
Awareness Day Tuesday at the Roswell Convention
Center, and told participants not to let disabilities hold
them back from living.

“I don’t let anything hold me back in my life — there’s
no reason to,” Glen said. “Just because you’re disabled
in any shape or form, don’t let anything hold you back.”

Glen said his first balloon ride came when he was still
in his mother’s womb, and he had a later balloon ride
when he was just a few weeks old. Ballooning was a
way of life for his family, but he said in his teens, he
began to enjoy night life too much to continue
ballooning, which typically involves getting up early in
the morning.

After graduation from Roswell High School in 1993,
Glen attended New Mexico State University in Las
Cruces for a year, then left to pursue an interest in
traveling. In March of 1996, his truck had a blowout
near Bottomless Lakes State Park, and he was thrown
from his vehicle.

“I laid there for 45 minutes breathing off of one lung,”
Glen said, adding that he is actually very lucky
because someone happened to stop and find him.

“I’m lucky to be here,” he said.

After the accident, his luck continued because his
supportive parents made sure the former high school
athlete stayed involved in activities, and renewed his
interest in ballooning. He decided to get his balloon
piloting license, which he said was a similar process to
that of getting a license to pilot a plane. Those
wishing to obtain a license must first apply for a
student pilot license before taking lessons and getting
flying time with an instructor.

Glen said he was first denied a student license
because he was a paraplegic, but he said many pilots
who knew his father, Bill Glen, advocated for him, and
eventually he was granted the student license.

To prove that he really was capable of ballooning,
Glen said he flew double the amount of time required
to obtain his piloting license. In March 2006, he
became the first paraplegic balloon pilot in the world.

“Ballooning for me is my hobby. Some people own a
boat, some people own an RV. I happen to own a
balloon,” Glen said. Unfortunately, on Oct. 6, the same
day Glen was to make his debut at the Albuquerque
Balloon Fiesta, his balloon was stolen from the hotel
where he was staying. The balloonist still has an
optimistic outlook, though, noting that the week his
balloon was stolen, his brother won a 2007 Honda at
the Balloon Fiesta.

Glen encouraged people with disabilities to find
interests and jobs they love — he has a career as a
travel office manager in Arizona. He also encouraged
people to travel as much as possible and learn about
the world, to respect others even when disagreeing
with them and to tell family members and friends they
are loved — because he said one cannot know which
day will be his last.

“Your family and friends will do everything for you,”
Glen said, adding people should return that devotion.

Glen’s message to people not to allow their disabilities
to hold them back was echoed by other speakers at the
beginning of Roswell’s Disability Awareness Day.

Mary Beresford, a member of Gov. Bill Richardson’s
Commission on Disability, said the commission is
working to change the state system so it is more
friendly to those with disabilities.

“There’s a very high unemployment rate for people
with disabilities,” Beresford said, noting that the reason
for the rate is a negative stigma toward people with
disabilities. Disabled people do not want special
accommodations, but equal access, she said.

Beresford said she had polio at age 2, and has been
unable to walk since. If she could walk, she said she
would choose not to, because she has only ever known
life with a disability.

“For me, physical disability is perfectly normal,” she
said.

Terri Douglass, of the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation, said in her welcome address Tuesday,
“We’re here to celebrate independence in living and
working and playing.”

Mayor Sam LaGrone said the city is continuing to work
to improve opportunities for disabled people in
Roswell. Individual property owners are responsible for
sidewalks on their properties, he said, but all new
neighborhoods coming into the city must have curb
cuts to be wheelchair-accessible.

“It’s a challenge to the city,” LaGrone said, but he
added that he believes it will continue to get better.

After the introductory remarks Tuesday morning,
employers were at the Roswell Convention Center to
talk to job seekers, and training sessions on subjects
such as how to find a job and personal safety were
offered to those attending.
http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY%
5BNews%5D=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=17540

Posted: 10/6/2006 12:36:00 PM

Special balloon stolen
Source: KRQE News 13

ALBUQUERQUE -- The Albuquerque International
Balloon Fiesta ascensions haven't started, but a balloon
has already been stolen.
The missing balloon will be tough to replace because it
is equipped for people who depend on a wheelchair for
their mobility.

The pilot is a Roswell native, and he's desperate to find
the trailer and balloon was stolen from the Embassy
Suites parking lot early this morning.

Michael Glen has been flying balloons for several
years, and he said he’s heartbroken his balloon was
stolen. Glen is believed to be the first paraplegic
balloonist in the world to fly.

Glen said someone disconnected his trailer from his
truck sometime between midnight and 6 a.m. In it was
his balloon.

The balloon Elevation is blue, yellow and green and
has a special metal basket to accommodate Glen.

Glen said he is hopeful the balloon will be found and
that the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and
police are working on the case.

The balloon was in a blue-green trailer with Arizona
license plate 94896 with balloon stickers on the back.   

If you've seen it call the Albuquerque police at 242-
COPS (242-2677).
“They probably took the trailer not knowing what was
inside of it,” Glen said.  “Once they look inside of it and
see what it and they see the reports or hear the news
that it’s a federal offense that they get caught, maybe
they’re going to dump it.

“Hopefully leave it as is and just leave it off somewhere,
and then we’ll find it.

Glen estimated the loss at around $25,000 for the
balloon and the trailer.
Wheelchair Pilot at GADR Balloon Rally
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Dave Johnson (505) 543-8600  dave@swnm.
com

(Deming)--The skies will be filled with colorful hot air
balloons again this year for the Great American Duck
Race Balloon Rally on August 26th and 27th.  The
2006

Rally will be special with the addition of a
handicapped pilot, Michael Glen, owner
and pilot of “Elevation” out of Tucson, Arizona. Glen
said, “I guess you could say I was born into ballooning.
My dad, Bill Glen, started
in 1973, and I was born in 1975. I had my first balloon
ride at two weeks old – so I am told.
As a child, my parents let me play with the controls
and instruments, and as a teenager, I got my student
pilot license, with the intention of completing my pilot’
s license. But being a teenager, I tended to sleep
instead of get up early to fly.

In 1996, I had an accident which left my legs
paralyzed. I finally got my pilot’s license
this last April – because I wanted to achieve my goal,
not because I would be the only
paraplegic hot air balloon pilot in the world.

I fly a balloon called a ‘Duo-Chariot'. I call it a ‘love
seat in the air.’ It is a two-seater bench with a harness
or lap belt–depending on how much you want to be
strapped in. There is no basket around you. You do
have a solid foot rest, unlike the
‘Cloudhopper’ balloon which is a seat in the air with
your legs dangling. I sure didn’t want to use that.

It is important to me to speak to kids and young adults.
I go around to schools and give
demonstrations to show them that if I, a paraplegic,
can pilot a hot air balloon, then anything they want to
do is possible.

The greatest joy I get from flying is the freedom. There
is nothing like waking up in the morning and flying or
even crewing. There are three balloon pilots and three
balloons in my family – my father, my brother, and
myself. So there is always the opportunity to either fly
or crew – and both are equally fun. Flying for me is like
sitting on a platform
in the sky and watching the world below you".

Besides Glen, about 29 other balloonists will be in
attendance at this year's rally. Instead of the standard
balloon glow this year the Duck Race will put on what's
called a "Fire Concert", sometimes called a
"Candlestick Glow".  The balloons set up without
inflating their envelopes, and instead use the propane
burners only to put on a synchronized
display to music.  The Fire Concert will be less likely to
be cancelled since winds are not as big a factor.

Mass Ascensions are scheduled for 7 am both days,
August 26th and 27th at the Deming
Soccer Field.  The Fire Concert will be Saturday night
at about 8 pm with music for the
event simulcast on our two local radio stations, KDEM-
FM, 94.3 and KOTS-AM, 1230.

For more information contact Coordinators Glenna
DAmstra at 544-4602 or Marie Pinchuk at 546-3223.

The Great American Duck Race is an annual festival
the fourth weekend in August.
Beside Hot Air Balloons, the event also features the
Comcast Tournament of Ducks Parade,
Mimbres Memorial Hospital Duck Royalty Pageants,
Outhouse Race, Tortilla Toss, Poker Run, and live
duck racing on both wet and dry tracks. For more
information, visit the website at www.demingduckrace.
com, or call toll free at 888 345-1125.

The Great American Duck Race is sponsored in part by
Border Foods of Deming and Luna Energy Facility.
Invitational features one-of-a-kind
pilot
Alamogordo Daily News
By Jeff Stevens, Assistant Editor
Article Launched:09/17/2006 12:00:00 AM MDT


The 15th Annual White Sands Balloon Invitational is in
town for the weekend, and among the pilots lighting up
the morning sky is a high flyer not many people would
expect.

In fact, Tucson, Ariz., resident and Roswell native
Michael Glen is one of a kind.

"I'm the first and only disabled balloon pilot in the
world," said Glen.

He knows that because when he first applied for his
student's pilot license, he was rejected. Glen, who is
paralyzed from the waist down, conducted some
research with balloon manufacturers and found that
there was no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to fly.
A subsequent request for a student license was granted
and in April, Glen became the world's first disabled
pilot.

Getting that license, however, was just the latest event
in a life that has revolved around ballooning since birth.

"My first balloon ride was when I was two weeks old,"
said Glen, whose father, Bill Glen, has been a lifelong
balloon pilot.

Glen joked that he actually flew in balloons before he
was born and always wanted to continue the family's
fascination with balloons.

"I used to fly for fun and I always had the desire to
become a pilot," Glen said.

That dream, however, was slightly sidetracked in 1996
when Glen survived a one-car accident.
"It broke my back right behind the belly button," Glen
said.

After the accident, Glen got serious about getting his
license. "I finally made the decision to go for it once
the accident happened."

Being the first disabled pilot wasn't really ever a goal
for Glen, though. He just wanted to fly and be an
example for children.

Glen works as a branch manager of a travel agency in
Tucson and also spends a great deal of time speaking
in public.

"It's a great motivational thing to hear that anything is
possible," Glen said.

He added that it's especially important for children in
general, and disabled children in particular, to know
that any person can accomplish anything.

"When I'm up there, I'm just the same as any balloon
pilot out there," he said.

Besides, it's just plain fun to soar above the earth.
"Ballooning is an absolutely awesome feeling."
Elevation II