Meet our Team!
Our pilots and crew bring years of aviation experience to make your ballooning experience delightful and safe!
Brock Sperry
Chief Commercial Pilot and Owner
Brock began ballooning in 1984, born into the sport as the son of a Kalamazoo area pilot. From childhood, he learned the ropes crewing for both his dad and for Michigan Balloon Corporation. He quickly became an asset as a member of Michigan Balloon Corporation's ground crew. The camaraderie and brotherhood associated with the sport has led to Brock’s lifelong passion for ballooning.
In 2002, Brock enlisted in the United States Air Force serving for six years on active-duty status. Once back in the states, Brock followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a second-generation pilot. Not content to stop with his private pilot's license, he went on to earn his commercial hot-air balloon pilot’s license as well.
Brock has traveled the country through his involvement in ballooning and dreams of furthering his experience by flying in Europe. Brock loves educating people as a certified flight instructor for hot-air balloons. Above all, Brock’s real joy is in taking people for rides and introducing them to the magic of flight.
Brock is married to his wife, Lea, who also shares a passion for ballooning. (the couple even met at a balloon event!)
Mark Lytle
Commercial Pilot
Mark’s journey with hot-air balloons started when he was very young. His parents would take him to the Battle Creek Balloon Festival every year. From the moment he saw his first hot-air balloon he was hooked! Aviation became his passion.
With his dad by his side, they would build and fly remote control planes and launch amateur rockets into the sky. As Mark grew older, learning to fly was at the top of his list. He started with engineless gliders, and at the age of 14, he was comfortable being towed and released into the sky to glide on his own back to the surface. At age 17 he became a fixed wing pilot and by his early 20s, after having built his own hot-air balloon, he was piloting lighter-than-air aircraft.
Ballooning has taken Mark all over the world. He rarely misses an opportunity to get his feet off the ground anyway he can. As a commercial hot-air balloon pilot, Mark absolutely loves to share the amazing adventure of hot-air ballooning with people.
Mark and his wife Ellen are both active in the sports of ballooning and fixed wing aircraft.
Lea Sperry
Business Manager
If you’ve ever contacted Michigan Balloon Corporation, you’ve more than likely already talked to Lea! Lea manages most aspects of the business—except for flying the balloons—she prefers to leave that up to the pilots!
In addition to helping manage Michigan Balloon Corporation, Lea is also a registered dental hygienist. When Lea is not serving as an asset on the ground team, you can typically find her working in her flower gardens.
Lea has been involved in hot-air ballooning for over ten years and enjoys traveling the country and the world in pursuit of our niche sport!
Ron Centers
Founder and Pilot Emeritus of Michigan Balloon Corporation
Ron started ballooning in the spring of 1976 and has logged more than 5,000 hours in balloons, thermal airships and airplanes, giving him the distinguished designation as Master Pilot and one of the country's most experienced hot-air balloon pilots.
In 1978 Ron became a corporate pilot for Sid Cutter’s World Balloon Corporation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In 1979 Ron was selected to test and pilot a new type of aircraft - a thermal airship, designed and built for Anheuser-Busch. He was one of four persons in the world authorized to fly these "hot-air blimps" commercially.
Ron returned to Kalamazoo in the winter of 1981 and formed SKY SPORTS, INC., which became Michigan Balloon Corporation in 1985 providing hot-air balloon rides in the Kalamazoo area which continues to this day.
Ron's career in ballooning has taken him to many exciting and prestigious events across the country, most notably, the New York and Boston Marathons, the Super Bowl, the World's Fair in Knoxville and for three years, the Indy 500. He was also one of forty select pilots from across the nation invited to participate in the 1980 Winter Olympics by flying his balloon over the stadium during the opening ceremonies. In March of 2001, Ron borrowed a Russian built hot-air balloon and flew it over the North Pole. Ron has also attended the León International Balloon Festival in León, Mexico multiple times.
