The Alpes Montgolfière team

Experienced pilots

Alpes Montgolfière is above all an experienced and above all passionate team who guarantee you an incredible experience in complete safety.

Our permanent pilots all have more than 2000 hours of flight time, with solid experience in mountain flying, accumulating 12 podiums in the French championship (including 4 French Champion titles), thus creating the most experienced team of aeronauts in France.

Discover the pilots for your next balloon flight here.

Christian

Or Kri-Kri for his friends! With around 3000 hours of flight under his belt, 41 years of experience in Alpine flying and 64 years of laughing his head off, Christian will transform your flight into a memorable adventure. Now a retired craftsman, Christian still comes to fly for us and tells us his thousands of aerostatic anecdotes accumulated during his long career including his title of French champion won in 1994.

Gerard

Founder in 2006 and former manager of Alpes Montgolfière, Gégé knows the Northern Alps and the surrounding massifs like the back of his hand with around 2500 hours of flight time only from Praz sur Arly. Dreaming of coconut trees and white sand, Gérard gradually passes on the management of flights to Clément so that he can take his well-deserved retirement. His passion and dedication to the satisfaction of our customers will undoubtedly make him come back regularly to share stories of balloon adventures with Christian.

Clement

A competitor at heart with 3 French Champion titles (2017, 2022 and 2023) and 9 podiums, Clément has the difficult task of taking over flight management and the good humor of the Praz sur Arly team! Legend has it that he was born in a hot air balloon basket and that his addiction to ballooning made him leave his career as a striking railway worker to go and live his passion in Australia before returning home. In any case, with around 2500 hours of flight time and his flight precision, Clément will be able to pass on his passion to you in complete safety.

Daniel

Manager of the company and true conductor of a team of about twenty employees, Daniel was first an airplane pilot before leaving the engines and wings for the hot air balloon. He has the difficult responsibility of managing the merry fellows of his company while carrying out flights, particularly in his native Auvergne. With around 2000 hours of flight and decades of experience, Daniel regularly comes to lend a hand to the team in Praz sur Arly. It is suspected that he only comes to keep an eye on compliance with procedures because he is recognized in the ballooning community as one of the pillars of regulation and training.

Armand

Responsible for sound and lighting in Courchevel and occasional pilot for Alpes Montgolfière, Armand has found common ground in his two activities: dazzling his clients. Armand also flies in Courchevel, which means he knows the Northern Alps like the back of his hand.