THE first public hot air balloon demonstration took place on June 4, 1783, orchestrated by the Montgolfier brothers at Annonay, France.

Some 240 years later brothers Ben and Jason Gowers, along with their dedicated families and support crews, are reigniting the flames of hot air balloons throughout Mildura’s skies.

What makes hot air ballooning such a rewarding pursuit?

“The absolute freedo...