Scott and Amy Gneiting are St. George locals who fly hot-air balloons for a living and happen to hold more aviation credentials than most operators in this region have ever accumulated. Scott is an FAA Certified Commercial Pilot, an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner — the person who administers final flight tests to new balloon pilots and signs off on their certifications — and the General Manager of Kubíček Balloons USA, overseeing U.S. operations for the world's largest hot-air balloon manufacturer. Zion Balloons, based at 4196 S Airport Pkwy in St. George, operates the largest fleet of balloons in Southern Utah, ranging from intimate small-basket flights to large-capacity group launches.
Flights launch at sunrise over the red rock formations around St. George — the kind of light that the desert only produces in the first hour after dawn, when the Entrada and Navajo sandstone catches direct sun and the shadows in the canyons are still complete. A flight runs approximately 2.5 hours including ground time, toast, and snacks. The Gneitings have built a side operation that is unusual for this market: a fully FAA-certified balloon repair and maintenance station, the only one within 300 miles, which means they also service and maintain equipment for other operators across the region.
For a register that includes St. George's outdoor experience economy, Zion Balloons is the aerial entry. It's locally-owned, pilot-owned, and staffed by people with credentials the FAA itself has certified. There is no more verified way to be in this space.