Our lofty perch': Balloonist shares decades in spellbinding hobby

Alan Zielinski has spent more than five decades in hot air ballooning in the Chicago area, combining roles as a pilot and flight instructor. The longtime balloonist, based in the Niles area and among the earliest local pilots from roughly 40-plus years ago, continues to fly as local communities thin out due to factors like urban sprawl, weather shifts, and modernization. Zielinski helped shape Illinois regulations for safer ballooning and has introduced hundreds to the sport. He also keeps a tradition of appearing at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, marking his 43rd attendance this year, which began Saturday. Recent flights included a young passenger enthusiastically learning simple “magic words” as the burner ignited. The story traces how aviation in his family—his father’s role at Glenview Naval Air Station—sparked a lifelong interest in flying.