Paterson (Pato) Saunders has been immersed in the world of ballooning his whole life. Inspired to become a balloonist by father, Kiff Saunders (Global’s director), Pato is an intrepid adventurer passionate about sharing his love of the wilderness with others.
Since attaining his pilot’s license as a teenager, Pato has flown across Australia and all over the world, including jobs and projects in Europe, the Middle East, and South America. He has also represented Australia at a Junior World Hot Air Ballooning Championship! 🏆
In 2015 Pato tethered a balloon off the side of a nuclear ice-breaker as part of a tourist expedition to the north pole. This sparked a career of polar expedition guiding that has taken him to the far corners of the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica with likeminded adventurers. Aviation follows him to these areas as he works primarily with helicopters!
When not onboard a ship in the icy polar regions, Pato can be found flying over the picturesque scenes of Melbourne and the Yarra Valley. He is also instructing student pilots to promote ballooning to a younger generation.
Global Ballooning Australia acknowledges that all of our launch & landing sites are situated on the ancestral lands of the Taungurung & Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations, and pay respects to the traditional custodians and their elders past, present & emerging.
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