Hot air balloon pilot breaks boundaries
Michael Maja became the toast of the town after he was announced as the first commercial black hot air balloon in South Africa.
Michael Maja is the crème de la crème not only at his workplace but also at home. This comes as the 28-year-old made history when he became the first African commercial hot-air balloon pilot in South Africa from Bill Harrop’s ‘original’ Balloon Safaris.
Maja still beams with pride as he sits with Fourways Review to chat about how he began his career in aviation, his great milestone and what it means to make it into history books.
He told us this was not an easy journey as he had a lot on his plate but he understood nothing good in life comes easy.
“I do reservations and am part of the sales team, so juggling flying and my normal work was not easy. My day would be quite long because we only fly the hot air balloon just after sunrise. We would start very early and then of course I would still have to get the other work done. So, it was a bit of a challenge because sometimes you do get tired. But I made it work, nonetheless.”
From a young age, Maja has always wanted to set himself apart in whatever he puts his mind to. He said he fell in love with aviation when he was only seven years old. His mother used to work for the same company that he currently works for.
“So, I managed to go there at such an early age. My biggest interest in terms of flying comes from the fact that I always wanted to do something that is not the same every day. There was nothing else perfect than hot-air ballooning because you cannot predetermine your flight; all you can do is check your weather forecast which you can also try to be accurate as opposed to what you actually see or fly on a particular day, but every single flight and minute is different as a pilot in a balloon. That’s exactly what I love.”
That is why Maja, who is also an alumnus of Fourways High School, is proud of his success as the first black man in the commercial hot-air balloon business. He said the news is still sinking in as much as it has been like a month now.
“I am still taking everything in and I am still learning but above all, I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to this point and I am only looking to take it far and beyond and share the experience with all the youngsters that are still coming up and open up the industry for as many young people as I can.”
Chief pilot and director Tracy Robb congratulated Maja on this momentous achievement: “Michael has proven to be a skilled and conscientious pilot, fulfilling his training requirements and I am happy to share the skies with him as a fellow aeronaut. Well done.”
Bill Harrop’s ‘original’ Balloon Safaris added in a statement that they are determined to produce many black commercial hot air balloons through its upliftment and continuous efforts in the training and development of young hot air balloon pilots.
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