The Idea

Andrew Parker is the Creator and Project Director of the Flying High For Kids Project. He has had a strong desire to do a not-for-profit, international hot air balloon tour for a cause since he was in his early teens. He got in touch with UNICEF in 2010 and the project started in December 2013.

Andrew Parker

IMG-20190421-WA0063

Andrew is a commercial hot air balloon pilot from Hamilton, New Zealand. He has had an interest in balloons ever since he was six years old. He joined his local Hot Air Balloon Club when he was thirteen and started flying when he was sixteen.

He achieved his Commercial Balloon Pilot’s Licence at the age of nineteen while living in Australia. He then went to Europe to fly, before buying a balloon business in New Zealand just after his twentieth birthday.

Andrew sold the business when he was twenty six to pursue bigger challenges, including starting the Flying High For Kids Project.

Andrew has visited 92 countries and lived in Europe, Australia, Brazil, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for varying lengths of time.

 

Our Aims...

journey2-about-icon3

Encourage kids to follow their dreams.

❊

Raise awareness about childens’ right to education.

❊

Promote the inclusiveness of our most vulnerable children in society, especially those with special needs.

❊

Bring a smile to children’s faces. A balloon will never have been seen before in a large number of places we visit, so we hope to both thrill and enthrall children.

❊

Inflate or fly the balloon in 100 countries, including at schools and special events.

❊

Promote a friendly global community by exchanging postcards between children.

❊

Capture a snapshot in time. We will document all that we do through our social media.

Where we've been...

Explore the Journey