Travis started flying at age 16, now flies across the country professionally and operates a balloon business in hometown of Bloomington, Indiana.  He has over 4,000 hours of pilot time in hot air balloons, ranging single persons to fourteen passengers’ systems. Travis has operated TJV Balloons in Bloomington for 30 years providing passenger flight over South Central Indiana.  Travis received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hanover College. 

Travis has participated in events in most of the United States and Mexico flying standard and special shape balloons.  He fly’s passenger flights for Rainbow Ryders in Albuquerque during the International Balloon Fiesta every fall.  When not flying for corporate clients or passenger flight, Travis enjoys flying sport competition.  He has competed in many events across the country.  He has been the national BFA Points Leader and finished in the top 20 in the US Nationals and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and winner of the Indiana State Fair Great Balloon Race three times.   Travis has served on several event committees and event teams helping produce hot air balloon events across the country.  He currently organizes the South-Central Indiana Balloonfest in Bloomington each fall. 

Travis has operated national commercial contracts as well as served as a pilot for several national and regional programs.  He has worked with several commercial and special shape contracts, traveling the country. Travis’s commercial piloting experience includes operating programs for the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Center, Jasper Engines and The Peoples State Bank.  Travis piloted for national commercial programs including AT&T, US Bank, Lands’ End, Pepsi, ReMax, State Farm Insurance, and BB&T and IMTS.  Travis has been featured on may morning new programs across the country including the Today Show and the Weather Channel. 

When not flying balloons, Travis works in real estate as a developer and consultant. For the last 20 years Travis has worked developing multi-family housing across the US, specifically focused on Student and Low-Income markets.   Travis is an Indiana real estate broker, Indiana certified general appraiser and holds an SRA designation from the Appraisal Institute. He has served as chair of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Bloomington Plan Commission.  In addition, Travis has been a member of the board of directors for the Apartment Association of Indiana and the Appraisal Institute’s Hoosier State Chapter and the Monroe County Airport Board of Directors. He has also served on a variety of community boards and commissions and has a passion for supporting youth services.