Hot air balloon crew volunteers assist out-of-town pilots at the Plano Balloon Festival. Zoe White is a local resident that signed up in 2019 and was assigned to help with Peg Leg Pete the Pirate Parrot hot air balloon. Zoe is a Plano Senior High School graduate and enjoys sharing photography on her Instagram account SweetAzurePhotos.

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Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Photo: @crazyasanutbird Makeup: @katherineeew #prom2018 #dancethenightaway #dance #music #southforkranch #pshs

A post shared by SweetAzurePhotos (@sweetazurephotos) on Apr 30, 2018 at 8:26pm PDT

Pegleg Pete was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 5, 2012. Pete is not just a good looking smart parrot, he is also  a pirate parrot! Even though he is a pirate he is a friendly pirate, not mean at all. Pete is 85 feet tall and weighs 450 pounds! Pegleg Pete’s mission is to sail the skies all over the world with Dave and Kathy to bring joy to people of all ages. Maybe you can join his crew and sail too?  His motto is “Arrrrr you ready for a good time?” Follow Peg Leg Pete the Pirate Parrot on Facebook or visit his website!

“I have been thankful enough to have gotten the experience of volunteering these two past years at the Plano Balloon Festival. Hearing the pilots talk about their stories and those that had volunteered in the past inspired me to do this again. In 2019 as soon as I saw that the volunteering slots had opened up I jumped without hesitation!”

Zoe White

“Peg Leg Pete was the balloon I was assigned and the pilot was David Reineke. I remember them being super welcoming for my first time getting to do anything. There were no balloons being flown due to high winds but we got to dress up like pirates, do the candle lighting and meet the audience. For those that are skeptical about signing up to volunteer, I can definitely say it is something everyone gets to experience. It really gives you a bigger appreciation for what the city and the pilots go through for helping put on a big experience like this. I can’t wait for next year myself!”   

Zoe White

The sign-up to volunteer as crew for out of town pilots opens every summer prior to the Plano Balloon Festival. Volunteers assist with inflation, lift-off, landing, and glow. All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and able to lift 30-40 lbs. More info: Volunteer Chase Crew Registration