Dennis E. Floden (Capt. Phogg®) Inducted into the U. S. Ballooning Hall of Fame on July 28, 2013 By the Balloon Federation of America at the National Balloon Museum, Indianola, Iowa First Tony the Tiger balloon appeared in 1981 1973 Denny won first place at the Denny Floden (Capt. Phogg®) First World Championship Special Shape Tony was introduced in 1985. The ultimate Shown at right at chase vehicle the Tower Bridge In London in 1992 Phogg of Arabia What’s a tiger doing in my desert? Crew T-Shirt Tony Balloons @ Kellogg World Headquarters Denny high over Dubai 1 DENNIS E. FLODEN (CAPT. PHOGG®) Anna Maria Island, Florida, formerly of Flint, Michigan Dennis E. Floden, best known in balloon circles as Capt. Phogg®, has over 45 years in ballooning as a competitor, teacher, manu- facturer, ambassador, and representative of several of America's most successful and respected commercial brands. Born in South Bend, Indiana, Denny spent his formative years in the water as a competitive swimmer, rather than the skies. He is a member of the Riley High School Hall of Fame and the Indiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Denny earned a B. S. and an M. A. in Education at the University of Michigan where he was a three- time All-American swimmer. After college he moved to Flint, Michigan as a teacher. He then became a suc- cessful insurance salesman for the Massachusetts Mutual life insurance company during which time he earned his Chartered Life Underwriter designation and became a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Subsequently he joined EF Hutton and Co. as a Sr. Financial Consultant licensed to market stocks, bonds and mutual funds. (Denny is shown at right with Coach Fetters at his induction into his high school Hall of Fame.) The Beginning of a Life-long Passion and Career The idea of balloon flight first occurred to Denny in 1968 at a party when a friend and client, Dave Brunell, suggested putting to- gether a group to buy a Hot Air Balloon with a Re-Elect Riegle sign on the side to attract publicity for Congressman Don Riegle's re•- election campaign. Thus was born the Flint Sport Balloon Club. Denny and Frank Pritchard (1970 U. S. National Champion) learned to fly the balloon. Don was re•-elected eventually becoming a U. S. Senator and Denny eventually won the U. S. Nationals and First World Hot Air Balloon Championship. Teacher Early in his career Capt. Phogg was an avid instructor that helped nearly 50 students earn their pilot's licenses. His students includ- ed U.S. National Champions Chuck Ehrler and Al Nels. Teaching was, and remains, his passion and he brought to it an enthusiasm and joy that connected with his students. It was in this setting that he earned his name. Early one morning, he met a student for a lesson who was wearing a full-length, bright yellow, one-piece jump suit (it was the 70's, after all). Capt. Phogg remarked that the student looked like a giant canary, and from now on he would call him Capt. Canary. The student took umbrage and noted that his instructor was no treat in the early mornings as he was often in a fog. Therefore, he would call him Capt. Fog. The student was Bruce Comstock who went on to win five U. S. National Championships and become a World Champion. Fog went on to become Phogg from Phlint and oh did he have Phunn. No Phoolin! Competitor Competition was the only way Denny knew how to judge his abilities as a swimmer so competing in bal- loon events was a natural extension. He entered everything from small rallies to bigger competitions to com- pete and learn. Capt. Phogg won the US National Champion for Hot Air Balloons in 1971. In 1972 he went on to capture the Lark Balloon Race Championship, the Heineken International Balloon Race Championship held in England, and the 7-Up International Balloon Race. In 1973, Sports Illustrated featured Capt. Phogg in a profile on the new sport of hot air ballooning while he was competing for the First World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico (See picture at right). Capt. Phogg triumphed and earned the singular title of First World Hot Air Balloon Champion. Ambassador In 1974 the U.S. Information Agency designated Capt. Phogg an Aeronautical Ambasador and sent him and his balloon to Belgrade, Zagreb and Moscow under the distinguished title of "Hot Air Specialist" as part of a Cultural Exchange featuring the U. S. Exhibit on Outdoor Recreation. Only tethered balloon flights were allowed but the sight of the red, white & blue "Phogg's Pholly" balloon left quite an impression on heads of state, diplomats and the general public. (Phogg’s Pholly balloon is shown at right.) View of Capt. Phogg Classic 1974 Capt. Phogg was not only an ambassador of the sport overseas, he was tireless in his efforts to promote the sport at home. Capt. Phogg organized and hosted numerous hot air balloon races including his own Capt. Phogg Invitational Balloon Classic. The Capt. Phogg Classic was held annually in Flint Michigan for 20 years beginning in 1973. ABC-TV filmed the first event for their American Sportsman show. He was also featured in Up Up & Away Over Iowa, a segment of television's American Adventure Series. 2 Pilot for Fortune 100 Companies Recognizing the impact from increasing media attention being given to the hot air balloons, Capt. Phogg saw an opportunity to provide exposure for products and services. His first commercial venture was a banner on the side of his balloon for company that made portable toilets stating, "Never Go Aloft Without a Porta Pot- ti.” This led to commercial contracts with banners for local sponsors such as the Flint Journal newspaper, Oil Chem and Krasner Jewelers. Larger national contracts followed with custom balloons for Buick's sponsorship of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and providing balloon flight services to introduce Richard Branson's Vir- gin Airways service from London to New York. Each program was designed to provide cost effective results for the sponsor in a safe, media grabbing manner. Picture at right is Buick Balloon used at 1984 Olympics. Capt. Phogg conceived and developed Kellogg's Tony the Tiger hot air balloon program, considered by many to be one of the most successful corporate balloon programs in the world. The program lasted for 22 years. It included one of the earliest special shapes in the Gr-r-eat Tony Balloon and flew in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. The great Tony balloon program included appearances in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Dubai, Australia, Argentina and England with flights from Bristol and the Silver- stone racetrack. Perhaps the most memorable flight in England was from Potters Field at the base of Tower Bridge crossing the Thames and over London landing at Alexandra's Palace. (See pictures on page one.) Manufacturer Capt. Phogg's association with balloon manufacturers began in 1970 as one of the first distributors for Raven Industries' hot air balloon and advertising blimps. He was a leading salesman and promot- er of hot air ballooning during this period becoming their Distributor of the Year several times while relentlessly contributing suggestions on how to improve their systems and distributor network in or- der to expand the market for hot air balloons. When Capt. Phogg had the opportunity to not only sell balloons but make them, he partnered with Per Lindstrand of Thunder and Colt, Oswestry, England and opened a balloon factory in Fenton, Michigan which was called Airborne America. (Denny is shown at right examining a wicker basket at the Raven factory.) Retirement, sort of Not content to lounge on the white sandy beaches of Anna Maria Island to which he retired, Denny became a successful Licensed Florida Real Estate Agent. In addition, he is a Founding Member of the Mindworks Performance Group, LLC engaged in teaching oth- ers how to re-wire the brain to achieve greater success and happiness. Capt. Phogg's boisterous, clever and witty personality infuses all of his activities as a businessman, balloonist, world traveler and private citizen. Given a place big enough for a balloon to fit in the sky he will make it fly far and wide to where technology, invention, adventure, and imagination all meet. Timeline of Dennis Floden Ballooning Accomplishments 1968 One of ten members of Flint Sport Balloon Club founded to buy a balloon to re-elect Don Riegle to Congress 1968 First balloon flight over Flint, MI with fellow club member Mike George; 10/30/68 Raven S-50 N2324 1968 Numerous “self teaching” flights with fellow club member Frank Pritchard (U.S. National Champion, 1970) 1969 Issued Commercial Pilot License for Lighter Than Air Free Balloon 1969 Learned how to warm propane for winter flights from Matt Weiderkehr at St. Paul Winter Carnival, MN 1969 Winter flight with Ed Yost in Sioux Falls, SD. Learned more in 45 min flight than previously logged 56.5 hrs. 1971 First Place, U. S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship, Indianola, IA scoring 2,736 of 3,000 possible points 1971 Featured in cover story of December issue of Holiday Magazine 1972 One of “The Original 13” pilots participating in the first “International Balloon Festival” in Albuquerque, NM 1972 Lark Race Champion, St. Paul Winter Carnival, St. Paul, MN. Featured in Feb. 7 issue of Sports Illustrated 1972 Seven-Up International Balloon Race Champion 1972 Heineken International Balloon Race, England 1972 Flight with Alex Karras, Detroit Lions & George Plimpton, Author of The Paper Lion, Fenton, MI 1972 “Aeronautical Ambassador” for U.S.