Meet the Team

Pilot Alex and passengers preparing a hot air balloon for flight in a field at sunrise.
Pilot John and passengers in a hot air balloon basket, smiling and posing for the camera. There is a colorful hot air balloon visible in the background, and it appears to be early morning with a cloudy sky.
Pilots John & Garrett wearing matching '605 Balloon Ride' t-shirts sitting in front of a hot air balloon basket, celebrating a successful flight with a champagne toast!

  • Owner and Chief Pilot

    John Parezo has been flying hot air balloons for over 20 years. He holds a Commercial Lighter-than-Air Pilot Certificate from the FAA and is certified to provide balloon flights and offer flight instruction in hot air balloons. Parezo is an active member of the Balloon Federation of America. He is also a FAA Safety Team representative for ballooning in South Dakota.

  • Pilot

    Garrett has been around balloons his entire life. He began flight instruction with 605 Balloon Ride Chief Pilot, John, in 2014. He earned his Commercial Lighter-than-Air Pilot Certificate from the FAA in 2022 and joined the 605 Balloon Ride team as a pilot shortly after.

  • Pilot

    Alex Augustad always knew he wanted to fly balloons. He remembers going to the Great Plains Balloon Race in Sioux Falls as a kid and wanting to fly. He began flight instruction in 2021 and now holds his commercial certificate. He loves to share the sport of hot air ballooning with friends and family and the new friends he has met through flying.

Logo of the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team with the word 'FAST' and a stylized aircraft tail fin.
Balloon Federation of America logo with a red and white balloon, and a blue star representing a basket at the bottom.
Seal of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) featuring a globe, a stylized eagle, and a compass rose with the organization's name circling the emblem.

Our Balloons

  • A hot air balloon with a dark blue, white, and red design floating in a clear blue sky.

    Big Blue

  • A colorful hot air balloon with red, black, and yellow sections flying in a clear blue sky.

    Schnitzel

  • A hot air balloon with pink, teal, and navy vertical stripes flying in the sky above trees.

    Midnight Drifter

  • Two colorful hot air balloons floating in the sky, with the foreground balloon displaying a checkered pattern in yellow, black, pink, and blue.

    Nimbus 2000

  • Colorful hot air balloon with a black, red, and silver geometric spiral pattern floating in the sky.

    Screwball

  • Two colorful hot air balloons floating above a grassy field with trees in the background

    Twist & Shout

  • Colorful hot air balloon floating over a river with trees in the background.

    August Sky

  • A hot air balloon with red and white vertical stripes floating in a clear blue sky above green trees.

    The Greatest Show