Earl MacPherson,

Earl Wendell MacPherson, Jr., 67, Commercial Balloon and fixed wing pilot of Pennsville, NJ, died suddenly in a balloon accident on Sunday, September 7, 2008. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Darcy MacPherson, of Pennsville, and their daughter, Heidi W. Coleman, her husband Macon H. Coleman, IV of Newark, DE, his sister Beverly Robertson and her husband Jack Robertson of Hawley, PA. Earl was retired with 32 years of service as a lab technician with the DuPont Company at Chamber Works, Deepwater, NJ. He also worked for 4 years at Boeing, and was working there when he asked his wife for her hand in marriage for the second time; the first time was when she was 8 and he was 9 years old. He served in the US Navy (1959-1962). He was with the US Air Force Reserve in Wilmington, DE, 166th Airlift Wing. He retired with a total of over 25 year’s service at the rank of Master Sgt, E8. He was an active member of the NJ Honor Guard, NJARNG. He was both an active fixed wing pilot, SEL, and had his commercial, instrument and ground instructor ratings as well as an active commercial balloon pilot for Air Ventures Balloon Flights, Paoli, PA. He had more hours flying in balloons (1400 hrs) then he did airplanes (1200 hrs), he flew a Cirrus SR -22 out of New Castle, DE. His wife bought him flight lessons in 1966 and he had been flying ever since. In 1987, he got his commercial hot air balloon rating and he had over 75 engagements and two weddings during his ballooning career in his own business Dream Chasers, LLC and flying for Lollipop Balloons and Air Ventures Inc. Earl was a member of Delaware Aviation Support, and served as a member of FAAST, the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team. He was a member the Aero Club of PA and the AOPA. He was a member of the Balloon Federation of America, John Wise Balloon Society and the Great Eastern Balloon Association. When he was not in the air, his ground activities included playing volley ball and long distance cycling. Interment Services with Military Honors will be held on Monday, September 29th at 12 O’clock noon at Finn’s Point National Cemetery in Pennsville, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted by the Aero Club of PA Scholarship fund, a club devoted to helping fund careers in aviation for people in the Delaware Valley region; Aero Club of PA Scholarship Fund, PO Box 748, Blue Bell, PA 19422; as well as the Balloon Federation of America, Junior Balloonist program, PO Box 400, Indianola, IA 50125.

Earl MacPherson,

August 25, 1941 - September 7, 2008