Before the roar of V8 engines and smell of racing fuel filled the air for the 2025 Repco Bathurst 1000, Squadron Leader Sam Wright was already airborne over Mount Panorama, with a vastly different perspective of the iconic circuit.
The Air Force Balloon's morning flights provided a serene counterpoint to the high-octane drama that would unfold later, drifting silently above the mountain, the only sounds the occasional burst of burners and gentle morning breeze.
A stark contrast to the thunder of 27 Supercars that would soon battle around the 6.2-kilometre track below, ultimately to see Matthew Payne and Garth Tander crowned kings of the mountain for 2025.
"The mission of the Air Force Balloon is to present a positive image of Air Force," Squadron Leader Wright said.
"And we do that by engaging with all the people who don't normally get to air shows."
For the Temora boy and Air Force's longest-serving balloon pilot, Bathurst represents exactly the kind of regional engagement that makes the program unique.
"We try and focus on regional Australia and go out to places that won't see any military presence," Squadron Leader Wright said.
'People stand with their back to the airshow and queue for three hours for a balloon ride.'
The balloon's accessibility sets it apart from every other military aircraft.
"It's unique in that it's the only aircraft that any member of the public can rock up [to] and come for a ride on when we're doing tethered flights," Squadron Leader Wright said.
"I've been to plenty of air shows where people stand with their back to the air show and queue for three hours for a balloon ride."
What began as a temporary assignment nearly nine years ago has become one of Squadron Leader Wright's most fulfilling roles.
A former Hercules pilot and qualified flying instructor, he was actually contemplating leaving the Air Force when the balloon posting was offered.
"I thought, 'You know what? It seems like something novel to do for a couple of months while I sort my life out'. And, eight-and-a-half years later, here I am flying the balloon, still with no plans to leave," Squadron Leader Wright said.
"It's really one of those hidden gems. I think it's good for the soul."
As the sun climbed higher and the peaceful morning gave way to racing chaos, Squadron Leader Wright's dawn patrol missions had already touched the lives of the people below - proving that sometimes the quietest presence makes the loudest impression.
