The following letter was sent to Garmin® customer service.

I am writing this letter to share the unique experience I had with my Garmin GPSMAP 76. I'm a hot air balloon pilot from Overland Park, Kansas. I rely heavily on my GPS when flying — especially in competitive events.

I was recently competing in the U.S. Team National Hot Air Balloon Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan. During one of the flights, I was flying at an altitude of about 1500 feet, when I accidentally bumped my GPS (which was strapped to the side of my hot air balloon basket), and it fell to the ground.

I thought for sure that I would never find it again, and if I did, that it would be shattered into hundreds of small pieces. However, after the flight, my teammate and I decided to try and find it. We used a Garmin GPS II® to track down my GPS in a field where I believed it had landed. Much to our surprise, we found my GPS, and not only was it still in one piece— it still worked! And it has worked great ever since!

I've always been a big believer that Garmin products are the highest quality. However, after this recent experience, I’m now totally convinced that they are the greatest products available in the marketplace today. Thanks for always offering such great, reliable, durable products!

Jason Jones

Aeronaut
Old World Balloonery

More Ballooning Adventures Learn more about Jason's ballooning adventures with his Garmin GPS.

View more Adventures in GPS stories.

Submit Your Own Story!