Getting guinea pigs from all over the world to special events is a complicated system of boats, air ships, balloons, private jets, barbie cars, transporters and just plain magic. One of the most famous transportation methods has been the Pig Power hot air balloon.
History
AZ Squeaks was the first to use a hot air balloon for transportation. As one of the original Bad Boys, he needed some type of transportation to move his home-brew around without fear of being stopped and it being confiscated by law enforcement. The balloon did not stay simply a brew-transport for long, however, and soon he was taking on passengers and delivering both them and the brew to the virtual events.
Captain AZ Squeaks
In addition to captaining the balloon, Squeaks began training back-up ballooneers so that balloon transport would continue after he left for Rainbow Bridge. During one of these early training sessions at Camp Cavy Cavy, the recature of the run-away balloon during a storm caused irreparable damage to it. Braveheart the Rich Cat quickly stepped in and presented Squeaky with the balloon that is still in use today.
It was also at this time that the balloon was officially named the Pig Power balloon, in membory of Axel Rose who left for Rainbow Bridge recently. Axel coined the phrase Pig Power, and always encouraged pigs to stand strong and be proud of who they were. With the help of the Pig Power balloon, Axel's legacy continues to this day.
Captain Squeaky
In October 2000, AZ Squeaks went to Rainbow Bridge and in his last will and testament, left the Pig Power balloon to his friend and fellow Bad Boy, Denver Squeaky.
Squeaky assumed the role of Captain of the infamous Pig Power balloon in December 2000. Squeaky's first trip as Captain was to ferry a group of pigs to Boston for pre-pigglyimpics activities.
Unfortunately, Squeaky's reign as Captain of the balloon was short, and in September 2001 Squeaky followed his pal Squeaks to Rainbow Bridge. Squeaky's will stipulated that the Pig Power balloon would return to Arizona. Squeaks' old home was now occupied by the Back Wheek Pigs: Boars Trouble & Bandit, and Oreo Ima Sow.
The return of the balloon to Arizona caused a stir in the pig-world when Trouble and Bandit both decided that they did not want careers as ballooneers. Oreo Ima Sow quickly declared that she would captain the balloon, and after intense scrutiny and training, became the first sow to captain the balloon when she received her ballooneer wings in October 2001.
