Born in 1928 into a family of science enthusiasts, Jim Winker was just old enough to be aware of — and impressed by -- the achievements of the Explorer scientific balloon flights of the 1930s. A later chance opportunity to assist in launching a manned balloon (1947), followed by a summer job (1950) analyzing flight performance of large, plastic scientific balloons, led to a lifetime career in the lighter-than-air field.

Winker was (and is in 2003) involved in a wide range of ballooning activity, including both technical and operational aspects of high altitude scientific ballooning, sport ballooning, and airships. He was co-designer of modern hot air sport balloons (1960) and he was responsible for many hot air buoyant vehicle derivatives.

Winker is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and he was given their O. C. Winzen Lifetime Achievement Award for "Contributions to Scientific Ballooning" (1999). Recognition was also given by the Balloon Federation of America (sport ballooning) in the form of the Shields-Trauger Award for "Contributions to the Science of Aerostation" (1978).

The photo on the right shows James Winker in August 2000 in a gas balloon basket crossing over the Swiss Alps.