FAQ

Ballooning History

Hot air ballooning began in 1783 in France. Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier built the first hot air balloon. Their belief was that the smoke generated the lift needed to fly, not the heat, so they built the smokiest, most rancid fires they could. These fires cause the balloon to belch smoke the entire flight, even after landing. On the flight a bottle of champagne was carried to drink on the flight. Instead, they used the champagne to appease the farmers who wanted to destroy the fire breathing dragon that was invading their farms. There are times today when a bottle of bubbly still helps out.

In 1960, Ed Yost made the first flight in a modern hot air balloon. The balloon was commissioned by the US Navy and built by Raven Industries. This was the birth of modern hot air ballooning.

What Is a Balloon?

A balloon is made of 3 primary components:

Envelope - The envelope is the fabric portion of the balloon. they range in size from 54,000 cubic feet to well over 200,000 cubic feet.

Basket (gondola) - Made of wicker or rattan, the basket is what you ride in. They range in sizes to carry just a pilot to well over 12 passengers plus pilot. They also act as anchor points for the cables, blocks, burners, tubes and other components that make up the rest of the system.

Burner - The burner assembly takes liquid propane from the tanks, pre-heats it, atomizes it, and then sprays it over a pilot light. As it passes over the pilot light, it ignites. The typical burner today generates about 12 million BTU's of heat per hour.

Preparing For Flight

To fly the balloon, you must start by preparing for flight in general, and by assembling the balloon. To prepare for flight overall, you must ensure that you have a good weather briefing, have crew, have all the radios, fuel, equipment, and time necessary to safely conduct the flight, and of course, someone to go fly with.

To assemble the balloon, the burner is attached to the basket and a burner test is conducted to ensure there are no leaks.

The assembled bottom end is laid over on its side. Once on its side, the envelope is attached and streamered out.

Now the fun begins. An inflator fan is started and the balloon is filled with cold air. Once full, the pilot will light the burner and heat the air. As the air is heated, the balloon will stand up, and the balloon is now inflated and ready to fly.

The pilot will ask that the passengers enter the balloon, add additional heat, and your off on the adventure of a lifetime.

How long is the Ride?

Our rides typically last about an hour, although they do range in length from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. There is an old saying in ballooning; never pass up a good landing site because it might be your last. Duration will depend on weather, location, and available landing sites. Remember, all flight operations are always at the discretion of the pilot in command.

What is the cost, how do I pay, and do I need reservations?

Please see our Fees and Policies page for current pricing, or our Flight Certificates page to purchase balloon rides securely online. We accept all major credit cards and are anxiously awaiting our time together in the sky. All passengers must be paid in full before the flight. Reservations are required. You must have purchased a Ride to make a registration to fly. Registrations reserve your position in the basket on a given day. Don't worry if we can't fly that day, we will reschedule you to fly another day if your preferred day isn't open, or if the weather doesn't cooperate. Call us at 1-800-351-9588 or locally at 505-293-6800 to reserve your date and time after purchasing your rides.

What is a flight certificate, a reservation, and what do I do with it?

A flight certificate is just that. A certificate you can use yourself, or give to someone else for a ride. Flight certificates are always pre-paid.

A reservation is a reservation to fly for you and your party, and reservations are never pre-paid, although they are guaranteed with a credit card.

Once a flight certificate is purchased, you can make a reservation for a flight. Simply call us to schedule your flight. We will mail you a certificate and associated paperwork to the shipping address provided once we receive notification of the order, but you can still call us even prior to receiving the physical certificate. If you are giving the certificate to someone else, please allow enough time for the paperwork to reach you in the mail, otherwise you can call to order so we can find a way to expedite getting you the certificate.

Remember, once you purchase a flight certificate for yourself, or have given them to someone else, make sure whoever is going to go on the ride calls us to make a reservation. If we get weathered out, or that day isn't available, we will keep working with you to schedule your flight until we succeed. Remember, Balloons aren't like airplanes. We can't fly in any kind of bad weather, so rescheduling does occur. We will get you flown just as quick as can be done safely.