Kissing the Sky, what’s it like?
Flying in a hot air balloon is a gentle, slow, relaxing experience on bucket lists worldwide. It’s an experience unlike other forms of flight. There are a few stages to the adventure, and even though it’s an indescribable feeling to float through the skies, we will try to describe it.
Please plan on being with us for up to four hours from start to finish. Please understand weather can cancel a flight.
Pre-Flight
For sunrise flights, please check out the flight line the evening before. Our flight line will discuss weather conditions for your flight period and let you know details or if we have to reschedule due to weather.
You will meet our team at the assigned location and time on your booking confirmation. Depending on the wind speed and direction on the day of your flight, we will transport you to our selected launch site. You will enjoy the sunrise as the crew assemble and inflate the balloon.
You will get a safety briefing from your pilot – please pay close attention and ask any questions you might have.
The setup is fascinating, from unloading the basket and pulling out the balloon to assembling the burners. You get to sit back and watch as it all comes together before your eyes. Or, if you want to become more involved in the process, you can lend a hand. Once assembled, watch the flames slowly inflate the balloon in preparation for your adventure.
Preparing for launch
Once you’re loaded into the basket with the pilot – it’s time to launch. Your pilot will slowly allow the basket to drift away from the ground. It’s a bit surreal and dream-like, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how it feels to float above the earth.
Be sure to take lots of pictures during the next 45 minutes! This is an experience you’ll want to relive again and again.
The Flight
When you’re in the air, the balloon moves at the same speed as the wind – which means the wind is part of your journey, and you won’t hear or feel it. There is no turbulence. The basket is stable. There is no sensation of movement when you move with the wind. It’s a glorious, tranquil experience.
Your flight will be 100% unique. We fly where the winds take us, so our flight patterns and landing sites vary due to the changing wind directions. Your pilot will adjust the balloon’s altitude during the flight to take advantage of small changes in wind speed and direction. Most flights take place between treetops to 2,000 feet.
Your flight will be approximately 45 minutes to an hour, and that hour will be magical. You can feel the air, hear the wildlife, sense the stillness and take in panoramic views.
The Landing
As we near the 45-minute mark of your flight, your pilot will be looking for a landing spot. Our travel depends on how fast the wind is going. You will likely have spotted your chase crew following along on the ground, waiting for instructions from your pilot on where to meet you upon landing.
During your safety briefing, your pilot will have explained landing positions – and will go over these again with you just before landing.
Once your pilot has identified an appropriate landing spot, you’ll start to descend. Some landings are smooth as a feather, and you barely realize you’ve landed back on the ground. Some landings are a little bouncier than others and more sporty.
The ground crew will be waiting to obtain landowner permission, meet you, pack up the balloon, share a champagne toast with the group and take you back to where it all began.