Up in the air, you get to see the world from a new point of view, and get a different perspective on life. It is an experience that connects you to a history going back to 1783, when the first test subjects pioneered the field in France. Those test subjects happened to be a sheep, a rooster, and a duck. Seriously. We’d like to think they were rewarded by not being made into a delicious French dinner, but unfortunately nobody took note and their fate is lost to posterity. Ballooning records - made mostly by people from there on out - came steadily over the next two hundred years, the most spectacular being around-the-world navigations and reaching elevations over 100,000 feet. These records were set by gas (helium) balloons, which are generally easier to steer and keep aloft. Following technological developments in the 1950s and 60s, the hot air balloon has found itself a niche market in scenic flights. (If you are taken around the world or anywhere near 100,000 feet against your will during a hot air balloon flight, you are typically entitled to a refund)
How To:
Balloon flights generally last about an hour, and take off in the early morning or late afternoon. Not only is this typically a more picturesque part of the day, but it allows the balloon to avoid the disruptive weather effects of the sun, so the flight is a serene, gentle experience. You’ll first float to cruising altitude which can be anywhere from a few hundred feet to nearly a mile up, depending on weather conditions and your location. After wafting around in the wind, literally - because you can’t steer these things - you will be treated to a serene descent, right up until you're about to land, when everyone is expected to sit down with knees bent, ready for the very controlled, managed crash landing, which might include some extended dragging as a bonus. It's a little bit of excitement to round off the experience. Virgin's UK website does a good job of explaining all this.
How do you find a company to fly with? This comprehensive website gives good information:
If the only way you're going to be impressed by hot air balloons is to see hundreds of them flying at the same time, then you need to get to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
If you'd like to see lots of balloons, and be drunk, and be still be classy (because you’re drunk off of wine), there's the Nebraska Wine & Balloon festival:
Did you see Pixar's movie 'Up' and thought you'd like to be carried away on multiple balloons? People do that. Honestly. It's called cluster ballooning.
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