The kids and I celebrated my birthday with a hot air balloon ride with Aerostat. We had a great time! This was our first experience with ballooning and we didn't know what to expect, but Ellen and Gene were super helpful in walking us through the process, and thoroughly answering all of our (well, mainly me..) questions. The flight was very smooth from take-off to landing! Gene did a great job piloting the balloon and Ellen flawlessly provided ground crew support.
Unlike the aerial views from an airplane, where it's difficult to see the details of terrain because of the higher altitude, the aerial views from the hot air balloon were very clear and distinguishable. We flew over the Champion's Gate area and the flight lasted about 50 minutes. I brought my DSLR camera, but an modern mobile phone camera would work just as well. Although, at that height, I wish I had a neck strap for my iPhone..
Couple of other things from memory to share:
- Our ride started at 6:15 am, which was really cool because we got to watch the sunrise in the balloon
- At the altitude we were flying at (~400 ft), it was not cold in the gondola (balloon basket) as I initially expected. It was actually somewhat hot - because when the pilot triggers the propane burner to heat the air, the hot air radiates in all directions - including heating the air above the basket.
- We had very calm winds, so the balloon was moving between 5-10 mph. I didn't initially know what speed to expect, but the slower speed made for a very smooth ride.
- Ballooning is a regulated industry, so operators must perform annual inspections on their equipment. I felt safe the entire time.
- Gene has over 9 yrs experience as a balloon pilot so he's well-trained. I was thoroughly impressed by how smooth the landing was.
- You meet up the Aerostat crew at a predetermined location, and they take you in a van to the launch site and they drive you back.
- At the end of the flight, they provide you with champagne, orange juice, and some cookies as a token of appreciation for flying with them.
I would definitely fly with Aerostat in the future. read more