I wanted to celebrate my wife's birthday with a hot-air balloon flight. I have heard of Thompson…read moreAire on the radio station for a few years. I researched Thompson's website as well as two other balloon companies. It was easy to make the choice to go with Thompson Aire. Now for my experience. On the confirmation call the evening before the flight I informed Captain Jeff Thompson that this was a special event. Although we were celebrating my wife's birthday, I explained that she doesn't like to be the center of attention. Captain Jeff promised that they would recognize the event without going over the top. They kept their promise with a tasteful birthday recognition and a unique trinket for a birthday gift. We arrived early and my wife only found out that we were taking a balloon flight at the pre-flight briefing. Captain Jeff explained everything so well in the pre-flight and introduction that my wife started to get excited about the adventure. There were two other couples (all strangers) flying that day. Captain Jeff and his crew had us laughing and talking with each other in minutes. They continued the pre-flight explanations outside before we loaded up in there roomy vans to head for the launch site. It was a short drive and the ground crew chatted with us and answered all the questions we had. The crew entertained us with additional information about our upcoming flight and ballooning in general. It was exciting to watch the crew set up and inflate the balloons for the day. They worked well as a team and continued to elevate our confidence in their abilities. Time to climb aboard for lift-up. Getting into the balloon was really easy. We floated gently away and watched the ground crew shrink away beneath us. Balloon flight is difficult to describe but I will try: INCREDIBLE, EXHILIRATING, PHENOMENAL, RELAXING, SOOTHING, SPIRITUAL, AWE-INSPIRING, FUN, FUN AND FUN! The limited number of passengers allowed us to interact with our pilot throughout the entire flight. Two Thompson Aire balloons took flight that day and what luck, we were assigned to Captain Jeff's balloon. This is at the very top of the list of incredible things that I have done. You could not pry the grin off my face with a crowbar. I simply could not stop enjoying myself. My wife was loving it. She says it is the best birthday gift she has ever received. We passed over several neighborhoods, waving at the people below. We even chatted with people on the ground as we floated by. We could hear the call of morning birds in the wooded areas we crossed over. Captain Jeff glided us in for a silky smooth landing followed by a classic champagne toast and more entertainment with the crew and other passengers. The breakfast buffet at the resort gave us all a chance to share how remarkable the flights had been. Both balloons had taken to similar flight paths but at different altitudes so we had stories to share. Then more entertainment from Captain Jeff and the crew. They shared funny experiences while we enjoyed breakfast together. The first flight certificates added to the fun of the day. The website at Thompson Aire is very informative and accurate in the attempt to describe the adventure. But words cannot truly convey the experience that you will have. This is my first balloon flight and when we go again I will choose Thompson Aire. I have been told that there are cheaper bellon flights available. The experience we had with Thompson Aire makes them my only choice.

Great Staff and wonderful experience! We purchased a balloon flight for the in-laws and our son…read more TA staff members are personable and professional. Their balloons are beautiful and clean especially compared to the other businesses flying that same day. We paid for a regular flight and to our surprise were able to get a private flight which was greatly appreciated. Something that I noticed which really set Thompson Aire apart from the competition is that you're not crammed into a balloon with 15+ people like cattle. Kudos Thompson Aire!

This was totally Awesome Experience. To be able to float in the air in a hot air balloon and be…read moreable to see nature. Our tour guide was trust worthy and would fly with him again. You have to try this sunrise ride. To be able to see this and experience it, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT!

Bob and his crew were so great! My husband surprised me with this balloon ride for our anniversary,…read moreand the whole thing was just beautiful! They clearly knew what they were doing as our flight was so smooth. Even the landing! My husband is afraid of heights and even he had a spectacular time!

We visited several years ago but I still remember it was a beautiful place to windy to ride but to…read morethis day I still want to visit

A hot air balloon ride is amazing! The company puts so much effort into making it an experience…read morefor its guests. The altitude bothered me a bit during the flight and the guide was so helpful and made me calm. We had a delicious champagne toast and breakfast when we arrived back on the ground. I would recommend this to anyone!

This experience was absolutely amazing!! The tour guide was awesome and the views were to die for!!…read moreI highly recommend, definitely would do again!

We came to Orlando for my friends wedding. I knew that flying in a hot air balloon was on my wife's…read morebucket list so prior to our trip, I looked online for various tours and decided to book with Tom's company as an early 5-year wedding anniversary gift to my wife. I'm glad I did! Tom was very informative throughout the booking process, night before confirmation, and day-of events. We went out to our launch site and participated in prepping the envelope (balloon) for flight. We then launched into the air for a flight of about 1-hour and it did not disappoint. Tom is very friendly and answered all of our questions (which we had a ton since we're from Hawaii and we don't have hot air balloons). He gave so much information about why the balloon does what it does in the air, our flight speed and pattern, the landing process, and how it all started. After we landed, we had a few mimosa's and some snacks and interacted with the other passengers. 100/10 definitely recommend!!! Thank you Tom and Chris for helping me fulfill an item on my wife's bucket list!

Amazing experience, literally floating in the air. The team at Sky Pirates always provided a great…read morecustomer experience, and it made the trip with my wife one of a kind.

Fantastic flight and crew! Explained the process, history lessons and goofy Dad Jokes to boot!…read more We have flown with Capt. Matt and Nicole twice. They are phenomenal! Highly recommend! Skypiratesballooning.com

This was a super fun experience. Never been in a hot air balloon so I can't compare, but I'm afraid…read moreof heights so this one freaked me out enough. My kids and husband really enjoyed it too, and my husband has been in an actual balloon. Overall I did feel pretty safe with the nets and bars on the platform. The price is up there, but not out of line for a Disney attraction. And beware that if there's very much wind they won't go up. Though I saw several flight with quite a bit of wind that still went up. The view is totally amazing through. You can see Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but they've built everything out so you can't see the castle.

Family vacation/reunion in Orlando- Disney Springs ended up being where a bunch of family wanted to…read morego! I saw the balloon right away and told John I wanted to go and take our grandbabies! It was the last thing we did that day and we took Riley up with us. Barely any wait to board, we purchased our tickets and just had to wait a few minutes and we were walking down the pier. The balloon goes up at the waterfront and gives you a view of Disney Springs. Riley loved it! John and I loved seeing his reaction. Our tethered ascension took us up, hovered for a bit and then the slow descent back to the ground. You can walk around the balloon once you get above a certain height- just a little bumpy for lift off and landing. Trying to teach Riley young not to be afraid!

The kids and I celebrated my birthday with a hot air balloon ride with Aerostat. We had a great…read moretime! 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.

We took a sunrise ride with Glenn and his team this past weekend. The staff went above and beyond…read moreto make our experience memorable. They are extremely well trained and know what they are doing. The ride smooth and the view was amazing-- it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. They even had mimosas and snacks waiting for us when we landed. Would definitely recommend.

Establishment for enjoyment while vacation in Florida. See the sun rise in a totally different…read moreprospective. Upon moving to this area there are so many things and places to visit. Fortunately it's exciting to see these massive balloons blowing up & lifting up for take off. Even from a distance it's nice to just watch. However, the experience of being inside one over looking more beauty that is offered from inside. Will differently do this again.

Someone is going to die!!! My husband and I had the misfortune of using Orlando Balloon Rides…read more12/16/2019, that resulted in bad fractures to both of my ankles!!! It appears our pilot was a subcontractor for the day. Our Pilot bragged about having many years of experience to give us a false sense of security. On our ride for takeoff, our pilot was asking the van driver about the surrounding area as though he was unfamiliar with the terrain. Once we arrived, there were already 3 balloons prepping for takeoff. There were 2 balloons with our company. Our balloon was #5 on takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, our pilot was on his 2 way radio with the other balloon. At the end of his conversation he said "I'll follow you." The other 3 balloons were far ahead of the 2 from Orlando Balloons. The other pilot appeared to be showing off for his passengers, by flying very high. Our pilot was flying so low, we actually spoke to homeowners below us, as if he was scared. Soon after we came across a field with horses so our pilot stated he had to go higher so we didn't scare them. Shortly after that we noticed the other balloon descending. The two pilots communicated by radio, then our pilot turned to us stating, "He ran out of propane and had to land early, but don't worry we have enough propane to make it to our destination called "Green acre." At this point none of the other balloon were visible for him to obviously "follow". Shortly after his statement as we were almost upon the other balloon, our pilot stated "I changed my mind, I'm going to try to land to the left of him, I'm coming in too fast, I need to hit these tree tops to slow us down, get down!" We all immediately got in the landing position. We were slammed into the tress with such force, everyone in the basket let out a loud yell from the force, then suddenly experienced another extreme impact from below us upon our crash landing. It was at this moment I heard the snap and felt the intense pain to both of my ankles and fell to the bottom of the basket. As I'm laying helpless in the bottom of the basket, I hear panicked screams "Get out of the basket, get out of the basket!" After the basket was secure, they asked us to climb out. Still in excruciating pain I was unable to stand. At this point I said I think I broke both of my ankles and asked to remain in the bottom of the basket. The pilot appeared genuinely concerned. We landed on private property so there seemed to be a rush to get out of there. It took the van crew about 20-30 minutes to arrive at our location. During that time, I had the pilot and my husband help me to a standing position. I was still unable to place any weight on my feet without extreme pain. As I hung over the edge of the basket, I noticed a large tree branch approximately 10" in diameter below the basket, where I was positioned. Next they assisted me to the floor of the basket to tip it on its side while I sat inside. Soon after, the ground crew arrived in the vans. As the pilot and my husband were carrying me to the van that was when we witnessed the crew member having to forcibly pull the large tree branch out of the bottom of the basket. He was even joking to the pilot he could now go into tree cutting business. I was in so much pain I completely shut down, but was reportedly asked if I needed them to call 911 and declined. As a Nurse Practitioner, I was not experiencing any acute blood loss, chest pain or difficulty breathing, and suspected longer wait for them to get there. As I waited for them to load the two vans they brought out the champagne for the other passengers. One of the passengers luckily had a ziplock bag with them and filled it with ice for me to place it on my left ankle. Our Driver did bring me a first aid kit that was clearly lacking supplies. It had no additional ice packs, but told me he would find an additional bag and fill it with ice for my other ankle. He never returned. Both he and our pilot rode in the other van to transport us back to our vehicles. Upon returning, I was carried to our car. At this point I was given the pilot's business card and asked to call him after I was evaluated at the hospital. The van driver asked my husband for the spelling of our last name for their "insurance company." To make a long medical story short, I was diagnosed with complete Talar neck fracture of my left ankle, and partial Talar neck fracture of my right ankle with a tibia head fracture from the high altitude impact from our fall. I was unable to walk or work for 3 months, had over $50,000 in medical bills, $13,000 out of pocket expenses, $25,000 loss wages! NTSB was involved due to my serious injuries. They violated multiple FAA safety rules and still refused to pay my expense, despite reported insurance coverage for these expenses one year from the accident per their policy. Despite their negligence, they hid behind their waiver. NEVER use this company!!! I'm praying this post saves future lives.