How safe is ballooning?

Hot air ballooning is very safe. Our pilots and crew will do everything possible to ensure that your flight is very safe. They regularly attend safety seminars so that they are up-to-date on all of the safety rules and regulations. At anytime if the pilot-in-charge feels that the conditions are not safe for the passengers, crew or the equipment, he will cancel the flight and reschedule it at your earliest convenience. Safety is our team’s number one priority! Balloons & Beyond wants you to have a very safe and enjoyable flight!

 

Are you insured?

Yes. All hot air balloons must be insured. We carry our insurance through our insurance company. Our aircraft are also registered with the FAA.

 

How many passengers can you take up at a time in the balloon?

There are many different sized balloons that can carry anywhere from one to 12 or more people at a time. The balloons we fly are AX8-105’s which can carry two to four passengers, along with our pilot.

 

How long does a balloon flight last?

During ideal flying conditions, the flight lasts approximately 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes longer, we cannot make any guarantees as to the duration, distance or visibility of the flight as these variables depend upon the weather, the winds, fuel consumption, and landing site availability.

 

What do I wear and bring?

We recommend that you dress in comfortable casual clothing such as jeans, T-shirt, sneakers or boots. Be sure that you wear clothing that you don’t mind getting wet or dirty since the fields we land in can be wet or muddy. We also recommend dressing in layers during the cooler months. Please DO NOT wear dresses, sandals, high heels or any other clothing that you do not want to get messed up.

 

Bring along your camera. Some of the greatest pictures of the surrounding area can be taken from 500 feet in the air so bring a camera and a protective case for landing...we don't want to scratch anything.

We are not responsible for any belongings that could fall out the basket though! You may also want to bring a pair of binoculars but remember space is limited so keep your carry-on equipment to a minimum.

 

Is Health a Consideration?

Yes. Since our passengers stand during the flight and because there is some agility needed during the loading / unloading of the balloon, we do not recommend that pregnant women, people with injuries to head, back, neck or legs, or anyone with recent surgery to fly. If you do have any special needs, please be sure to let us know so we can make any prearrangement that may be necessary.

 

Do you need a pilot's license to fly a hot air balloon?

Yes. Our pilots, Bob Carlton and Jon Thompson, are FAA-licensed LTA and are commercially licensed pilots. They have over 50 years combined experience in balloons and are members of the Balloon Federation of America and the AOPA.