Frequently Asked Questions:
- What should we wear? Dress casually for outdoor activities with comfortable shoes – no flip flops, open toe sandals, dresses or skirts! Some people like to wear a hat as the burner does put off some radiant heat and bring a jacket if the weather is cool.
- What do I need to bring? Bring your camera, camcorder, extra batteries, memory cards or film! We will provide you with bottled water. Get ready for the time of your life…
- What is the temperature in the balloon? Actually about the same as it is on the ground. It is normally only a couple of degrees cooler for every thousand feet above the ground.
- What is the balloon made of? Our balloons are made of a rip-stop nylon fabric with a fire retardant Nomex fabric at the mouth of the balloon.
- What kind of fuel is used? Propane is the fuel used to power the burners.
- How do hot air balloons work? Balloons are actually pretty simple, we inflate the balloon with a large fan then we heat the air in the balloon with the burners and hot air makes the balloon rise. Put more heat in the faster you go up, less heat and the faster you come down. The burners are both the engine and the brakes. There is also a parachute deflation system in the top of the balloon to help stop the balloon upon landing.
- How long is our Balloon Adventure? The actual flight will be 45 minutes or longer but, plan on about three hours from the time we meet until you return to your vehicle.
- Can my family or friends come and watch? Absolutely, you are welcome to invite your friends and family to come out to watch, help, take pictures or follow the chase vehicle during the flight and join in the ceremony after the flight.
- What time do we meet? For morning flights we meet a half hour before sunrise and for evening flights about 2½ hours before sunset. You will be asked to call and check-in for your flight.
- Where do we meet? Meeting places vary depending on the weather for that day. You will be given specific information when you call to check-in for your flight.
- Where do we launch? This depends on the wind direction for that day and the area of town we are flying in. Most flights take place in the southern area of Kansas City – Miami County, Johnson County on the Kansas side or Cass County on the Missouri side.
- Where do we land? Wherever the wind takes us! Actually the pilot can steer the balloon using the different wind directions at various altitudes and we look for a nice mowed yard or field that is accessible for the chase vehicle.
- What time of year do you fly? We fly all year round but the majority of balloon flights in the Midwest take place between April and November. During the summer months if the heat index is forecast to be extremely high we only schedule sunrise flights because the extreme heat not only affects the performance of the balloon but it can be just plain uncomfortable!
Our winter flights are a true "adventure” as we are able to fly longer and farther when it is cold. If you are interested in a winter adventure flight we have an “on call” list where we let you know when we have available flight opportunities with the weather.
Just dress warm and get ready to have a wonderful winter
Balloon Adventure! - What about special requests? We will be happy to work with you on any special requests to make your Balloon Adventure your BEST adventure! We offer in-flight weddings and proposals, large groups, wheelchair and “bucket list” flights. Just ask and we will do our best to make it happen for you.
- Additional charges or restrictions may apply for some requests.
