Aurora Balloon Company - Hot Air Balloon Rides Over Western New York

Balloon Rides

Nothing can compare to the feeling of gently floating along in a majestic hot air balloon. You will be gliding along with the wind and if you were to close your eyes, you could not even tell you are moving! It is really that smooth of a ride.

We start with a very exciting inflation of the balloon.
This is your chance to see how a small bundle of fabric becomes the gentle giant that will carry us through the air. Many folks like to get involved and help with the inflation. Although our crew can handle this, for some, participation is more fun than watching.

Everyone gathered in the basket.

Once the balloon is inflated we all climb aboard (get in the basket). On a breezy day the basket may rock a bit until we take off. You will be amazed at how smooth the flight becomes once the balloon leaves the ground.

As we float along with the breeze you will notice that the balloon’s flight path will turn right or left as we change altitude. This is how we “steer” the balloon. Some days we have great turning ability and others are more limited. depending on the conditions that day.

After about an hour in the air we will land. The ground crew has been following along in the chase truck. The chase crew will ask for permission to enter from the owner of the property. In the very rare instance that the land owner asks us not to be on their property, we will simply take off and land on the next available site.

Upon getting landowner permission the crew and pilot will take down and pack up the balloon. As with the set up, many folks do like to get involved. You can play with us as we pack up or sit back and relax. We then offer the land owner a small gift to Thank them for their hospitality.

Following a tradition that dates back over two hundred years to the first balloon flights, we celebrate our event with a Champagne toast (non-alcoholic available upon request). Our chase crew then shuttles us back to our launch site.

This whole experience takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. What we see depends on where we launch from and the direction of the winds that day. No two flights are the same. Many of our guests have come back to fly in a different season or to share the experience with family or friends! The memories of your balloon flight will truly last a lifetime!!

Click Here to Book A Flight With Us!