Balloon Rides

August 18, 2008

I stumbled across a very unusual web site a couple days ago. HotAirBallooning.com is the online center of the universe for hot air ballooning. My parents took me to a balloon festival when I was a kid, and I was mesmerized at all the different balloons. They are made in all kinds of shapes and colors, and even though they are all huge, the baskets are different. some had just the pilot, some had about a dozen people in the basket.

I always wondered how do you get a ride in a balloon? I’ve seen a few high in the sky since that festival, but never thought much about them until I came across this site. It’s got everything - how to become a pilot, where to find festivals, how balloons fly, a great FAQ section. But the two things I really enjoyed were the list of the Top 50 Balloon Sites, and the Balloon Ride Directory that lists approved ride companies all over the world. There’s even ride companies listed in France, where ballooning began over 200 years ago!

Did you know that hot air balloons require a pilot license to fly one? I guess that makes sense since they are in the sky with airplanes - I just never thought about it! I also found out that balloons only fly in the early morning or just before sunset since that’s when the wind is the calmest. This website will tell you everything you wanted to know about these “gentle giants”.

There’s also a great article about using balloons in advertising. A bunch of those weird shapes I saw as a kid were products, so it makes sense!! I still remember the RayOVac battery balloon and the Coke can!!

Balloon Rides

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