“The best gift
anyone ever gave me!”
Fly with our commercially
licensed pilots in a colorful hot air balloon! Our guests help us with the
inflation, and then rise above the earth on a safe, yet exciting and
exhilarating flight. The flights start soon after sunrise or just before sunset
when the air is at its calmest. As the balloons can only drift with the wind
once they are launched, we make our ascent upwind of an area known to have a
large number of good landing sites. For this reason our launch site varies
depending on the wind direction at flight time. Flights are of course weather
permitting. We at the BALLOON DEPOT have
been flying in the beautiful valleys of the Puget Sound region since 1978; this
long experience enables us to provide you with the best possible flight. We may
brush through the treetops, sweep down over a field of wildflowers, skim over a
pond, or climb high above the earth for a spectacular view. Each flight is a
unique experience.
HOW SAFE IS
BALLOONING?
Any adventure has a certain element of risk, and our insurance company requires each passenger to sign a standard liability release waiver (copies sent in request), but your safety is our number one concern. Our pilots are commercially licensed by the FAA and have been flying balloons for a living, without hurting anyone, for over 20 years. Your pilot could cancel your flight at any time before taking off if we think conditions have changed and are no longer safe. Although we hate to do this (our passion and profession is flying and we aren’t paid if we don’t fly), we’d rather disappoint you than hurt you. The balloons are state of the art, licensed by the FAA and maintained to the same high standards as other commercially flown aircraft. They are inspected annually or every 100 hours by an independent balloon repair station, with instructions to exceed the test standards set by the FAA.
IS IT COLD UP
THERE?
It’s no colder in the balloon than it is on the ground. There is also no wind chill factor to account for, as we are traveling with the breeze. So wear whatever you are comfortable in, with solid shoes (no high heels!). There tends to be dew on the grass on the morning flights, and evening flights land around sunset so you may want to bring a jacket to wear when you land.
WHERE DO WE LAUNCH
AND WHERE DO WE LAND?
Prior to your arrival at the BALLOON DEPOT’s meeting site our pilots have been busy compiling weather reports. After you’ve checked in you may see them watching pibals (Pilot Balloons). These tell us the local wind speed and direction. We’ll then board our trucks and drive to the launch site that gives us the longest possible flight that ends in the safest possible landing area.
HOW HIGH WILL WE
GO?
Every flight is different. Your pilot will search for the most favorable wind directions from treetop level to 5000 feet or more. Most flights are flown between 500 and 1500 feet.
WHAT IF I’M AFRAID
OF HEIGHTS?
Flying in balloons doesn’t bother most people who are afraid of heights. Perhaps it is due to the reassuring bulk of the balloon directly overhead, but folks who would otherwise avoid heights enjoy ballooning tremendously.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE
WEATHER IS BAD WHEN I’M BOOKED TO FLY?
Safety is our prime consideration; we will not fly if winds or other conditions are not favorable. When, due to adverse weather, the BALLOON DEPOT has to cancel a flight, this information will be available to you an hour and a half before flight time by calling our office. Please do not leave home without confirming that your flight is “on”. You may need to reschedule your flight.
OK, NOW HOW DO I
BOOK A FLIGHT?
Call the BALLOON DEPOT office at 360-805-1538 or 877-881-9699 and schedule your flight. In summer it’s a good idea to schedule about a week ahead of time. We accept checks, cash and most credit cards over the phone. You can hold a reservation with a credit card and pay on arrival as well, if you wish. If you have received a gift certificate, have the certificate number handy when you call. You may now sit back in anticipation; it will be worth it. We wish you gentle winds and soft landings.
Your Reservation
Date___________________________________
Time___________________________________
Cancellation Policy
No-shows
and flights cancelled by passengers within 48 hours of reservation will forfeit
certificates. Flight certificates are
transferable though no refunds can be made.
To Our New Friends
Each
year during the first weekend in March, we fly over the snow-covered Methow
Valley. For those who have flown with us over the past year we offer a two-day
stay in the old frontier town of Winthrop. Accommodations, meals, a balloon
flight and a memory to treasure forever for not much more than a local balloon
flight. Ask your pilot or crew for details!
History of Balloon Flight
The first recorded balloon flight occurred in France in June 1783 when two brothers, Jacques Etienne and Joseph Michel Montgolfier, sent a smoke-filled bag 35 feet into the air. Three months later a duck, rooster and sheep became the first passengers in a balloon, since no one knew whether a human could survive the flight.
Finally on November 21, 1783, before a vast throng of onlookers that included the King and Queen of France, the Marquis D’Arlandes and Pilatre de Rozier piloted humanity’s first aerial voyage—more than a century before the Wright brothers’ historic flight at Kitty Hawk.
Ten days after the first manned hot air flight, a French physicist named J.A.C. Charles made the first ascent in a hydrogen-filled balloon. Although everyone in Paris knew about these newfangled creations, the farmers outside of town had not, and were scared of these flying monsters. Early aeronauts quickly learned to carry champagne aboard to present to the farmer upon landing. Thus was born the traditional post-flight champagne ceremony.
With the advent of powered aircraft, ballooning became a less practical form of flight, practiced by only a few enthusiasts. The modern day sport of hot air ballooning evolved through research for the U.S. Navy in the 1960’s and has enjoyed a remarkable comeback due to the development of a durable, comparatively inexpensive nylon for the envelope in combination with an improved and efficient propane burner system. Today there are more than 5,000 balloon pilots in the U.S. alone.