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Hot Air Balloon Rides:Up, Up & Away in Albuquerque
A hot air balloon ride has been on my bucket list for over 25 years and I’ve dreamed of going up, up, up and away in a beautiful balloon since I first heard that famous song by the Fifth Dimension. I actually had an invitation from the legendary hot air balloon icon, Buddy Bombard, himself to take an amazing vacation floating through the Swiss Alps in a balloon when I was a producer for Runaway with the Rich & Famous. Buddy Bombard’s gaily-decorated balloons are a dimension unto themselves and he plans European itineraries where you drift slowly just above centuries-old castles, chalets, vineyards, lakes, forests and villages low enough to speak to the villagers just beneath your balloon.
It’s been one of the biggest regrets of my life that I decided not to go on this magical vacation because the Persian Gulf War broke out a few weeks before my scheduled departure. In my younger years, I was not comfortable with air travel during a war, but with 20/20 hindsight I know everything would have been fine. Fast forward twenty years later and last fall, I found myself planning a trip to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving for a family holiday. Albuquerque is synonymous with hot air balloon rides and my brother, Mike, was totally on board with the idea and generously offered to pay for the voyage. So we set the wheels in motion to research the best company for the adventure.
What You Can Expect to Pay. In addition to researching companies in Albuquerque, I’ve also researched them in the Los Angeles area as well, near where I live. You can expect to pay a range of $150 to $300 per person depending on whether or not you are going with a large group or opt for a private flight. We had opted for a private flight with just the three of us (my brother, his wife and me) plus the pilot, which was about $50 more per person but very worth it in my opinion.
The inflation of the balloon is a great time to take pictures like I did as the gentle giant balloon comes alive before your eyes. Once the balloon is inflated, it’s time to climb in the basket and get ready for lift off.
My sister-in-law, Melissa, admitted she was a little nervous before our flight because she’s afraid of heights. I think anyone might be little apprehensive floating several thousand feet above the ground hanging in a small basket tethered to a balloon. One thing is certain, if you think about it too much during your flight, you might get a wee bit freaked out…so just don’t think about it. Enjoy the view and take lots of cool photos. The day we went on our balloon adventure, there were two other balloons taking off with us and I was able to capture some great photos of these balloons in flight. Hot air balloon ride flights will probably last anywhere from sixty to ninety minutes. A chase crew will follow your balloon while you’re flying and meet you at the landing site. Every flight is different and that means landing sites vary since a balloon flight is dependent on wind speed and direction. We landed on top of a mesa and were actually greeted by one of the organizers of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta who was out walking his dog. After we landed and took a few photos, we were invited to help with the packing of the balloon as this is a big job. The balloon was loaded into the truck and trailer, we got in the van and headed back to the launch site.
The pilots could not easily control where the balloon would land and the early hot air balloons were filled with smoke and would even catch fire when they landed. Traveling landowners and their workers would see a blazing object fall from the sky with black-faced pilots scrambling around on their land. In order for the balloonists to save themselves from getting lynched by the mob, the pilots would offer a bottle of champagne from the King's court to appease the landowners who's land they had trespassed on with their balloon landing. This usually worked and a grand hot air balloon landing champagne tradition was born.
How to Dress for the Flight. Make sure that you dress you appropriately. In summer, it will be hot, but for our November flight, it was a chilling 15 degrees. I’m so glad that in my head I thought it was in the 30’s since I hadn’t looked at an updated weather report the day of our flight. Now the burners in the balloon will heat the basket area a little, but dress for the weather conditions. I had a hat, scarf and gloves with my wool coat and I was rather chilled during the flight (forgot to double up on the socks). My brother, Mike had thought the burners would make the ride much warmer than it was and unfortunately, he was freezing during our voyage as he wasn’t wearing a coat. In reality, the temperature in the balloon is a few degrees warmer than the surrounding air, despite the increased altitude. It is recommended that you wear warm clothing and dress in layers if you are taking a balloon ride in the fall or winter. Just as I love snorkeling reefs all over the world, I think my new must do adventure every where I travel will be to experience the location from a hot air balloon ride.
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