A Timeline Of Hot Air Balloons

A day you shall never forget.

The evening BEFORE the flight, between 05:30 and 06:30 p.m. you will receive a text message to inform you if your flight is going ahead. You will receive details about the time and place to meet and what to expect the following morning.

If the weather is suitable, we will meet at the Hotel Windsor on 111 Spring Street as stated in your confirmation email, approximately one and a half hours before Sunrise. Yes, this is EARLY, especially in late Spring and early Summer when we can sometimes meet as early as 04:15 A.M. Our aim is to be in the air before Sunrise, not only to see the sunrise from a balloon over Melbourne but also because this is the safest moment of the day to fly, it is when the winds tend to be at their calmest. Our vehicles will drive you to our selected launch site where we proceed to inflate the balloon with the help of any passengers that are able and willing to participate in the preparations…this is meant to be fun and interesting. These gentle giants are MASSIVE and seeing them take shape as we first inflate them with cold air, later to heat the air with our powerful burners, is a lovely sight and experience, one which followers are welcome to come and watch as well.

Once all passengers are on board and after a short safety briefing, we will lift off and drift in the wind for approximately one hour, give or take, as the pilot will have to manoeuvre the winds at different heights to land the balloon in one of the many locations we are allowed to land on. Our vehicle will be following us during the whole flight. After we have landed, together with willing passengers, we proceed to pack the balloon away and we will drive you back to our original meeting place where you can enjoy an optional five-star champagne breakfast, truly the best way to finish your morning with us.

Yes, we start early! As early as 04:00 a.m. in the Summer and as late as 07:30 a.m. in Winter. We follow the Sun and tend to meet approximately 1½ hours before Sunrise at a convenient location which will be confirmed to you prior to the balloon flight. From here we will drive you, in our vehicles, to the launch site.

Hot air balloons float in the wind, so we have many different take-off locations, depending on the wind direction on the day. We like to call the experience “audience participation” which means, if you are game and able to, there are tasks for all who want to take part in this most ancient way to fly. Half an hour is what it takes to prepare these gentle giants. Once onboard we lift gently–so gently it constantly amazes passengers–you do not feel height-sick.

Ballooning is not an adrenaline sport, it is a sport where we contemplate, we admire, we see the sun casting shadows in the landscape, we hear the waking countryside, the city at dawn…. Ballooning is special. As an old English lady once said to us, “balloons are one of the few things built by humankind that truly enhance nature.” We enjoy what we do, and we aim to hear that you loved the morning you spent with us.

Yes, we start early! As early as 04:30 a.m. in the Summer and as late as 06:30 a.m. in Winter. We follow the Sun and tend to meet approximately 1½ hours before Sunrise at a convenient location which will be confirmed to you prior to the balloon flight. From here we will drive you, in our vehicles, to the launch site.

Hot air balloons float in the wind, so we have many different take-off locations, depending on the wind direction on the day. We like to call the experience “audience participation” which means, if you are game and able to, there are tasks for all who want to take part in this most ancient way to fly. Half an hour is what it takes to prepare these gentle giants. Once onboard we lift gently–so gently it constantly amazes passengers–you do not feel height-sick.

Ballooning is not an adrenaline sport, it is a sport where we contemplate, we admire, we see the sunrise above the horizon, we hear the waking countryside, the city at dawn…. Ballooning is special. As an old English lady once said to us, “balloons are one of the few things built by humankind that truly enhance nature.” We enjoy what we do, and we aim to hear that you loved the morning you spent with us.