A Hot Air Balloon ride will be one of the most amazing things you have ever done IN YOUR LIFE! 

With decades of flight experience and thousands and thousands of passengers flown we can assure you that the Minnesota Balloon Experience is one you will share with family and friends for the rest of your life.  We have acquired thousands of 5 star reviews over the years and know with all our hearts that you too will walk away simply amazed at the Art of Aerostation.

So what is the flight all about you may ask.

Let's start by talking about what it's NOT.  A balloon flight is not a roller coaster ride.  In fact when you lift off the ground it may actually be hard for you to tell you have even left the earth.  The number of times we have heard our passengers whisper "Were off the ground" would astound you.  The balloon floats perfectly smooth.  Because of the sheer size of the balloon it simply can not move fast and it does not accelerate like a car does.  As the balloon lifts off, it very gently begins to move with the wind. So gentle in fact that there is no sensation of motion at all!  The peaceful bliss of a balloon flight is honestly, difficult to put into words.

So what is this "Art of Aerostation" you talk about.

Aerostation is a term that was coined in the late 1700's.  It is a French term that refers to the navigation of lighter than air aircraft.  A hot air balloon does not have a steering wheel.  In fact the only control a balloon pilot has is up and down.  But, you will be amazed at what the pilot can do with that ability.  Your pilot has control over the altitude of the balloon within inches.  HONESTLY, they could come down to the ground and knock over a cup of coffee and not touch the ground!  This is where the Art of Aerostation begins.  The control of the balloons altitude allows the pilot to use layers of wind to navigate.

How does this "3 Dimensional Navigation" work?

As a balloon changes altitude the wind will change direction and speed.  This allows the pilot to use those different layers to alter the direction of the balloons flight.  As the earth spins the friction of the surface drags the wind with it.  As you get further away from the earth there is less friction and the wind layers change directions.  The is called the Coriolis effect.  Typically as you climb in altitude you will turn to the right.  THIS IS THE ART OF AEROSTATION.  Using the wind layers to alter the direction of flight is exactly what pilots must do at a balloon competition.  Use the wind layers to navigate to a target.  It is not uncommon for pilots to fly at a target miles away and be within inches of that target.  I have witnessed a pilot who pointed out a manhole cover 3 miles away and landed on it!

What is involved with a balloon ride?

We start our flight program with a pre-flight briefing.  This is were we explain the process of assembling the aircraft and the inflation process.  You are welcome to help at the direction of your pilot.  We have found that when our passengers are involved they enjoy the whole event even more.  The inflation process of the balloon takes between 20 and 30 minutes and provides a ton of photo opportunities.  Once inflated and your pilot has accomplished their pre-flight checks you will board your gateway to the heavens and be given one last passenger briefing.  Now it is time for liftoff.  Again you will be amazed at the complete lack of motion sensation.  You will literally feel as tho you are standing still and someone has begun to lower the earth!

Once you are airborne the amazing sounds of the earth below will fill your senses with awe.  Hear the birds chirping and even the sound of wildlife running in the Forrest.  Other than the occasional blast of the burners to keep you aloft the balloon floats nearly silent!  Believe it or not you can actually talk to people on the ground and if you are out over a sparsely populated area you can actually shout over the basket and hear you own echo from the ground.  The earth acts just like the wall of a canyon and the sound will bounce back to you in the basket.

The flight time will vary depending on many factors.  Wind speed, direction, weather conditions and the availability of landing areas are the primary factors.  On average we will fly between 45 minutes and an hour.  Again our primary focus is on the comfort and safety of our passengers.

As a commercial flight instructor your pilot will also encourage you to ask questions during the flight.  It is as easy for us to answer your questions while flying a balloon as it is for you to answer questions while driving your car.  We WANT you to know more about the balloon flight because we honestly believe the more you know the more amazed you will be with the entire process.  We operate on a simple principle.  We practice the three E's to make the "Big E"

The most important part!

Upon landing our ground team (who have been diligently following us) will arrive to help us pack away the balloon and return us to our launch site.  We will also celebrate our flight with the traditional after flight ceremonies and your pilot will explain some of the history of ballooning and how many of the traditions began.  The most interesting of them is the tradition of champagne!  Light refreshments will be served and stories told!

What about the weather?

This is the most difficult part about ballooning and can be the most frustrating!  We ALL want to fly!  We love flying and our whole family has been involved in ballooning for generations and decades!  BUT we must be safe.  We must be safe for YOU and for US!  Please Please understand if we choose not to fly on a specific day it is only out of respect for the power of mother nature and strictly for safety reasons.  We promise that when the conditions are right you will LOVE LOVE LOVE your flight with us!  We do ask that you please respect the pilots decision.  They have been taught what to look for and have the experience to stay out of harms way.  There are many sayings in the world of aviation.  One of our favorite is this.

"It is you lack of superior knowledge that will require you to acquire superior skills.  It is your superior knowledge that will keep you from needing to use your superior skills".  "Famous Flight Instructor"

We hope you have enjoyed our explanation about our flight program.  If you have more questions please give us a call or use our contact us form.