Riding in a hot air balloon has been a bucket list adventure I have been chasing for the past two years. Some have said, "You have the worst luck out of anyone I have known." But, the good news is, after five attempts, I finally floated across the sky during sunrise over the Scottsdale desert. If you are craving the experience of floating away in a balloon, here are four things I wish I had known before taking my first hot air balloon ride.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C27xphzPp4S[/embed]
Your Flight Could Be Rescheduled
If the winds are not favorable, aka pushing you in a direction that is not safe for landing, you could get a phone call, or text message, saying your flight is delayed or rescheduled. This happens occasionally, so allow yourself to be flexible when booking a hot air balloon ride.
How To Dress
During your hot air balloon flight, you will be exposed to the elements, so bring a few layers as it might be cold, especially if you are doing a sunrise hot air balloon ride. However, when I was flying, I noticed the fire used to keep the hot air balloon filled was very warm, so I had to shed a layer.
The Wind Has The Final Say
You are not in an airplane that has wings and a motor, you are floating in the sky by a big balloon. The pilots are truly pilots, yup they have to get a license to fly you, but they are at the mercy of the wind. If the wind wants to take you south, you're going south. If the wind wants you to go east, you're headed east. Your pilot with change their altitude accordingly to find a favorable wind direction, but just remember, the wind has the final say.
Things Happen Fast!
In many ways, hot air balloon rides are a hurry-up-to-wait experience. One second you are looking at the balloon getting filled, the next you’re in the air floating through the sky. You're looking around, getting lost in the landscape. The new perspective of being up high opens your eyes to what's around, then you're told to brace for landing. It's not that a hot air balloon ride is short, it's that you will be engaged and lose track of time.