If you’ve ever debated back and forth with yourself on whether a hot air balloon ride is something you’d like to do, this is your sign to do it. Hot air balloons can be scary. We’ve all heard of freak accidents that led to unfortunate circumstances and in some cases death. My family has been personally affected, in fact. My advice to you on this is to make sure you’re choosing a reputable company and make sure you’re going on this adventure in an area where power lines are virtually non-existent.
Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Ride Co. services Albuquerque and Colorado Springs in addition to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. They’re the number one hot air balloon company in the Southwest, and they require their pilots to be FAA-certified with a minimum of 500 flight hours.
You’ll definitely want to book this and reserve your spot in advance, which you can do on their website. No deposit is required, and you won’t pay until you return to the Rainbow Ryders headquarters after your flight, where you will also receive a flight certificate! If your ride is in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, you will call 480-299-0154 before 1 p.m. the day before your flight to check-in and provide an approximate weight of the members in your group. You can cancel and make changes to your reservation up to 48 hours in advance.
Depending on weather and wind conditions, your flight may not take place at all, could only go up to 1,000 feet, or could go up to 7,000 feet if weather conditions are perfect! Flights must remain under 7,000 feet as required by the FAA. The weather was perfect on the morning of our flight, and we got up to 6,700 feet!
These balloons are bigger than you’d ever imagine and are so expensive. They have big balloons for group flights that cost around $160,000, and they have smaller balloons for private flights that cost around $40,000. The big balloons have 100 gallons of gas on board, and 40 to 70 or 80 gallons of gas will be used on average during a flight. For group flights, up to 14 people can fit in a basket! One thing I found fascinating was how I felt in-flight. The balloon was much quieter than you’d expect, and it truly feels like you’re floating. It's a pretty indescribable, bucket-list worthy experience.
We opted to do a sunrise flight on May 14, 2022 and woke up around 3:20 a.m. to head to the Phoenix headquarters for our 4:30 a.m. check-in time. Your check-in time will vary depending on what time of year it is and on what time the sun will rise or set. Once we were there, we signed some paperwork and got broken up into groups. When our group was called, we got into a van that brought us to the launch site. Other balloons and flight crews were already there being fired up for take off. They will have you wait in the van until your balloon and basket is safely unloaded from the trailer your van was pulling. I highly recommend bringing a jacket with you for this because it can be chilly in the Sonoran Desert before the sun rises, even in mid-May. Also be prepared to experience some heat if you are standing near the flame during your flight, so layers are key. Getting in and out of the basket can be a little difficult, but they show you the easiest way to do it and will provide assistance if needed. You cannot fly if you are pregnant, if under the age of 5, or if you cannot stand for approximately one hour. Your flight time will be around 45 minutes to an hour, but plan for the whole experience to take around 3 to 4 hours total.
Our guide’s name was Patrick, and he was so hilarious, experienced, and knowledgeable. He really put everyone at ease, told us about his 30 years of experience as a pilot, told funny jokes, picked on other pilots, and made the morning as incredible as we could have hoped it would be. He did advise not to propose to your significant other on the flight unless you’re sure their answer will be yes because than can make for an awkward in-flight experience for everyone. He said someone did that one time, and the girl answered, “We talked about this.” He did say at least it was towards the end of the flight but yikes!
There’s a town visible from the skies where your flight will take place. Apparently, there is an ornery woman among the residents who often goes outside with a mirror trying to blind pilots because she doesn’t like the frequent balloon flights above her home. NOTE: THIS IS ILLEGAL. DO NOT BE THIS WOMAN. The police have talked to her before and are looking to prosecute from what I understood.
We really enjoyed seeing the desert landscape, the vegetation of the area, and the wildlife. We saw some jack rabbits and prairie dogs that were wholly unbothered by the balloons in the sky!
The descent was one of the crazier phenomenons I’ve experienced in life. You are descending so much faster than you’d ever realize. Our guide Patrick threw a biodegradable tissue into the air, and it went upwards instead of falling like you’d expect.
The scariest part of this experience, in my opinion, was the landing. However, there will be several guys on the ground waiting to catch your basket and make sure it lands upright. Props to those guys for their strength!
At the end of your flight, you’ll share some champagne with your group! This is a tradition that dates back all the way to 1783 in France (over 200 years ago)! A bottle of champagne was offered to a land owner or farmers as an apology for disturbing the land upon a hot air balloon landing, and thus, a tradition was born.
There is also a Balloonist’s Prayer that will be said while you enjoy your champagne! Our pilot and crew had a lot of OJ ready to go, so we had very early morning mimosas.
Balloonist’s Prayer: “The winds have welcomed you with softness. The sun has blessed you with its warm hands. You have flown so high and so well, that God has joined you in your laughter and set you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth.”
Rainbow Ryders is located at 715 E Covey Ln #100, Phoenix, AZ 85024.
If you like my cactus earrings, I got them from Francesca's! Linked below.
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