Ride Information
Hot Air Balloon Ride Oklahoma City
We fly year round in the NW Oklahoma City area weather permitting. We generally fly at sunrise in the hotter months and 2 1/2 hours before sunset in the colder months. We get to fly once or twice a week (that's all mother nature allows in Oklahoma) and we don't get to pick which days the weather will cooperate so please be patient and be as flexible as you can with your schedule.
Flights are scheduled
on a first come, first served basis. We watch the weather everyday and when a nice day is approaching
(hopefully two days before) we
start calling the first passengers on our list to see if you will be free that
day.
If you want to try for a specific date, we can schedule it as the first try, but
understand it may have to be rescheduled if the weather doesn't cooperate.
Hot Air Balloons can fly during 2 parts of the day, when the sun is low in the sky, launching at sunrise in the summer and 2 hours before sunset the cooler days of the year (when afternoon temperatures stay below the 80s) Sunrise Sunset Times. We fly year round when the winds are light, 8 mph or less (depending on your age and health).
When we agree on a day that looks good for everyone, we will call the evening before to confirm the weather forecast and the meeting time and place.
That morning I will get up first and check the weather, for afternoon flights I will check the weather 2 hours before our meeting time.
When we get to the meeting site, we will look at the winds by letting a helium filled balloon go as a test and watch its speed and direction. If everything still looks good, we all get in our chase vehicle with balloon in tow and head up wind a few miles to launch the balloon. Don't worry; we will bring you back to your vehicle.
You
will begin by helping inflate the balloon, for the full experience and it's
appreciated by the volunteer crew as much as tips.
We fly for a few miles and
about an hour (plan to spend about three hours for the whole experience).
It all depends on the wind. Steering a Hot Air Balloon is done by changing
altitude to find slight changes in the wind speed and direction so no two
flights are the same. We will find the best landing sight ahead and tell the
others in the chase vehicle following us where we are landing by radio (no cell
phones allowed). They will meet us and help us pack up the balloon and then we will
drive everyone back to the meeting site.
Restrictions:
Age
16 (with parental consent form), to age ??, depending on health and
wind speed.
You just need to be able to stand in the basket for an hour and hold on tight
during landing.
Age 12 to 15 can fly with a parent in the basket, in very light wind conditions.
Landings can be a bit bouncy, and you will be required to climb into
and out of the basket (let us know if you think you will have any problem
climbing over the side quickly but safely). Although it's not quite like an amusement park ride, the list of
reasons you should not ride are the same. (Recent surgery, back, or knee problems, pregnancy, etc.)
We can accommodate people that shouldn't have a rough landing, but scheduling is
more difficult and up to the weather to give us a day with winds under 5 mph. Like most
adventure activities, we require a signed Release of Liability from all
passengers.
Clothes and Shoes appropriate for a nature walk. We may need to walk through mud or tall grass. (long pants and no open toed shoes or heels) also there is a possibility of ink like stains from the burner condensation so don’t wear your favorite clothes. Cotton is best and in layers so you can adjust to the temperature as the morning warms up. The temperature in the basket will be warmer than the temperature on the ground. If you would wear a jacket or sweater on the ground, then you will want it in the balloon until we are flying.
No shirt, No shoes, No service. Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone.
Please note, we are not a nation wide "discount" ticket seller. Be
careful dealing with these companies who don't have a balloon and only sell
tickets.
We are the Balloon owners and I am the Pilot.
I hope this answers your questions. If you would like to discuss it in more detail, feel free to e-mail or call us at
405-698-2fly (405-698-2359)
4056982fly@gmail.com
Keith Mills, Shawndel Mills, Heather Mills
Free Spirit Balloons, LLC
109 Vandiver Ln.
Piedmont, OK. 73078
Purchase your tickets early so you can get on our
flight schedule, working with the weather limitations can take a while.
Purchase information can be found on the
Pricing page.
Thanks
Keith Mills
Free Spirit Balloons
Hot Air Balloon Ride Oklahoma City