Fly High With High 5 Hot Air Ballooning

Off the top of my head, I can’t tell you a specific movie or show that made me want to go in a hot air balloon ride. But I can tell you, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I mean it’s a giant balloon filled with air (and heat) that gives you the ability to fly above the trees, without windows or doors. You get an unobstructed 360-degree view of the world below you, and the (slight) breeze in your hair. Bonus, it’s a lot safer than you would think. Wicker basket and all. So, whip out that bucket list and add a hot air balloon ride if you haven’t already because believe me, you don’t want to miss out.

Full Disclosure: I am lucky enough to say that this is my second time up in a basket. However, my first time was when I was about 12. So my absorption of the process and details were limited to me just being in awe that I was in the freaking sky. In a basket. This time around, I took apart in the setup/break down more and paid attention to the details.

Where to get a hot air balloon ride.

The most important detail in hot air balloon riding is to go with a reputable company. If they brag about no cancellations, cancel them. On average, it takes about 11 attempts to get up to the sky. Why? Well, unfortunately, we haven’t really gotten weather control down pat yet. So if it’s not safe to fly, the ride has to be postponed. (Like high winds, low visibility, fog, rain, etc.) It took us 3 attempts to rise into the clouds and we almost didn’t make it up the third. Luckily, we hung around for about a half-hour and the mist dissipated and we got clear beautiful views…but I’ll get into those later.

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For our hot air balloon flight, we chose (okay, we had it gifted for Christmas- thanks again dad!) High 5 Ballooning based out of Derry, NH. Tony Sica is the owner and pilot- I cannot express how great he is. He makes you feel safe before and during the flight-whilst cracking a few jokes to help ease the slightly terrified. He communicates very well the safety precautions, process, and history behind floating a giant balloon in the sky.

The Meet-Up

When you arrive at the meeting point, before the sun, you’re greeting by Tony and his crew. Check-in, sign liability forms, and go through the safety briefing. While doing so, Tony lets a balloon float into the sky to test the visibility, winds, etc. to make sure it’s actually safe to fly. Because, obviously, relying on the weatherman in New England isn’t always the most accurate forecast. Like I said prior, upon arrival we had some pretty low visibility and mist. We were given the option to do a low ride (just above the tree line) or reschedule.

Out of the 6 of us flying, we all wanted to wait. Why pay money for a crappy view? Tony not only understood but also straight-up said he wouldn’t make the decision for us. (Don’t go with a company that puts their wallet before safety!!) We decided to wait it out a bit and luckily, the skies cleared beautifully and we all hopped in the van to go set up our balloon.

Rising up

Hot air balloon rides are definitely interactive. They’re not like dude ranch interactive but you definitely get to help out. For setting up, the crew brings out the basket and balloon. They set up the basket and do all the “behind-the-scenes” setting up, and a safety check on the burners-Hello giant flame!

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After laying it the balloon, you all un velcro the straps and blow air into it to get it all going. Sounds easy, right? I volunteered to hold the balloon up to help the fan blow into the balloon and not under it. Holy crap was it powerful. The balloon was lifting my foot up off the ground! So once it’s filled and set up, you get into the basket.

Next thing you know, you’re floating into the skies.

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I live around here, and I never knew we had so many woods in Salem, Nh. The view from 500 feet was spectacular. The winds took us over Canobie Lake Park, Arlington pond, and a few neighborhoods. You could see Rockingham Park, Walmart, lots of wooded areas, and most of Salem, Nh. Because of how the clouds dissipated, we were actually able to fly above some. I literally had my head in the clouds. Also, because of this, we got to see a Glory rainbow! A glory is an optical phenomenon caused by light or (more rarely)  moonlight interacting with the tiny water droplets that compose mist or clouds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(optical_phenomenon). The picture is below, but it doesn’t do it justice. It’s something you have to see for yourself.

The thing about landing

Hot air balloon rides are awesome. But they also rely almost completely on the weather. You can’t steer a balloon. So how do you land? Welp. You land anywhere you can. It can be in someone’s backyard, a giant open field, or in our case, a construction site. We actually landed in a field of Milk Thistle near a construction site. So Ryan and another passenger jumped out and helped the crew move us to an easier spot to pack up. Once we were there, they actually tipped the basket while were in it and we jumped out. Believe me, It sounds way harder than it actually was. Doors are overrated anyway.

Once we landed, we all grabbed the velcro straps, worked as a team, and flattened the balloon into a velcroed burrito, and lifted it into the holding bin. Like I said at the beginning, this is definitely an adventure that you help with. But that just adds to the experience, and it makes the process significantly easier and faster. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be without our helping hands. After the Balloon was all packed up, Tony and his crew packed up the basket, we all hopped into the van, and they drove us back to our cars.

& That’s a wrap.

So you get back to the meeting spot, get a plastic souvenir glass filled with a mimosa (or a non-alcoholic choice), hand sanitizer, and a certificate that says you’ve been officially been up the in clouds. The flight costs $200/person. A little pricey, but worth the experience in my opinion. It’s not every day you can say that you saw mother nature from 500 ft above the ground while floating in a hot air balloon. So if you’re all for new experiences, save up and take the ride. It’s worth it.

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Take a hot air balloon ride with Tony

But do it fast, he was talking about retiring in a few years! It’s also important to note that since hot air balloon rides are weather reliant and seasonal, they book up fast. So if you want a specific date or you’re not very flexible, call as early as possible. And remember, cancellations happen so be prepared to potentially reschedule!

Vacationing in the area and want to make the most of it? Try a wine making class! This is what I thought about a local one!