Hot Air Ballooning in Connecticut
CT Balloonists Offer Unique Views of Valleys, Hills & Fall Foliage
Jul 29, 2009
Balloonists in a score of Connecticut towns offer visitors an opportunity to absorb the full beauty of New England fall foliage from high above the spectacularly-colored trees. They provide a rare chance to see the colors from above, rather than from below in an auto or bus.
That’s one of the extra appeals of the Connecticut hot air balloon industry. The exact number of firms offering balloon rides depends on what list someone is reading, but 17 are listed in the 2009 Connecticut Vacation Guide published by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.
Several additional companies are listed on the Internet.
Champagne Charter Flights
The companies describe the rides a variety of ways, including:
- Champagne charter flights
- Romantic hot-air balloon rides, usually at sunset.
- Unique celebrations, including weddings, marriage proposals and birthdays
- Winter excursions
- Fall foliage flights.
The champagne, incidentally, is usually served after the balloon lands, as part of a balloon tradition. As part of that ceremony, riders are often given certificates attesting to their flights.
Like other companies, A Yankee Balloon of Fairfield promotes “the serenity, majesty and romance of hot air ballooning.”
Floating Over the Treetops
The website for Eastern CT Balloon Services of Jewitt City adds that “the feeling of floating just over the treetops, climbing high for magnificent views, or slowly skimming across one of the many rivers or ponds is quite exhilarating.”
Some operators will fly 1,000 feet or higher.
The balloons normally carry a pilot and four passengers. One operator listed a top weight of 700 pounds for four passengers, a 175-pound per person average.
Luxury Partitioned Balloons
However, Advertising & Airventures of West Simsbury advertises it can handle “two to 20 people in luxury partitioned balloons.”
Most of the flights are conducted in central Connecticut, over the Litchfield Hills, the Farmington and Connecticut river valleys and the Housatonic Valley. A few cover picturesque areas in both northeast and southwest areas of the state.
A Cheshire firm (Balloon Rides by Castle View LLC) advertises that “on a clear day you can view Long Island (New York) to the south and the Berkshires to the north” in western Massachusetts.
Spectacular Four-State View
Eastern Connecticut Balloon advertises” a spectacular four-state view, including the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound.”
Aer Blarney Balloons of Litchfield also offers flight instructions.
Rain, High Wind, Low Visibility
Most of the balloon operators advertise that they operate year-round. However, all flights are subject to cancellation at any time because of rain, high wind or low visibility.
One firm says flights are cancelled if winds are expected to exceed 10 miles per hour on the surface or 20 mph at 3,000 feet. They reschedule flights at mutually convenient dates.
Reservations are generally required. One firm listed its price as $275 per person, but discounts and cheaper prices were available elsewhere.
Some companies advertise certifications by the Federal Aviation Agency or other government agency.
More on Connecticut recreation:
New Connecticut Center Proves Science Can Be Fun
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