You’re probably better off not asking any questions; You may not like what you hear and the answer will not affect the outcome. That is unless you’ve chosen a novice pilot and you distract him from flying the balloon with your question – now it can affect the outcome! I hope you will find this article informative and use the knowledge to find safe and confident pilots flying for a reputable company to provide your adventure with. The fact is that once you are at the top, you have nowhere to go but to join in on the journey. You’re probably better off not asking questions; You may not like what you hear and the answer will not affect the outcome. That is unless you’ve chosen a novice pilot and you distract him from flying the balloon with your question – now it can affect the outcome! I hope you will find this article informative and use the knowledge to find safe and confident pilots flying for a reputable company to provide your adventure with. The fact is that once you are at the top, you have nowhere to go but to join in on the journey.

 You’re probably better off not asking any questions; You may not like what you hear and the answer will not affect the outcome. That is unless you’ve chosen a novice pilot and you distract him from flying the balloon with your question – now it can affect the outcome! I hope you will find this article informative and use the knowledge to find safe and confident pilots flying for a reputable company to provide your adventure with. That is unless you’ve chosen a novice pilot and you distract him from flying the balloon with your question – now it can affect the outcome! I hope you will find this article informative and use the knowledge to find safe and confident pilots flying for a reputable company to provide your adventure with. That is unless you’ve chosen a novice pilot and you distract him from flying the balloon with your question – now it can affect the outcome! I hope you will find this article informative and use the knowledge to find safe and confident pilots flying for a reputable company to provide your adventure with.

This is the third and final article in a series to educate consumers on how to choose an experienced hot air balloon ride company. This section will give you questions to ask before you buy a ride and before you board for a flight. More importantly, it will give you the tools you need to interpret the answers you receive; allows you to make informed purchases.

In the first article, How to Choose an Experienced Hot Air Balloon Company and Not Just a Broker, I explained the difference between a hot air balloon “operator” and a hot air balloon “broker” of balloon rides. For a quick recap, the balloon ride operator owns and operates the balloons that you will actually fly. They are in the business of selling and providing rides. The balloon ride broker does not own any balloons and only sells you gift certificates or flight vouchers. In Part 2, Operators or Brokers, readers are provided with information on how to quickly distinguish between operators and brokers in web searches. If the difference isn’t clear to you or if you’re not sure why you should deal directly with carriers vs. broker, I suggest you take a few minutes to read it here,

After Selecting a Company to Call or Order, Here are Questions to Ask:

1. How long have you been in business?

How long a company has been in business is usually a good indicator of how well the business is running. Companies that have been in business for a long time should pay attention to details and provide good customer service. The market generally will weed out companies that treat their customers indifferently, provide a lousy product, or are in it for a quick buck. Very good companies stick around, stay in it for the long haul, and realize that trusting and making a name for themselves is something that takes time and effort.

2. What is your physical address in my area and what legal entity is the company?

If the company does not have a physical address or location in your area or even in your state where you can meet them or to get a certificate and the only option is by mail, it is a broker. Locally owned and operated means that the company must have an interest in how you are treated as a customer. Satisfied customers will tell 5-10 people about their experience, dissatisfied customers will tell hundreds. Out-of-town travel companies base their sales on volume nationwide and aren’t too concerned about the level of service you might receive. There are many legal forms that businesses can choose from, but by far the corporation is the best indicator of a legitimate business entity. How many locations do you have? If there is more than one or the answer is “You can exchange certificates in multiple locations”  you are dealing with a broker. This is not to be confused with the number of launch sites a company may have. Many travel operators take off from multiple locations but only have one office.

3. How many hours do you or your pilot have and what are their names?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses and regulates all balloon pilots and requires them to record their flying hours. The FAA minimum for Commercial Balloon Pilots is only 35 hours of pilot command flight time. A full-time pilot will obviously have more experience and working hours compared to a part-time pilot. The Balloon Federation of America (BFA) has established a Pilot Achievement Awards program that has levels 1 to 8 or Student Aeronaut (balloon pilot) to Distinguished Aeronaut. The BFA requires a minimum of 700 flight hours on 600 flights, among other requirements, to qualify as a Distinguished Aeronaut. Levels 400 to 500 hours are intermediate pilots and 1000 hours or more are experienced pilots. Up-to-date experience and flying more than 75 hours per year will ensure competence. Flying 30 hours a year, or less, is  not enough in my opinion to be at the top of your game. You can search the FAA roster of pilots to confirm pilot certification by going here https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry  and first entering your own information. Use the pilot’s name and state to narrow your search. Unfortunately, this will only confirm that they have the license, not for how long, or whether the pilot meets the mandated requirements to act as pilot-in-command. If a company has only one pilot, it is small and may be a hobby operation. Having multiple pilots is indicative of a full-time travel business. Lastly, ask how long the pilots have had their license, not how long have you been in the balloon? Many pilots start out as members of the balloon ground crew and may have been in the sport for years but have only piloted for a very short time. If the answer is five to seven years or less as a pilot, you are usually dealing with pilots with limited time and limited experience.

4. Have you as a pilot, your other pilots, or your company ever had an accident?

Ask if any pilots have ever been denied insurance, or asked to file a report with the FAA or the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board). Most pilots never deal with the FAA. To get sanctions from the FAA usually requires a fairly severe violation. If there are reports of FAA violations, accidents (FAA for accidents) or incidents (FAA for minor accidents) then be careful. Did the pilot participate in repeated training, e.g. did they attend any safety seminars in the last 12 months? Most insurance companies offer substantial discounts for pilots participating in safety seminars. If a company suddenly changes its name while operating the same aircraft or occupying the same location,

5. How are your crew trained and are they experienced?

Some companies will advertise a “total balloon experience” and immerse you by putting you to work helping inflate, deflate, and inflate the balloon. There is even one company I know that advertises you to go out and experience the crew firsthand by paying the company for the privilege of doing their hard work! Legitimate companies will have all the necessary crew to operate the systems they fly. It’s OK to allow passengers to take as active a role as they want (as long as proper instructions are given) but it’s not OK for paying passengers to be expected to work. A full-time company will have a well-trained and paid crew.

6. Do you fly full time or part time?

This may seem at first a trivial question, but it is important. Balloon piloting is a skill that requires finesse. Like any trade that requires skill, practice creates competence. Full-time means professional pilots make a living on their pilot’s license and as such they usually have more experience, hours and training. Part-time workers generally do something else for a living, don’t fly that much, and may just support what should be an expensive hobby. This is not to say that there are no good and even great part-time balloon pilots, there are. Simply put, the more you do something and the more often you do it, the better you will do it!

7. Do you have your balloon or balloons?

If the answer is “no” or “all the companies we use, have their own balloons”, it’s a broker. If it’s just one balloon, it’s a one-pilot small operator. Having multiple balloons in your possession usually means a full-time balloon travel business operator with more than one pilot.

8. What size balloon do you fly?

The bigger the balloon, the more lift it generates, which means the more weight it can carry. The more weight it can carry means more passengers. The bigger the balloon, the more expensive it is. Think of a car as a good analogy. Balloons are measured by the number of cubic feet of air they will hold. Small or compact balloons measure 56,000-77,000 cubic feet. Medium-sized balloons are in the 90-105,000 cubic feet range. An SUV-sized balloon is 126-141,000 cubic feet and a van or truck-sized balloon is 180-300,000 cubic feet. Full-time companies generally use balloons larger than 105,000 cubic feet for their passenger capacity. If companies limit passenger weight or can only carry one, two, or three passengers, they operate small balloons with limited capacity. Many companies will advertise this limited capacity as a positive.”

9. What is your refund, cancellation and transfer policy?

If the answer is unclear or evasive, you should be careful. This applies to any questions you may ask the company. If you don’t get an immediate answer when they try their best to make you a customer, what kind of treatment will you get if you no longer want to be their customer or if there is a dispute? Straightforward answers and written policies are the way bona fide businesses conduct themselves. Anything else is unacceptable. Flights must be clearly returnable and easily transferable. Most companies have a minimum 72 hour cancellation policy.

You are now equipped to ask smart questions and more importantly to understand the significance of the answers you receive. Get out there and experience the romance and adventure that only a hot air balloon can provide. I appreciate any comments you may have about this information, especially how it could be improved. I also welcome any questions you may have after reading this information and will be happy to answer them.