Ever since man first took to the air in a balloon nearly 100 years before the Wright brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, he has been fascinated with flight. Most people are spellbound by this first form of flight, often commenting how they’d like to fly in a balloon whenever they see one in the sky.

Even though the thought of flying in a balloon may seem daring or dangerous, it is actually a very safe sport. Balloons only fly when the weather is good with light wind, no rain or thunderstorms in the area. Balloons fly shortly after dawn, and just before sunset, since those are the times of day when the wind is the calmest. Balloon flight is ‘low and slow’ - very relaxing and peaceful. People who have a fear of heights have no problems in a balloon because they feel very secure while in the high sided basket and there is no feeling of movement. The actual flight averages an hour, but passengers should plan to be gone for three to four hours for the entire excursion.

Ride balloons come in different sizes, and can carry as few as two, or as many as 16. The balloon is followed on the ground by the chase crew, who will be at the landing site to pack up the balloon and return passengers to the meeting location.

Many areas have commercial balloon pilots who offer charter flights. Check your local Yellow Pages under ‘Balloons - Manned’ for contacts. Most balloon ride companies offer gift certificates, which allow the recipient to schedule a flight at their convenience.

Here are some questions to ask when you call local balloon ride companies:

• How long have you been in business?
• Do you operate your own balloons?
• Do you fly full time or part time?
• What is your safety record? Have any passengers been injured?
• Are gift certificates refundable or transferable?

Check the Better Business Bureau for the company history.
You can also search the Internet with something like ‘Balloon Rides in Los Angeles’. A word of caution when searching on the internet, though — there are companies that do not actually fly balloons, but only sell certificates. Some customers have complained that there are no operators near them who will honor the certificates.

A balloon flight gift certificate is a wonderful gift, the flight will be remembered fondly for a long time. As long as you take simple precautions when choosing the company you get the gift certificate from, you can be assured of providing a very unique gift.

Jim Whitesell is a commercial balloon pilot who operates the most popular hot air balloon website, as well as the Aviation Words website.