Alaska Air 747: Requesting clearance to fly by Mt. Rainier

Seatac: Negative…balloon in area

Alaska Air 747: A balloon? I am at 20,000ft

SeaTac: Balloon is currently over the top of Mt. Rainier at 20,200

Alaska Air 747: That’s a first. I have visual…

In 2002, Vic Johnson along with his friend Larry took the adventure of a lifetime and became the first hot air balloon pilots to fly over Mt. Rainier. After months of planning, a briefcase of permits from the FAA, Military, and Government, they crested the top of Rainier. Three hours later, Vic landed the balloon softly in a farmers field in Wenatchee.

When folks discover that I provide hot air balloon flights in front of Mt. Rainier, I often get asked the following questions “How high do you fly? Can you fly over the Cascades or Mt. Rainier?”. On regular commercial hot air balloon rides in the Washington, pilots fly below 12,500ft so they can avoid using oxygen. In Auburn and Enumclaw, we typically stay below 3000ft due to the commercial air traffic coming into Seattle.

After flying hot air balloons all over the world, I have found that flying in front of Mt. Rainier is something special. Although the view from a hot air balloon is always breathtaking, the experience of seeing the sun’s rays reflect off snow-capped Mt. Rainier at sunrise is majestic. The Enumclaw valley is lush with extravagant horse stables, cattle ranches, beautiful lakes and rivers, and even bison farms. From Seattle Ballooning’s luxury hot air balloon tour, you’ll have a birds-eye view of Lake Tapps, downtown Seattle, and Tacoma.

Before you decide to take a once-in-a-lifetime adventure like flying over Mt. Rainier or the Cascades, fly with us on a luxury French inspired hot air balloon flight. We are the only luxury hot air balloon company providing private and semi-private flights in front of Mt. Rainier. You’ll experience the wonders of Mt. Rainier, and enjoy a French post flight celebration with fresh baguettes, triple cream brie, croissants, and delicious champagne.

Balloon season is here, and we look forward to taking you on an extraordinary adventure. Weekend flights are filling up quickly. Click Here to book a flight for May, June, July, or August.

Security lines at SeaTac airport caused hundreds of travelers to miss their flights in recent weeks. Instead of waiting in line for two hours, now you can book a flight and skip the line. How exciting is that?

Instead of taking a flight to the East Coast or Asia this summer, take a ballooncation. We launch from Auburn or Enumclaw right in front of Mt. Rainier. We have no security lines and won’t make you take your shoes off. In fact, we would appreciate you keeping them on.

Your hot air balloon ride comes with luxury food service as well. Our flight crew will provide you with chocolate croissants before we launch, and brie and baguettes when we land. We’ll also do an after flight toast with a bottle of champagne opened with a sword!

At Seattle Ballooning, we don’t have any economy or economy plus seats. Actually, it’s standing room only.

Our private first class cabin is reserved for two (plus the pilot of course) and our Semi-Private cabin is reserved for four. Instead of playing addicting games on your Ipad during your flight, you’ll get to stand next to the captain and ask him questions. Now that’s what we call first class service.

I don’t know about your experience on other carriers, but it looks like the new luxury way to travel is with Seattle Ballooning. That is, assuming you don’t mind ending up 8 miles from where you started.

Seattle ballooning provides hot air balloon rides from April – September in Seattle. We offer both sunrise or sunset hot air balloon flights with online booking. Weekends are a hot commodity and are booking quickly so either book online, or give us a call today at 206-588-9788.

For many people, a hot air balloon ride is a lifelong dream. It’s a staple on most bucket lists, used to celebrate life’s special occasions.

Often, Seattle couples spend their anniversaries dining at fancy restaurants, like The Herbfarm or SkyCity at the Space Needle. Instead, imagine a romantic hot air balloon ride for two:

It’s an hour before sunset and your hot air balloon pilot directs you to climb into the basket. The pilot pulls the burner, and a warm flame heats the air around you. He signals to the crew, and you lift into the air. Gravity almost ceases to exist, and the earth just moves away from you. You float inches above the treetops, and, out of the corner of your eye, you see Mt. Rainier in all it’s glory. The pilot pulls the burner, and the balloon climbs to 3500ft. You experience one of the world’s wonders– watching the sun set twice that evening.

You breathe in the fresh air and find yourself in awe of the beautiful Snohomish Valley. Toward the end of the flight, the pilot skims the basket along the water of the Snohomish river, and minutes later lands gently back on Mother Earth.

Upon landing, you nosh on French cheeses and fresh baguettes, and your pilot pulls a sword out to open an exquisite bottle of champagne with a single swish through the air. You toast to living life to the fullest and having more adventures together. Fancy restaurants are wonderful, but it is impossible to forget the experience of flying into the sunset together.

Is your anniversary coming up? Book your Seattle hot air balloon ride today, or call us to get a gift certificate for a later date at 206-588-9788.

Whenever people discover that I fly hot air balloons in Seattle, they always ask the same four questions (in this exact order)…

1. Can you control where you go?

2. Do you need a license?

3. What’s the highest you’ve been in a hot air balloon?

4. How did you get into hot air ballooning?

Typically, people find out that I am a hot air balloon pilot at a party, fundraiser, or cocktail hour. Upon hearing the first question, my wife typically goes off to mingle on the other side of the room, as she has heard my word-for-word answers hundreds of times.

Can you control where you go?

Hot air balloon pilots depend on the wind to navigate, as the wind moves in different directions and speeds at different heights. On the surface, the wind might be going North at 3 knots, at 1000ft it could be going East at 5 knots, and at 3000ft, moving 10 knots South . That’s why you’ll often see hot air balloons ascend 5000ft, and then drop back down to a few hundred feet. Hot air balloon pilots use a variety of techniques to see the direction of the wind below them–dropping small pieces of paper, spraying shaving cream, or spitting over the side of the basket.

Do you need a license to fly hot air balloons?

Of course! Hot air balloons are aircrafts, and they are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To obtain a pilot’s license, applicants must achieve a minimum number of training hours, and then pass an FAA knowledge test, an oral exam and a practical “flight check ride” with an examiner.

What is the highest you’ve been in a hot air balloon?

Due to the “class B airspace” around Seattle, we typically stay below 5500ft. The highest I’ve been in a hot air balloon is 10,500ft. In September of 1862, Coxwell and Glaisher ascended to a record-breaking altitude of 39,000 feet with a gas balloon. Seventy years later in 1961, a new record altitude of 113,740 feet was set by Commander Malcolm Ross and Lieutenant Victor A. Prather, Jr. of the US Navy. RedBull Stratos holds the current record of 128,100 from their flight in 2012.

How did you get into hot air ballooning?

The CEO of the company I worked for in college owned a hot air balloon. Because I won a sales contest, I was invited to go on my first balloon ride, shared a 1997 Silver Oak Cabernet, and ultimately fell in love with hot air balloons.

If you’d like to find out more about how you can become a hot air balloon pilot, or would to book a ride or a hot air balloon flight, go to Seattle Ballooning and schedule your flight today.

_{Photo Credit: Screen shot from Thomas Jøhnk’s video of flying at 20k Ft}