FAQs
Questions?
You can find answers to some of our most commonly asked questions here:
Why
so early!? :) Ok. This is probably the
#1 most asked question! There is a reason why we fly so early in the
morning! Balloon flight requires very stable weather conditions in
which to conduct a gentle and safe flying experience for our guests.
The first couple of hours after sunrise is
generally the most stable time of day. This is when the air is the
coolest (cold air sinks and descending air is stable air). Therefore,
winds are at their calmest. During the late morning and early afternoon
hours the air becomes more unstable as rising columns of hot air
(sometimes visible as 'dust devils' or thermals as they are known as
scientifically!) rise off the warm (or hot) desert floor. This
creates a rather unstable (and perhaps violent) air mass that is not
conducive for safe balloon flight. If that isn't reason enough, we
believe the most beautiful time of day is during these early hours when
the Arizona desert is just coming alive and the sights, sounds, and
smell of the desert are at their peak. Arizona also has some of the
most
beautiful sunrises! Even on those rare overcast mornings, Arizona has a
way of
creating a most visually stunning sunrise! Especially near the
Superstition Mountains! During
Arizona's winter months, when the daytime temperatures are only in the
60's and 70's for high temperatures, weather conditions are again
favorable for flying during the period beginning about 1 1/2 hours
before sunset. This allows us another opportunity to fly and to watch
the sun set on another wonderful Arizona day.
How safe is ballooning? This
is another of the most common questions we get asked.. and it
should be!!! Ballooning is one of the safest forms of flight known to
man. Statistically, ballooning enjoys a very safe record. However, as
with any outdoor recreational sport, there are certainly risks that are
involved. However, the risks are greatly minimized when your pilot
adheres to strict safety standards, with respects to the balloon
equipment as well as the local weather conditions. Ballooning requires
light winds (generally less than 10 mph) on the surface for a gentle
inflation and, more importantly, the landing. High wind landings can be
a bit bumpy and rough . Even when winds are up around 8 to10 mph, the
landings
can
be a bit bumpy
(although passengers tend to enjoy this part of
the flight!).
However, Roping The Wind HABC has enjoyed a perfect
safety record since we began operating and have never had a claim on
our insurance due to equipment damage, property damage or injuries to
passengers. Your pilot, Scott Nicol, has been piloting balloons for 13
years and with over 1200 hours of flight time can also
boast
a perfect safety record. It is very important to choose a company that
has a strong knowledge of the local area, in terms of terrain and
weather/wind conditions in these flight areas. Roping The Wind HABC not
only has more experience flying the East Valley skies, but we are
also based in the East Valley. Being based in our little corner of the
valley also allows us to be more in tune with the local weather
conditions as they continually change... right up to your scheduled
flight time. You can be assured a very safe, enjoyable and relaxing
balloon flight experience with us!
How high and how far will we
fly?
This is a tough question, yet an easy one to answer! It is simply not
possible to answer this question until the morning of your flight and,
more likely, when you are actually in the balloon! Wind speed and
wind direction determines how long you fly, how high you fly and how
far you will travel. Our flights are always a least 1 hour in duration,
or longer, depending on which flight package you choose as well as
wind conditions the morning of your flight. Each of our flight areas
have a rather consistent wind pattern. Typical balloon flight is around
5-10 miles, however, distance may be more or less depending on the
speed of the wind, which varies from day to day. How high you fly is
determined by wind direction aloft. Some days your pilot will need to
fly much of the flight at higher altitudes to seek out a more favorable
wind direction (or heading) to take you to an area of favorable landing
sites. Other days, much of the flight will need to be flown at lower
altitudes for the same reasons. However, a typical flight will spend
much of the time at and below 1,000' above the ground. We will often
times be able to take you up to as high as 3,000' or more to take in
views of the surrounding mountains. We will likely also spend some time
within feet of the desert floor to take in close up views of the
Sonoran desert plant life and perhaps see some wildlife! Even though we
fly the same locations almost daily, every flight is unique and that is
why your pilot always seems to be so excited each and every time he
hops in the basket for another ballooning adventure!
Where will we land? Again,
this question can only be answered once you are in the air! Since
balloons travel with the wind and since the wind varies slightly from
day to day, it is very unusual to land back where you launched from.
However, any small desert clearing (next to a road of course!) will do.
On our city flights in Chandler, it is not uncommon to land in small
city parks and even cul-de-sacs on occasion! Roping The Wind HABC flies
'sport balloons'. These are 2-3 passenger balloons that are highly
maneuverable and with the skills demonstrated by your pilot, landing in
tight areas is possible. Even if we are flying out in the desert, we
are able to land in small clearings and on dirt roads due to the
maneuverability of these balloons. Also, much like any
automobile...balloons are sold from the factory 'stock' or with
options. We have several options on our balloons that make them safer
and even more maneuverable. This translates to an even safer flying
experience for you as well as allowing your pilot to provide the most
scenic and exciting flight available with the weather conditions that
morning. Right about now, you are probably asking yourself how do we
get
back to our meeting spot!? We have a ground chase vehicle and ground
crew chief that will continually track our flight from the ground and
will be traveling the roads below to be there for us at our landing.
Our 4 wheel drive chase vehicle is a well equipted crew cab truck built
specifically to handle some of the roughest Arizona off road terrain.
We
also maintain radio contact with our ground crew during the flight.
Regulations? Hot air
balloons are considered aircraft and are regulated by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA). We follow many of the same regulations
that fixed wing aircraft do. Our balloons are required to be inspected
annually (or 100 hours, whichever comes first) for continued
airworthiness. In addition, your pilot is an FAA certified commercial
pilot as well as a flight instructor. We occasionally fly our balloons
in controlled airspace and are always in communication with the airport
control towers, just like fixed wing planes do!
What do I wear? Ballooning is an outdoor sport. As such, you
should dress for the outdoors. Most of our flights launch and
land in desert type environments. Therefore, we recommend dressing for
the outdoors. We suggest jeans and sneakers as proper attire. Pants and
shoes are fine, just as long as you aren't afraid to get a little dust
on em'! Also, you should dress for the forecast ground temperature that
morning. Our early mornings temperatures (during the winter months) can
be rather chilly. Once in the balloon, you will be kept rather
comfortable from the heat generated by the powerful 17,000,000 BTU
burner above your head!
Is balloon flight for me? This is a question that is best
answered on your own. However, to provide a most pleasant and
comfortable ballooning experience, we recommend that our passengers be
in good mental and physical health. If you can stand for over an hour
in our baskets, you will be comfortable on your flight. You should also
be able to be strong enough to hold on to the basket's interior handles
should we have a fast landing. Although the majority of our landings
are gentle, any landing exceeding about 8 mph can be a bit bumpy. For
this reason, we also would not consider this an appropriate activity
for those who are pregnant, have major back problems, recent surgeries,
etc. Children are welcome aboard our balloons, but they should be tall
enough to see over the basket rails and keep their feet on the floor.
Also, a child should be capable of abiding to any instructions the
pilot may set forth. Otherwise, we have flown Children as young as 5 or
6 years of age all the way up to the young at heart of 98 years of age!
What if the weather is not
favorable on our scheduled flight day? Our balloon
flights are dependent upon favorable weather conditions. We don't fly
when the winds are stronger than 10 mph or when there is low clouds and
low visibilities. Although the FAA Federal Aviation Regulations allow
us to fly only VFR (visual flight rule) conditions, VFR conditions can
be had with as little as 1 mile visibility and a very cloudy day.
However, we prefer to not fly passengers on these rare 'gloomy' days.
We want a cheery Arizona morning to greet our cheery passengers!
However, we do fly if we have a high overcast day. Although most
Arizona mornings and days are generally blue skies and clear, we do
sometimes have high overcast cloud cover that may obscure a sunrise,
but will not obscure your view of the surrounding mountains and desert
scenery. We often times see some really picturesque sunrises and
sunsets on these rare overcast days.
Now that you have answered all
my questions, how do I schedule a flight?! This question is
easy! Just click on the 'reservations' link to the left or below
and you will be
presented with your options for scheduling a balloon flight with Roping
The Wind HABC! We look forward to introducing you to our very special
brand of ballooning!
