Company
information
Why should you
choose Roping The Wind
Hot Air Balloon Company?
Roping
The Wind Hot Air Balloon Company is the only full time ballooning
company
in Arizona offering flights exclusively for couples. We fly sport
balloons
that can accommodate just 2 people and a pilot in very spacious
baskets.
Most balloon ride companies cater to large groups and fly
balloons
that carry from 6-14 people each! The difference is similar to riding
in a bus or having your very own personal limousine... in the sky! We
take pride in
offering the
most private and personalized
balloon
flight experience available in Arizona... at a very affordable rate!
Ballooning is an expensive hobby/sport, however we
are
able to keep our costs down by operating small sport balloons and
keeping
our company 'family' like, yet without sacrificing any aspect of the
operation,
in terms of professionalism and safety. This savings is passed on to
you! It is very important to ask
questions when calling around and deciding which company to choose for
your balloon flight experience. For the price, will you be the
only two on board or will there be other passengers with you?
We are the friendliest balloon company in town! We are a small, but
very professional ballooning operation. When you contact Roping The
Wind HABC, your call will not be handled by a 'front desk' person, you will be greeted by your pilot (also the owner of the company!). Any
questions you have about the company or general questions about
ballooning, you will get direct and knowledgeable answers.
We
fly meticulously maintained and clean balloons. Prior to our
inflation's and landings on the sometimes dusty desert floor, our
experienced
crew will lay out ground tarps to keep our colorful balloons shiny and
clean. Our balloons are visually inspected after each and every flight
flown. We fly only Firefly
Balloons, crafted by The Balloon Works in
Statesville,
North Carolina. Firefly Balloons has been manufacturing sport balloons
since the mid 70's and is one of the most experienced in the industry.
They are also one of the original manufacturers of sport hot air
balloons.
Hot
air balloons are FAA certified aircraft and follow the same
regulations
as do fixed wing planes at the local airport. In addition, our balloons
go through regular maintenance as required under the Federal Aviation
Regulations.
Your pilot is also an FAA certified commercial pilot who has gone
through
a rigorous training process to obtain a pilot's license. With over 16
years
and 1500 hours in balloons, you can be assured a very safe and
pleasurable
experience. In addition, we regularly attend and compete in national
sanctioned
competitions to continually hone and improve our skills. Your pilot is
one of only a few Arizona pilots that is consistently ranked in the
NABA
national ranking system. You can learn more about your pilot here!
Questions you
should ask when 'calling around':
It is important to ask questions
when calling around and inquiring about a balloon flight! There are
lots of choices for balloon companies in the local phone book. These
companies range from small part time weekend businesses to big multi
balloon operations. Some questions to consider:
General
information about
the company Does the company
operate full time or are they just
a weekend/part time business? A recreational or weekend operation
is not necessarily negative, however flying with a full time
ballooning company assures that you are flying with a professional who
does ballooning for a living and is extremely experienced and
knowledgeable in all facets of hot air ballooning.
How
long has the company been in business? Safety record of the
company? Safety record of the
companies pilots and the pilot you will be flying with? Have they ever
had an accident or any FAR violations? Roping The Wind HABC has been in business
since 1997. Your pilot, Scott Nicol, has been flying balloons for over
16 years. We are very proud to say that we have never had an accident
or FAR violation of any kind nor have we ever had a claim of any kind
on our insurance. We will continue to work hard to maintain this
record. It can be disapointing to have your flight canceled the morning
of the flight... sometimes right up to the scheduled meeting time...
however, this is for your safety. Arizona has some of the best weather
conditions for hot air ballooning and we lose only a small percentage
of our flights due to weather. Occasionally though, weather systems do
move across the state and bring with them breezy conditions and even
rain on a rare occasion! Many of our passengers are tourists and
rescheduling is sometimes not an option. We make every effort possible
to accommodate a flight (we will typically give the weather a chance
and make a final call early on the morning of your flight), however if
weather conditions are not suitable for a safe flight.... canceling a
flight is not a difficult decision. We have a saying in ballooning....
"we would rather be down here wishing we were up there, then up there
wishing we were down here!".
Is
the company locally based? Where do they fly? Are they knowledgeable on
the local flying area? These
are also very important questions to ask when choosing a company for
your ballooning experience. A pilot that is very knowledgeable of the
local flying terrain and wind patterns understands how the overall
weather pattern effects the typical local wind patterns. This ables
your pilot to make a more informed decision when determining if
conditions are safe for balloon flight. This same knowledge will also
allow your pilot to provide the most scenic and enjoyable flight based
on the weather and wind direction the day of your flight.
There
are several 'Nationwide balloon flight Gift Certificate' companies
advertising in the local newspapers and other print media as well as on
the Internet. These companies claim to operate in the East Valley or
Phoenix areas. Sometimes they will even have a local phone number. They
are NOT locally based and often times do not even have pilots or
balloons. You purchase a gift certificate from them and then you can
redeem it at any of their 'nationwide locations' (local balloon
companies that are affiliated with them). Often times, you will end up
paying much more as you are booking with a middleman. Roping The Wind
HABC has never, and will never, be affiliated with any of these
operations. We choose to do business the old fashioned way... directly
with our customers.
For
many people, a hot air balloon flight will be a once in a lifetime
experience. Take the time to ask questions and even do additional
homework to assure you are going to be flying with an experienced
company with a strong knowledge of the local flying area. Roping The
Wind Hot Air Balloon Company is based in Mesa, Arizona.
