Frequently Asked Questions

What time are your flights?
Flights only occur at two times of the day: sunrise and sunset. It's safe for balloons to fly just after sunrise and just prior to sunset so that is when we fly.  So the flight times will change based on the length of the day. The exact flight times are shown on our booking calendar when making a reservation.  To get an approximation of these times you may look here .

How does it work if the weather is bad?
We will contact you immediately if we make a no-go decision.  At that time we will offer you the soonest alternative flight with space available.  If there isn't an option that works for you, then we simply cancel your booking and there is no charge. We don't take any money during the booking process so there is no money to refund.  

What is the cancellation policy?
As a boutique aviation experience with limited availability, we expect and need passengers to show up on time for scheduled flight bookings.

Our cancellation policy goes into effect 48-hours prior to your scheduled flight time. You are welcome to make ANY changes to or cancel your reservation BEFORE this time with no penalty or charges of any kind.

If at any time the pilot or Above Reality Inc. cancels the flight for reasons of safety, weather or otherwise, the passengers do not pay for the flight.

If you find out that you have tested positive for the coronavirus, please let us know immediately and your flight will be cancelled with no cost or obligations.  Or if you think you have had a likely exposure to COVID-19 or have symptoms which you think might be COVID-19, your flight will be cancelled with no cost or obligations

Inside the 48-hour pre-flight window, ANY changes, cancellations or no-shows, will result in charges to the card on file at booking in the following manner:  

• Cancellation/change notification received 48-24 hours prior to scheduled flight time 50% of full fare charged.
• Cancellation/change notification received less than 24 hours prior to scheduled flight time: 100% of full fare charged. 
• Gift certificate holders will simply forfeit their certificate with any cancellations inside of 24-hours or have a partial balance if cancelled between 48-24 hours prior to scheduled flight time.
• Please email abovereality@gmail.com if you need to cancel and include your Order Number and/or last name the reservation is under.

How long is the flight?
We will be in the air for about an hour. Since we are working with numerous dynamic variables, sometimes the flight duration may be longer than an hour 75-90 minutes) or sometimes it may be slightly under an hour.  It's quite rare for us to fly for less than 50 minutes. The majority of our flights are approximately 60 minutes.  

 
What time will we be done? 
You will be back to your car where we met after about 3-4 hours from the time we met.  Always plan on the long end of this window if you are making plans reservations for dinner, returning airline flight bookings, or baby/dog sitters. 

How safe is ballooning? 
All of our pilots are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They have had extensive training and rank safety as the highest priority. You can look at each of their bios on our Crew page. Their choice to fly or not to fly is based mostly on the weather but also includes other factors. If they do not feel it is safe to fly then the flight will be cancelled. All of our balloons are inspected by FAA maintenance facilities at scheduled intervals. In addition, balloons will be inspected by the pilot before every flight.

Are there seats?  
No.  All passengers will stand for the duration of the flight.  Passengers will need to be in physical condition that permits them to stand on their own as well as climb in and out of the basket.

Is there a minimum number of passengers required?  
Yes, we do need to have a minimum of four (4) passengers booked for a given flight slot to go out for a flight.  You don't personally need to book four passengers, we just need four in total.  The scenario where we need to cancel or reschedule a flight due to insufficient passengers is rare and usually occurs less than a handful of times a year - usually only in the early part of the season or at some quirky time during the season.  We would let you know this in advance and offer you another flight window.

How many people are on the flight? 
​All flights in 2020 are private baskets.  It will be your party exclusively and a pilot.

Our balloons baskets are designed and purchased with safety, passenger comfort, and stability in mind. We operate 3 different sizes (small, medium, and large if you will) each capable of carrying different weights and configurations of passengers.  Our smallest balloon accommodates 4+ passengers and our largest balloon accommodates 12+ passengers.  Our larger balloons are partitioned as well as padded for your safety and comfort. We prefer to provide first-class caliber flight accommodations by opting NOT to load our baskets to their full capacity. In layman's terms, our largest balloon is rated by the manufacturer to carry significantly more people than we actually will put in it. This ensures that all passengers have more space than the industry standard.

Is it safe for passengers who are pregnant to fly in a balloon?
We are very good at what we do but there are too many variables in ballooning beyond our control that may pose a risk to mama and baby.  If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, unfortunately we can not take you flying.  

What are the general health requirements for a passenger to fly?  
Passengers must be in good overall health with no major mobility problems or other issues with any part of their body but especially ankles, knees, hips, back, or neck.

Which flight is better, morning or afternoon?
It's really hard to say as both are spectacular.  The best thing is to book your preference early in your visit and be open to both flight windows.  This doubles your chances of rescheduling if Mother Nature throws us a curve ball.  

How much of a deposit do I need to make a booking?
We don't take deposits.  Nor do we charge booking fees. You'll need a credit card to hold your booking but we don't take any payment up from (unless you're buying a gift certificate for someone). 

Is it scary?
Well there is no turbulence, no stomach dropping, no G-forces,, nor any roller coaster-type movements as we travel WITH the wind and NOT THROUGH the wind.  The only significant movement or bumps you would feel would be on landing or before we have left the ground as the balloon stabilizes and gets buoyant.

I'm afraid of heights, can I still go flying?
Yes.  We have had literally HUNDREDS (if not thousands) of people tell us they were afraid of heights before booking a flight. The fact of the matter is that it's highly probably (pun intended) that you're wrong.  Many people mistakenly presume that they are "afraid of heights" when they are in fact afraid of edges.  A fear of edges is just that, being afraid of the "edge" of something.  This would be things like standing at the peak/edge of a roof, looking over a sheer cliff or drop-off, being on a glass-floored building, a suspension bridge, or window of a skyscraper.  A balloon basket doesn't have an edge in the traditional sense due to the fact that the walls or sides of the basket come up to the waist or middle of the rib cage on most passengers.  It's more like leaning on a bar or counter.   Also, your eyes/brain don't really know how high you are since you're not attached to the ground as in all the other examples mentioned and therefore the brain has no basis for height reference perspective. Planes fly very high but that doesn't scare people as there is no "edge".  Also, you can't just "fall out" as people often ask.  In fact, when we fly skydivers, many of them have a difficult time when they are trying to get out!  So we're not going to twist your arm to go flying, but we did want to make sure that you had all of the information available. We hope you'll trust our experience and join your loved one on a flight. 

Can I get motion sickness? 
No. The elements that create motion sickness are not present during balloon flights.  You can leave your Dramamine, Bonine, meclizine, Reliefbands, or Transderm Scop patches at home. These items will not help and may even throw off your balance. You will not need them as we travel WITH the wind and not through or over it as you do on a boat or windy road.  Trust us on this (it's not like we want you getting sick).