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Question
I am planning to go on a hot air balloon flight this summer. Both morning and evening flights are available. Can you tell me the difference between the two times of day. The flight will take place in the pacific northwest. I am wondering if views are better at a specific time of day. Thanks for your input.
Renee,
Thanks for your inquiry. Certain parts of the country, balloons can safely fly in the evening a couple of hours prior to sunset. In Colorado, where I fly, we only fly in the morning because the evening weather conditions here are generally not safe for balloon flight.
Typically, the more humid the area and closer to sea level they are, the better chance they have for safe afternoon flights.
I would recommend the morning flight as the best time for you flight since the weather is generally more stable in the morning before the earth's surface starts heating. The chances for a flight being cancelled due to unsafe weather is more likely in the evening.
The views will be the same whether you fly in the morning or evening.
Enjoy your flight!
Michael Gianetti
http://www.lifecycleballoons.com
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Michael Gianetti
Expertise
I am a FAA licensed commercial hot air balloon pilot and hot air balloon pilot instructor. I'm also a certified hot air balloon inspector and repairman, a hot air balloon dealer for new and used balloon systems, and own Colorados oldest and most experienced hot air balloon company. There are many kinds of questions I can answer:
what can I expect, how do I dress, how long, how high, how many people, how much, where, etc., etc., etc.? What does it take to get a balloon pilots license? How much does a balloon cost? Is ballooning regulated? How did ballooning get started? What are balloons made of, what kind of fuel do they use, are there different types of balloons, etc., etc., etc.? What kind of weather can balloons fly in? When do balloons fly and why? What about the around the world balloon flights that have been in the news lately? What is a balloon rally? How do balloons race? How do I schedule a balloon ride, get pilot flight instruction, purchase a balloon, get a balloon repaired, etc., etc., etc.?
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