Southern Arizona Balloon Excursions
Excursions by hot air balloon at sunrise, above the mountains, ending with champagne toasts and brunch.
About Southern Arizona Balloon Excursions
Southern Arizona Balloon Excursions offers hot air balloon rides in Tucson and throughout southern Arizona, giving passengers a bird's-eye view of the Sonoran landscape. The family-owned and operated company has been flying in the region since 1988. Its excursions include sunrise flights above the mountains, followed by champagne toasts and brunch, creating a morning experience built around both the flight and the time immediately afterward.
The company offers private and sweetheart rides for those looking to share a balloon flight as a couple or with a private group. It also provides shared balloon rides, along with tethered rides and static displays. The private and sweetheart options are presented as a way to mark a special occasion or create a lasting memory, while tethered rides and static displays offer ways to experience hot air ballooning without taking a full excursion into the air.
Southern Arizona Balloon Excursions was founded and continues to be operated by Patrick and Boby Nilz, who have shared their passion for ballooning with more than 30,000 visitors. Both parents are pilots and have flown in the Tucson area since the early 1980s. The company's work reflects a long connection to the local desert and the experience of seeing southern Arizona from above, where passengers can take in the Sonoran landscape and look for wildlife among the cacti.
Pilot Patrick "Paddy" Nilz was introduced to ballooning from infancy, taking his first flight at 18 days old. He began training for his student license at 14, earned a private hot air balloon pilot's license at 16, and received a commercial hot air balloon pilot's license at 18. He also holds a fixed-wing license and an instrument flight rules rating in fixed-wing aviation. His balloon flying has taken him to Mexico, Belgium, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, and he represented Team USA at the Junior World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Poland in 2018. Having grown up in the Tucson and Marana area, he regularly flew with his parents before school and developed an early familiarity with the desert below.
Rides can be arranged as private, shared, sweetheart, tethered, or display experiences, depending on the type of outing being planned. The company serves Tucson, Marana, Casa Grande, and Eloy. Those interested in taking a ride can begin by booking a private or shared excursion through the company's website, or by submitting its online contact form. Visitors can expect a ballooning experience centered on southern Arizona's open views, with sunrise flights, mountain scenery, and a post-flight champagne toast and brunch included in the excursion description.