Tucson Balloon Rides
Morning excursions in the sky aboard hot-air balloons offering peaceful views and champagne toasts.
About Tucson Balloon Rides
Tucson Balloon Rides is a Tucson tour agency offering morning hot-air balloon excursions over the Sonoran Desert. Its "Sonoran Sunrise" flights combine time in the sky with wide mountain and desert views, followed by a continental champagne brunch. Flights are offered year-round, seven days a week, weather permitting, giving visitors and local residents an opportunity to experience Southern Arizona from above.
The company describes its flight path as traveling over the Sonoran Desert, the Tucson Mountains, Saguaro National Park West, and the agricultural expanse of Avra Valley. Flights typically travel 10 to 15 miles, with altitudes generally ranging from 500 to 4,000 feet above the Tucson area. Time in the air is more than an hour and can be longer, depending on wind conditions and available landing areas. The experience is designed around the changing views of the landscape, with mountain and desert panoramas forming the central part of the ride.
Each flight includes a post-flight continental champagne brunch and photographs taken by the ground crew as they follow the balloon's journey. Tucson Balloon Rides also offers private flights, which can be arranged through its reservations process. The company presents balloon rides as an option for birthdays, anniversaries, marriage proposals, holidays, family outings, corporate events, celebrations, sales incentives, gifts, or anyone interested in adding a balloon flight to a personal bucket list.
The company's pilot, Kevin "Wil" Wilbur, became interested in hot-air ballooning in 1995 after moving to Tucson and volunteering as a crew member for a local company. He continued training with pilots Jeff Gilles and Mike Fleury, described on the website as award-winning pilots. Wilbur is an FAA-certified commercial pilot and an instructor for student pilots in Tucson. He has competed and placed in balloon festivals including the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and Chihuahua's Fiesta del Globo.
Wilbur specializes in high-altitude, long-distance, and other unique rides. The company also invites guests to discuss a particular area of Southern Arizona they would like to see from the air or a special event they would like customized. Because balloon flights depend on weather and landing conditions, the final experience is shaped by factors such as wind. Visitors can review the company's What to Expect and Frequently Asked Questions pages for additional details, then begin the process through the online reservation option.