Have any of you ever gone hot air ballooning?

[bull]

Just wondering about the experience. My wife and I will be celebrating our 11th anniversary and I want to surprise her with a ride in the sky. She's always wanted to do it.

[Telvis]

A wicker basket suspended under big tanks filled with flamable gas and spewing a big flame into a big fabric pouch. That's not my idea of fun. Have you ever seen the Real TV episodes where the tank explodes? That darn balloon is flamable!!!! It's amazing at how quickly that wicker basket can fall to the ground when the balloon catches fire!! Did I mention that there is no way to control where that big sack of hot air flies? A big wind comes up and you litterally go where the wind blows. Call me a chicken if you want. I'm staying right here on Terra firma!

[70charginglizard]

I was going to go do that until I watch some vid of one that had a major malfuction and caught fire. The basket caught fire and the people on board ended up falling to there death as the ballon fell hundreds of feet on fire.

No thanks.

[Shakey]

Sounds like fun!

[SeattleCharger]

  Gee, let's all scare em now, lol.   Its pretty safe, actually.  I saw once where a plane crashed, I saw once where a truck hit a car and smashed it, etc.   
    If it is too dangerous, I would recommend skydiving, a tandem jump for each of you.   no, really, its pretty safe, too.  You get a plane ride, you get to jump out of that plane, thats fun, you get to fall straight down for 5000 ft., then open your parachute and float down with a great view like a hot air balloon, for quite a while seems like, and you get a great adrenaline high for hours with perma-grin.   

[4402tuff4u]

I went up with the wife on a hot air balloon and it was fun. The worst part of it was the $ 300.00 we had to pay. I did'nt really care on doing it, but she wanted to go for a ride for a long time. I would prefer to spend that $300 and more flying left seat on a B-17!! But that would have been sellfish!

[Old Moparz]

I never went up in one, but I'd take the cheap way out like this guy did.

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/walters.asp

[psykicpup]

 

[MichaelRW]

My wife surprised me with a balloon ride a few years ago for my birthday. It was great fun. As you pass over neighborhoods you get a birds eye view of everything. It drove a few dogs crazy and when we went over a dairy we were told they couldn't hit the gas then because it would spook the cows and they would stampede. Tried to talk the guy into ut but it was not go.

Actually we were travelling with two other balloonists. One guy was in training to be a pilot and he made a rather hard landing one time but he didn't get hurt. After the ride is over the truck that followed us took us back to where we lifted off and there is a traditional ceremony that is performed for first timers.

[KMPX2]

Never been but they come over my house all the time.

[Stroker ACE]

Pray for wind.  Our old neighbor surprised his wife with a balloon ride too. They got there and the wind Gods weren't filled in on the game plan so they spent 2 hours going up and coming right back down. Wasted $100 for a giant evlevator ride*LOL*

ACE

[Drop Top]

Do it! You wont be sorry. When I was around 25. I had the chance to be part of a chase crew and got to go up in one. Its completely differant then flying in an airplane. The view is tremendous. Its very quiet with the occasional blast of the flame and you can hear people talking on the ground that you wouldn't think you could. By the way there is no flamable gas inside the balloon. Its filled with hot air. The balloon itself is flamable though. Its made from the same stuff that a parachute is made out of. The tanks are filled with propane and are inside the basket with you. About the ruffest part is the landing. There are no wheels on the basket and when you come down it just sort of drags along the ground and runs over anything in its path. You must stay in the basket until it comes to a compleat stop. If you jump out too soon the balloon will go back up in the air. The stronger the breeze the longer you will drag.

[MyMopar]

I went last year for my annivesary.  Surprised the wife.  It really was a great adventure, for us anyway.  We left off in VT during folliage season, spectacular views, etc...  Had a great time, but the pilot wanted to land in one spot and decided too late so we kept going, and going, and going and finally as the sun went down and light started to fade, we put down in a locked quarry.  Myself and another guy jumped out and pulled the ballon by a rope up a hill to a flat level spot to let everyone else out.  You think it would be easy to pull, but the damn thing is heavy just floating there.
Anyway, we folded up the cords and ballon and walked about 1.5 miles to the road to meet up with te chase truck.  It was pitch black by then but I would do it again!

Just a tip, if you are bald or have thinning hair, WEAR A HAT! I got a sunburn on my head from the damn flames, it is extremely hot when those things go off.  However, they are not on all that much, but the echo in the valley is cool from the sound of them burning.
Oh and bring a camera!  You might even spot some nice old Mopars.

[bull]

Thanks for the advice everyone... except you two punks at the beginning.