Hot Air Ballooning is a "must" on your list of life’s experiences. A hot air balloon rides is described by most as the biggest thrill of a lifetime. Riding the winds with seven stories of colorful fabric above you and enjoying panoramic views of the Tuscarawas County’s landscape and towns are just some of the joys of a hot air adventure. A traditional wicker basket provides a magnificent vantage allowing you plenty of time to take in the splendor of the surrounding area. The flight will last about an hour; the memories will last a lifetime. Remember to bring your camera! Typically, a flight will take place in the early morning or evening when winds are light. The flight will last about one hour but the memory will last a lifetime. From the time we meet, to launch through landing, pack up and the return trip, plan to spend a total of three to four hours for your entire ballooning adventure. Since this is your adventure, you have the opportunity to participate in the pre-flight and post-flight operations, at the direction of your pilot and crew. Following the flight, you will be invited to celebrate with a traditional champagne or sparkling cider toast. Ballooning History The first recorded balloon flight occurred in the French country side in June of 1783. Two brothers, Jacques Etienne and Joseph Michel Montgolfier, sent a large, smoke-filled bag 35 feet into the air. Three months later, a duck, rooster and a sheep became the first passengers in a hot air balloon, since no one knew if a human could survive the flight. Finally, on November 21, 1783, amid a large group of onlookers that included the King and Queen of France, Marquis d' Arlandes and Pilatre de Rosier piloted man's first aerial voyage. This, more than a century before the Wright brothers' famous Kitty Hawk Flight. Although ballooning became very popular in Europe, the Eighteenth century farmers were frightened by these strange creatures descending from the skies and attacked the balloons with pitchforks. Early aeronauts soon learned to carry champagne aboard to present to the farmers as a gift upon landing. Thus began the tradition of the champagne toast. Balloons have been put to many uses through the ages. Generations of sportsmen, explorers and scientists, as well as military units have used balloons to accomplish feats that would have been otherwise unattainable. Though overtaken in the 20th century by the advent of powered aircraft, balloons have maintained, as one aeronaut wrote, "the one mode of transportation that has never grown up." The modern rebirth of Hot Air Ballooning began in the 1960's primarily due to the development of durable, inexpensive nylon and polyester for the envelope along with an improved and efficient propane heater system. Today, there are more than 6,000 registered balloons and 7,000 pilots in the U.S. alone. back to index