Overview
Have the experience of a lifetime before most of Turkey is even awake! The early start will quickly prove worth it as you are picked up from your hotel and driven to a light breakfast with filter tea and coffee to refuel your energy. At the launch site you will get to watch your balloon inflate and admire other balloons as they take off around you. Assisted by the ground crew, you will climb into the basket and meet your balloon pilot, and when everyone has been briefed about safety and is feeling comfortable, you will begin a gentle ascent into the wind as a stunning panorama unfolds beneath you. On your journey you will see valleys, farmland, fairy chimneys and anything else your pilot can show you. After landing you will be served champagne – a ballooning tradition since the first flight in 1783! You will receive a commemorative certificate before being driven back to your accommodation. We aim to have you back by 8.00am, leaving plenty of time for you to enjoy the rest of your day.
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FAQs
Hot air balloon flights scheduled each morning during sunrise all year round.
Balloon flights are depending on weather conditions. Turkish Civil Aviation Authority has a Representation Office in Cappadocia that gives approval of balloon flights if the weather conditions are within limits. This applies to all hot air balloon companies in Cappadocia.
If there is a cancellation made by the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority (due to bad weather conditions), you can choose to be rescheduled to next morning subject to availability or get 100% payment refund.
As Hot Air Balloon Göreme we unfortunately do not accept children below age of 5. Because of the height of the basket, they will have difficult time to see anything and enjoy the hot air balloon tour. Children below age of 5 may also have difficulties to proceed with the landing position.
Balloons need stable winds to operate effectively and the hours just following sunrise are the best for finding these winds. Since balloons move with the air, the weather is very important in deciding to whether or not to fly. The pilot chooses a launch site to use the wind currents to fly towards a suitable landing site.
Most balloonists enjoy low level flight. The typical balloon flight would be anywhere from tree level to about 900 meters (3,000 feet) above the ground. For Cappadocia Balloon flights, it is not really necessary climbing to high altitudes. For a short time, its good to have panoramic view of Cappadocia then it might be boring. Also most of the time, there are strong air currents in higher altitudes to carry the balloon way far from the most significant areas.
Flying in a high sided balloon basket is not like standing in a roof or a high ladder. You don't get that vertigo feeling. It is more like the ground is unfolding beneath you and because you are moving with the wind, there is no wind blowing. The basket does not rock or sway so you can't possibly fall out.
At high altitude, it is colder than at ground level, generally 3.5°C degrees colder for each 300 meters (1,000 feet) of altitude. But during the flight, the pilot constantly uses burners which spreads heat around itself will make you feel warmer. Especially for winter flights we highly recommended to wear 2 layers of socks and thermal underwears.
Good question! The simple answer is that nobody knows, exactly! The pilot will have done flight planning before the launch to ensure that the forecast wind direction does not take the balloon towards an unsuitable area. He will use the different air currents at different altitudes to steer the balloon toward a good landing place. The pilot also closely follows agreements with local landowners. This means that the balloon won't fly too close to livestock or land in areas planted with valuable crops.
When the time comes to put the balloon up, the envelope is removed from the bag and laid out in a long line. The burners are attached to the uprights, and the basket is attached to the cables on the bottom of the envelope. An engine driven fan is used to inflate the envelope with cold air. When partially inflated, the air is heated by a burner and the envelope rises above the basket. With further heating, there is sufficient “lift” for the balloon to fly.
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