World Balloon®
Continuing the tradition of balloon rides over Albuquerque, World Balloon® is celebrating it's 38th continuous year in business, and we pride ourselves on being the Southwest's original and premier balloon company for scenic balloon rides in Albuquerque.
If your travel plans include Albuquerque, a hot air balloon ride is a must.
The city of Albuquerque has the distinction of being "The Balloon Capital
of
the World", because of the beautiful flying conditions, being home to
over
300 balloon pilots, and hosting the largest balloon event anywhere. Every
October, for nine days, over 800 balloons fill the sky during the
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®. In
fact, the founder of World Balloon, Sid Cutter, was also the founder of the
Fiesta!
Missing a balloon flight in Albuquerque would be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. With all of the ballooning activity in Albuquerque you have several balloon ride companies to choose from, and you should go with whichever company makes you feel most at ease. We think our perfect safety record will put you at ease.
Before you buy...
You will hear all kinds of crazy things when you start shopping for a balloon ride. Some of the things we hear that are shared with potential guests are just completely wrong, some are bold faced lies, and some of the stuff is just downright comical. Our view has always been that part of our responsibility is to educate anyone who is looking for a balloon ride, and help them make an educated and informed decision on who to fly with, even if they don't in the end choose us. So here are some of the facts -
- All balloon ride companies are required to have F.A.A. certified commercial pilots in order to fly passengers for hire, It's the law.
- All balloons are inspected annually or every 100 hours, whichever comes first to the exact same safety and maintenance standards as a brand new aircraft, regardless of the age of the aircraft, It's the law.
So as a consumer, what should you look for, and what questions should you ask when deciding upon what balloon ride company to chose?
- First, make sure it's a real balloon ride operator. If you purchase from a certificate seller that does not operate its own fleet of aircraft, you run a very real risk of being ripped off.
- What you should make sure of is that whomever you choose to fly with is insured and can provide proof of insurance, has a great safety record as a company and that each pilot flying for that company has a great safety record, that the company has never had any negative experiences with the FAA and none of its pilots have either, and that it is a Better Business Bureau accredited business and you should validate their rating.
Your safety and the quality of your experience should be more important than saving $10 or $20 per person.
We know you may find cheaper, but rest assured, you will not find a company more focused on your safety and the quality of your Hot Air Ballooning Experience than World Balloon®!
