SHARED BALLOON RIDE
Flight Time: 45 - 60 Minutes
Total Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
USUAL Location: North INDY
Most popular! Make NEW FRIENDS.
$324 PER PERSON
single Riders $374
Take flight over greater Indianapolis and experience something you will never forget. Shared rides launch right after sunrise and just before sunset for an estimated one-hour balloon flight. A shared ride is our most popular choice, and a great way to explore the sky at lower cost.
Bring your friends and family, and don’t forget your camera — you’ll get some of the best photo opportunities of your life! After landing we will celebrate with a toast to your new status as a successful aeronaut. Any photos our crew captures of your flight will be made available to you at no charge.
A shared ride means there will be other people — new friends — in the basket with you. If you want a little extra privacy, we also offer private rides which may cost less for groups of 6 or more.
Booking Fees – In todays world to have a good booking system booking fees must exist! The system we use charges a 8% booking fee, which is refundable if you cannot rebook you flight due to a possible weather cancellation. BUT we can offer a FLAT RATE booking fee of $25 Simply call us at 317-863-0318.
PRIVATE BALLOON RIDE
Flight Time: 45 - 60 Minutes
Total Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
USUAL LOCATION: North Indy
BASKET ALL YOURS, NO STRANGERS!
2 Riders: $1198
3 or 4 Riders: $1396
5 or 6 Riders: $16807 or more riders please call!
Take flight over greater Indianapolis and experience something you will never forget. Private rides launch right after sunrise and just before sunset for an estimated one-hour balloon flight.
Looking to experience the skies with the basket all to yourself? A Private Ride is a hot air balloon ride with you and 2-6 other passengers of your choosing! You can fly with family members or get a group of friends together to have an unforgettable experience. A private ride gives you a little bit more flexibility in planning and ensures your group will be the only ones along for the ride.
Bring your friends and family, and don’t forget your camera — you’ll get some of the best photo opportunities of your life! After landing we will celebrate with a toast to your new status as a successful aeronaut. Any photos our crew captures of your flight will be made available to you at no charge.
Booking Fees – In todays world to have a good booking system booking fees must exist! The system we use charges a 8% booking fee, which is refundable if you cannot rebook you flight due to a possible weather cancellation. BUT we can offer a FLAT RATE booking fee of $25 - Simply call us at 317-863-0318.
Looking to get engaged? We have special enhancements available!
Have a big group, or need something custom? We can help!
HOMESTEAD FLIGHT
lAUNCH FROM your own land or over your favorite spot!
Flight Time: 45 - 60 Minutes
Total Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
LOCATION: YOUR PROPERTY or other favorite spot!
1-4 Riders: $1746
5-6 RIDERS: $2030
7 Riders: $2130
Plus mileage fee if over 30 miles from Fishers, IN
Take your flight experience even further by having our team travel to your home or other location to take flight. You will have a private flight meaning the basket only contains your group and the pilot. This is the ultimate experience; to see your own neck of the woods from a hot air balloon!
We will need to check the airspace and other conditions to ensure the area is suitable for flight first, and there is a charge for travel over 30 miles. As with all of our rides, we are open to hearing your special requests or ideas. A homestead flight is an awesome final touch for an engagement, and is also a heck of a way to kick off a party. We can provide multiple balloons and pilots when needed.
Booking Fees – In todays world to have a good booking system booking fees must exist! The system we use charges a 8% booking fee, which is refundable if you cannot rebook you flight due to a possible weather cancellation. BUT we can offer a FLAT RATE booking fee of $25 - Simply call us at 317-863-0318.
Please reach out via our contact page and we will be happy to assist you.
Wheelchair Friendly
TAKE FLIGHT IN OUR CHAIR FRIENDLY BASKET!
Flight Time: 45 - 60 Minutes
Total Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
LOCATION: north INDY - Travel available ( travel fees apply)!
UP TO 4 Riders: $1396
Same pricing as a 4 person private ride. Space may be more limited depending on the size and type of chair.
Our wheelchair flights use a specially designed basket with an easy entry door and a clear side panel, which allows for a great view from a seated position during the flight. The basket has a harness system that safely secures the wheelchair to the floor and side of the basket. These baskets are unfortunately rare, but we love to share ours!
Wheelchair flights are offered Monday through Thursday. Mornings are ideal as weather is typically much calmer than during evening flights. We do understand mornings can be a bit too early for some.
Due to size and weight restrictions, there is a limit of one chair and up to three additional passengers. Powered chairs are not ideal but if you must stay in your own motorized chair, contact us to discuss options.
Pricing is the same as private rides. There may be an additional charge if you cannot ride to and from the launch location in our standard vehicles; in this case we can provide a driver for your vehicle at an additional cost of $75, if needed. As with all of our rides, we’re more than happy to hear special requests and we do travel for a fee. We can also provide handicap accessible tethered rides!
Booking Fees – In todays world to have a good booking system booking fees must exist! The system we use charges a 8% booking fee, which is refundable if you cannot rebook you flight due to a possible weather cancellation. BUT we can offer a FLAT RATE booking fee of $25 - Simply call us at 317-863-0318.
Faqs / Top questions
Find our full FAQs here, or contact us with any questions.
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Your safety is our absolute first priority. Hot air balloons are extremely weather dependent and require a narrow window of conditions for safe and enjoyable flight, not only at ground level but also at altitude. As such, cancellations are unfortunately rather common here in the midwest.
The week of your flight, we will reach out with an update based on the forecast at that time and let you know if there are any necessary changes.
This is our least favorite part of the sport but it is our duty to keep you safe – and if we don’t want to fly based on conditions, trust us that you don’t either!
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Riders are accepted at the discretion of the ride operator. Your safety is our first priority and certain conditions must be met to fly. It is your responsibility to review these requirements and alert us of any discrepancies. It is critically important that you provide us accurate information especially when it comes to passenger weight. All of this information is private and used solely for safe flight planning. Balloons require a delicate range of weight and inaccuracies may force cancellations.
All Passengers:
Must be in good health and alert us of any pre-existing conditions.
Capable of standing 90 minutes and walking up to 1,000 feet.
Passengers under 18 must have a legal guardian present.
Must be at least 42” tall and over the age of seven.
Provide accurate weights, within 5 pounds.
Must not be pregnant or possibly pregnant.
Our guests that reserve our wheelchair accessible basket are exempted from mobility related requirements but please inform us of your specific medical needs to ensure a safe flight. Individuals with heart conditions, back or hip problems, weak knees or ankles, fainting spells, recent surgeries of any kind, or any other ailments should check with their doctor and also inform us of these conditions. If you have any such conditions, or your average passenger weight exceeds 225 pounds each, please contact us before booking your flight.
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Balloon flights may be canceled due to weather conditions, and we understand that there are many reasons you may need to cancel or reschedule your flight.
If WE cancel your flight due to weather or any other reason you will be rescheduled and your deposit will carry over.
If YOU cancel with at least 48 hours notice, you can reschedule and your deposit carries over.
If YOU cancel with less than 24 hours notice you will be charged 50% of the total booking cost.
If YOU fail to arrive for your flight by launch time, the entire fee amount will be due or you will forfeit your certificate.
If you do not wish to reschedule we can refund your deposit upon request minus a $25 service fee.
If you cannot reschedule a flight right away, carry over deposits are valid for two years.
Balloons must be loaded delicately. If you cancel late or fail to arrive for your flight, it may force cancellation for everyone else. Please do your best to arrive on time for your flight, and if there are any problems please reach out as soon as possible so we can assist you.
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We are based in Indianapolis, Indiana and our standard flights launch from the north side. We also travel and our balloons have flown all over the United States and even several other countries providing tethered rides, wheelchair accessibility, special shape displays, and advertising. For a custom quote on bringing us to your occasion, reach out anytime.
Meeting Locations:
Our meeting locations for flight depends entirely on the winds of that day, which we won’t know very far in advance. We utilize one of approximately 40 meeting sites, but all are across Indy’s north side and all are within 30 minutes of Indianapolis. The week of your flight we will provide updates as to where to go, based on the forecast.
Please note that our address is only a mailing address and not where we meet.
You can reach out via our contact page — this is usually fastest — or by giving our office a call at 317-863-0318
For payments or other mail:
Midwest Balloon Rides
11807 Allisonville Road #209
Fishers, IN 46038
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Shared Rides:
Unless you booked a private ride, your flight will be a shared ride – there will be other passengers in the same basket (maximum 6 passengers in addition to the pilot). For most flights, we will be using our basket that holds the pilot plus 6 passengers.
If you are booking a shared ride with 2 or fewer passengers, we may need to change your date and will make you aware of the change no less than 3 days in advance (this is very seldom an issue), this is due to operational cost. We will, of course, make the change fit your schedule. If you are booking 3 or more passengers or have booked a private ride, this does not apply.
Private Rides
If you booked a private for 5 , 6 or 7 people there is a small chance we may not have that balloon open even if the system states it is (this is a system fault we can’t fix at this time). If this does occur we will contact you ASAP and offer another date or refund your deposit paid. For a 7 person ride we are limited to 1200 lbs.
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Hot air balloons only fly just after sunrise, and just before sunset when winds and thermals are at their lowest.
Morning flights meet about 30 minutes before sunrise. Mornings tend to have more reliable weather, and the peace and light of dawn is hard to beat. Most of our pilots recommend morning when asked; there’s just no better way to start the day.
Evening flights meet about 2 hours before sunset. Evening flights are full of excitement as you float over neighborhoods of cheering children and soak up the late afternoon glow.
Note: We won’t be airborne during the actual rise/set of the sun — but pre-dawn flights are available as a special flight!
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Feel free to bring handheld camera equipment.
Due to limited space in the basket, we recommend handbags; backpacks and large camera bags remain on the ground. The baskets are designed to carry passengers, not luggage.
What to Wear
Passengers should wear outdoor clothing that is comfortable for the particular season and the time of the flight.
Dress for being in fields (for landing) by wearing full shoes or boots and long pants. Please NO open-toed shoes, high heels or skirts.
Morning flights may encounter dew or wet covered ground. For winter and cool weather flying, we recommend wearing layers. Put on as many as needed to remain comfortable. You can always remove a layer or two. It will not be noticeably colder in the air.
For summer flights we suggest a hat or head covering. During takeoff, you usually feel the radiant heat from the burner.
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Weather:
Hot air ballooning is extremely weather sensitive and we will never compromise your safety. Please be prepared for your flight date to possibly change due to weather conditions.
Standard Rides:
You will be airborne for approximately 45-60 minutes, but the entire experience will take about 3 hours. We will meet at an appropriate location, and drive you in our van to the launch site.
It will take about thirty minutes to inflate the balloons, brief passengers, and launch. There will be loads of opportunities for photos the entire flight, and any photos our crew gets will be provided to you at no cost. You can also help setup or tear down the balloon with the crew, for a deeper experience.
When we are finished we will have a ceremonial toast celebrating the successful flight and your inauguration as aeurnoauts. We will then return you to your vehicle.
Burt, May 2021
