Orlando, famous for theme parks, water parks, unique roadside tourist attractions and hot air ballooning! Hot air Ballooning? If the last one threw you a curve, don?t feel alone, I?ve lived in Florida nearly my whole life and wasn?t aware of hot air ballooning options in the Orlando area.

I always considered hot air ballooning an activity they did out west in Albuquerque or in Arizona, not something to try to take in during hurricane season in Florida.

Orange Blossom Balloons has been providing tourists a bird?s eye view of central Florida for over 20 years, but you wouldn?t know it unless you are an early riser. You see, things get started very early in the morning ? 5:45 A.M. to be exact. Why would you want to wake up so early on your vacation? It is explained in the pre-flight briefing, which begins at a local hotel that serves as the meeting point for those who are going to be getting airborne. As one of the baloon pilots explains, winds are the calmest at sunrise and progressively increase as the sun rises, so balloon pilots like to fly as early as possible in the day.
(The meeting point is conveniently located at a La Quinta Hotel on US 192 in Kissimmee, the major thoroughfare in Kissimmee just outside the main gate of Walt Disney World. Orange Blossom Balloons can make arrangements to pick up participants at area hotels and resorts. Pickup cost is an additional $10 per person.)

On the day that I went flying some 28 people were signed up for a flight.

It was a unique mix of people, with seven of the 28 being children less than 12 years old and a wide range of other participants being represented in four colorful balloons.
The trip by van from the hotel meeting point to a rural horse farm launching point lasted about 20 minutes, which is where we then began to quickly assemble our balloons. In no time at all, less than 20 minutes, the balloons were unpacked, unloaded, inflated and we were airborne.

Our flight lasted about one hour and covered about seven miles of central Florida. I was amazed at the maneuverability of the balloon, which is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspected aircraft. (Balloon pilots are also licensed by the FAA.) One minute we would be at an altitude of 800 feet traveling at 16 miles per hour and then our pilot would take it down to nearly treetop level to look for deer or wild hogs and slow the balloon down to less than 10 miles per hour. One person in our balloon did manage to spy some wild Florida hogs which are common in the swamps of central Florida, as are the gators and deer.

The majority of the trip was over the area known as the Green Swamp, an ecological preserve that provides a snapshot of a diminishing part of Florida. We also coasted over the region?s many lakes with the only noise being the rush of hot air when the pilot of the balloon gave the balloon ?gas? to keep it aloft. We also were able to take in a beautiful Florida sunrise!

The time in the air went by incredibly fast and soon we were making arrangements for landing. We were given specific instructions on how to prepare for landing and at this point it struck me that this is not a pre-programmed amusement park roller coaster ride or a simulator.

We were aiming for an empty field where the chase vehicles were set up to meet us, but who knew exactly where we might end up. We had been warned that sometimes the basket might tip over during landing and we might get jostled about, so we should prepare to brace ourselves. As we glided over the highway, the bottom of our basket actually glanced off the tops of some small trees - our pilot said we used the trees intentionally to slow our speed down. We came to a stop in the middle of the field and a member of the chase team jumped on and secured the basket preventing it from tipping over ? a perfect landing!

Next, after the three other balloons arrived, we all celebrated with the traditional champagne toast, or juice/soft drinks for the children, and it was back to the meeting point for a final debriefing and a hearty all you can eat breakfast which is included with balloon flight program.

Reservations are required, call 407-239-7677 for more information and current pricing.