Flight cancelled

Why was my balloon
flight cancelled?

A hot air balloon ride is a magical dance with nature. We surrender to the wind direction and speed of the moment. The wind determines where we go and where we can land. As balloonists, we absolutely prefer being in the air to being on the ground. But of course, we always do this in a controlled manner, and above all, it must always be safe, without exception.

As certified commercial balloon pilots, we take the meteorology exam, among other things, from the aviation board. With this knowledge, we do extensive research before every balloon flight. This means not only preparing for your flight, but also thoroughly forecasting and analyzing the weather for the region where we plan to fly. If you are seeing this page, it means that, after a thorough analysis, we have decided that the conditions are not right to offer you a pleasant, beautiful, and safe experience.

Why can a balloon
flight be cancelled?

Even in good weather, certain meteorological factors can make it impossible to fly safely. Some common causes include:

Too much wind

High wind speed on the ground
Strong wind at low altitude
Unstable wind speeds

The wind is our greatest partner in your adventure. A hot air balloon flight requires a manageable wind speed for takeoff and landing.

Not enough wind

No wind at altitude

When there’s absolutely no wind, at various altitudes, unfortunately we can’t fly a balloon. As a passenger, you wouldn’t experience much if we’re not moving. This also creates a safety hazard. A balloon can only be controlled by varying its altitude. When there’s no wind, we can’t navigate to a landing spot.

Sea breeze

Changing wind with accelerations

On warm days, when the seawater hasn’t yet sufficiently warmed up, you can experience a strong northerly airflow in the evening. This fresh, strong wind is called a sea breeze. The sea breeze comes on very suddenly and often causes a significant change in wind direction and speed. This creates a turbulent airflow at low altitude, exceeding the speed required for a safe landing. A sea breeze can only occur in the evening. This is not possible during a morning flight.

Rainfall

Rain showers
Persistent fog

Rain or snow would make the balloon incredibly heavy. This would damage the balloon’s fabric, but also make the dozens of square meters of fabric heavier. Furthermore, rainfall creates a curtain, limiting visibility.

Dense fog

Poor visibility

With dense fog or ground fog, it depends on how thick and high these layers are. First, aviation regulations require us to have constant visibility of the earth’s surface. Furthermore, it’s essential to be able to see any obstacles in the landscape and where we can land. Taking off in fog can be beautiful, but the fog shouldn’t be too thick upon landing. After all, as a passenger, you want to see the surroundings, right?

Chance of thunderstorms

Unstable weather
Uncontrollable twists

Think of an approaching thunderstorm as a large vacuum cleaner sucking in the surrounding air mass. Like a hot air balloon, you become a plaything in the airspace. Even a small chance of a thunderstorm is enough to cancel a flight.

Unstable weather

Unpredictable directions
Unpredictable speed

Ballooning is a very safe experience because, as balloonists, we are just as attentive and precise to the weather. As a passenger, an unstable air mass is an unpleasant thing to understand. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the wind on the ground is not blowing too hard, and yet the flight is cancelled. In such a situation, this is due to an unstable air mass. When there’s a real chance of the wind suddenly increasing or decreasing, it makes the aircraft difficult to control. But instability can also occur due to an unwanted ascent or descent. You understand that we want to avoid an uncontrolled descent at all costs.

Too high temperatures

Heat wave
Poor visibility

A heat wave can often bring hot thunderstorms, but also make the temperature in the basket unbearable. As a floating aircraft in the air, you don’t feel any wind. After all, we move with the wind, so you don’t feel any. Besides the existing heat, there’s also the radiant heat from the burner. Moreover, visibility during a heat wave is often very poor. Humidity hangs in the air like vapor, making it impossible to see very far.

How can I book
a new balloon flight?

Don’t worry: your ticket or gift voucher remains valid.

Step 1: Go to our booking page

Visit our website and click on “Plan a Flight“.

Step 2: Choose a new date

Select an available date that works for you. You can still choose where and when you want to book your balloon flight.

Step 3: Use your existing voucher code

Use your original voucher code to book a new flight.

Buy tickets or a gift voucher

Order tickets online for yourself or give a balloon flight as a gift. You"ll receive a voucher which you can later choose the region and date yourself.

BUY TICKETS OR GIFT CARD