There is no hotel pick up for your exciting Balloon Ride over Grande Prairie. Make sure you call the Flight Line number given on your booking voucher the day before your flight to check the flight status and meeting time. On the day, you should make your way to the meeting point at Muskoseepi Park for the pick up. You will then be driven to the launch site, where your flight crew will brief you on your upcoming adventure.
You can watch the thrilling sight of your balloon taking shape before your eyes, ultimately standing more than 10 stories tall. Once it is fully inflated and ready for take-off, you climb into the gondola for the start of a magical journey.
Grande Prairie is regarded as the hot air balloon capital of Canada because of the ballooning championships staged here. During your dawn flight, you will get bird's-eye views of the urban area and the countryside around it.
Look down at the great prairie that gives the city its name. You'll see mainly flat or gently rolling farmland to the north and east. In the south the land is hillier and clothed with a vast boreal forest of aspen, tamarack, lodge pole pine, jack pine and black spruce. On a clear day, it may be possible to see some peaks in the Canadian Rockies.
See if you can spot Bear Creek, which courses through the city and runs into the Wapiti River. Depending on your flight path, you may also be able to see Bear Creek Reservoir close to Grande Prairie Regional College in the north-west of the city.
You fly with the prevailing winds, so the flight patterns and landing sites will vary according to changing wind directions. There is no wind chill and very little feeling of movement or sensation of height.
After about an hour's tranquil flight (the exact time depends on the winds) your pilot will prepare for landing.
Once on the ground, you will share in the oldest of ballooning traditions, a Champagne toast to celebrate a successful flight. Soft drinks are also available.
You will then board the vehicle and will be dropped back at the meeting point at Muskoseepi Park.