There is no hotel pick up for your exciting Balloon Ride over Kitchener-Waterloo. Instead, you will meet your pilot at one of four possible locations: Victoria Park, Concordia Club, Kiwanis Park, or Waterloo Rod & Gun Club. To find out the exact meeting place as well as your flight status and precise meeting time please call the Flight Line number given on your booking voucher the day before your flight.
You will be picked up at the meeting place and 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.
During your dawn flight, you will get bird's-eye views of the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, plus a third city, Cambridge, which shares a border with Kitchener.
From your vantage point in the balloon you can see the legacy left by glaciers on this vast landscape. You will probably see Baden Hill, a 'kame formation', made from sand, gravel and clay deposited by a retreating glacier. Baden Hill is one of the highest points in the area.
You may also see Waterloo Moraine, a glacial sediment formation containing many artesian wells, which provide water for more than 300,000 people in the immediate area.
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 (soft drinks also available) to celebrate a successful flight.
You will then board the vehicle and will be dropped back at the meeting point.