Pick up at 05:30am from your hotel

      The Short Balloon Tour offers a minimum one-hour flight time in the air. You will be collected from your hotel early in the morning, usually before sunrise and driven to the take-off site. While you are having a light breakfast, you will watch the inflation of the balloon then get a passenger briefing which explains basic rules & safety measures for the balloon flight. Then it’s time to climb into the basket and highlight of your Turkey trip begins! The take off is gentle – soon you’ll be taking hundreds of pictures over the valleys of Cappadocia. After the flight lands, there is a small celebration with champagne and you will receive your flight certificate. You will be driven back to your hotel around 08:30am.

Transfer back to your hotel at 08:30
 

How do balloons fly?
Balloons operate through the basic principles of gravity and heat transfer. As air inside the balloon is heated, it rises. As the air inside the balloon cools, it descends. To make the balloon fly, an inflator fan fills it with air, which is then heated.

What are the main parts of a hot air balloon?
A hot air balloon has three major parts: the envelope, the burner, and the basket or gondola. The basket is where passengers ride. Usually made of wicker, baskets protect the occupants and are lightweight and flexible. The burner is positioned above the passenger's heads and produces a huge flame to heat the air inside the envelope. The envelope is the colorful fabric bag that holds the hot air. When the air inside the envelope is heated, the balloon rises. To descend, the pilot allows the air to cool and the balloon becomes heavier than air. The pilot has complete control of the up-and-down movements by controlling the heat in the envelope.

What are envelopes made of?
Rip-stop nylon is the most common material, but polyester and other fabrics are also used. The fabric around the lower opening (called the mouth) of the balloon are usually made from a fire resistant material like Nomex, similar to the suits that firefighters wear.

What is a balloon basket made of?
Woven wicker is used because it is lightweight, flexible and easily repaired.

Are all hot air balloons alike?
All hot air balloons consist of a burner system, a basket and an envelope. The differences are in the shape and size of the envelope, the deflation system, the basket shape and design and the configuration, design, and number of burners.

How long will balloons last?
Depending on the care given, a balloon envelope may last 500 or more flying hours. The basket will last much longer, perhaps thousands of flight hours with proper care.

Can you steer a balloon?
Winds determine a balloon's direction. Pilot can steer a balloon, to a limited extent, by adjusting the balloon's altitude to make use of different wind speeds and directions.

How many people can ride in a hot air balloon?
Balloons are constructed with greater or lesser volume to carry more or less weight. The smallest passenger balloons carry just the pilot! The largest passenger transporter in operation has a capacity of 24 passengers plus the pilot. Our balloons are designed to carry between 6 and 16 passengers.

How long does a balloon flight last?
The actual flight time averages more than an hour.

What fuel do balloons use?
Our hot air balloons carry 60 to 110 gallons (120 to 200kg) of propane in stainless steel fuel tanks. We expect to use roughly 75% of the fuel during a single flight.