Videos of windy landings

When considering whether a balloon ride is for you, one aspect to evaluate is how comfortable and fit you will be during the landing. Typically, a balloon ride is a serene and peaceful experience. However, on any given flight, if the wind is a bit more brisk than expected (and by “brisk”, balloonists are referring to wind barely enough to blow your hair or make tree branches sway) then the landing can be more, ah, adventurous than you may have envisioned.

We take great care not to fly in unsafe circumstances. However, even landings that are perfectly safe may involve more sudden movement than some may be comfortable in, and we want to prepare you for this as best we can. Use the videos below as a frame of reference for the kind of movement you may experience and must be prepared for on any given flight.

Here are a few videos of safe landings in wind speeds in the 5-10mph range.

The videos below show somewhat faster landings of approximately 8-15 mph wind speeds, and further illustrate the associated motion in the basket. Especially if you have bad knees or back, limited flexibility or strength, or similar limitations, consider whether the kind of activity shown here would be a risk for you. Could you hold yourself in place, withstand the motion of the basket including hard stops, bouncing, dragging and tipping over without risk of injury or inordinate discomfort?