Second time flying on a balloon with this company ...

Second time flying on a balloon with this company ! Flew 15 August after buying a discounted gift certificate due to COVID. First time in January 2018 was magical since it was winter time and the chill gave a different scenery as well as weather. We were able to see the pacific over the mountains to the west and enjoyed some time at a local petting zoo with a camel. The pilot was very knowledgeable and a great conversationalist having us all laughing and teaching us of the history of ballooning. We did land in a funky spot but the pilot was confident in his skill and while it was new to the passengers, he knew what he was doing. The mimosas were nice too ! This past second time was a bit different. While still fun, it was HOT. This isn t to the fault of the company but man it was warm and the heat from the fire was making it even hotter. We from SoCal are alright with it, but others from different areas may feel differently about it in the summer. One passenger began to feel sick but the pilot was more than willing to check in on her and offer water. It was a much slower flight than my first and in a different direction but my wife Still loved the experience as it was her first. The pilot was nice enough but he seemed very concentrated in his craft, and I d prefer someone who is focused on safety vs someone who is a talkative and distracted so I didn t mind it too much. But I think a lot of people became more concerned when we were landing outside of the nominal location between two horse ranches on a dirt road just
Missing power lines and trees. Again, take it with a grain of salt. Pilots can t control every aspect of a flight but he did his best to ensure our safety. His crew on the ground level seemed to new guys so I would probably have liked that if there needed to be two on the ground, that at least one of them had experience as it seemed the pilot struggled to communicate and direct them to do what he needed. Either way, I still give this company five stars as as far as providing a great experience, they do just fine! Thanks !