Hot Air Balloons - Balloon Rides Miami FL-hot air balloon adventure
With our balloon rides, your hot air balloon adventure can be anything you want it to be. Enjoy our Adventure Balloon Ride with a group or reserve it for your enjoyment on an Exclusive Balloon Ride.

The Montgolfiers were a big family, to say the least - but two of their sixteen children really stood out: Joseph, born in August 1740 and Etienne, five years his junior. Neither showed any great enthusiasm for the family paper- manufacturing trade, with their father, Pierre, still firmly holding the reins of the factory at Viladon-les-Annonay, south of Lyon. The aging paterfamilias was probably wondering if his two boys had their heads in the clouds...

Joseph certainly didn't lack imagination. Observing the sky, he concluded that after all he could very easily make a cloud himself: so he got some paper from the factory, made an envelope, filled it with steam - and saw his idea collapse in a mass of sodden paper. Etienne wasn't about to be left out: it was probably his scientific reading that gave him the idea of making a bag float in the air with gas obtained from sulfuric acid and iron filings. Another failure. But then in November 1782, working indoors, Joseph managed to get a taffeta envelope filled with hot air to rise to the ceiling. He summoned his brother: "Get in a stock of taffeta and rope and you'll see one of the most astonishing sights in the whole world!" It was time for serious scientific experiments to begin.

To the amazement of a group of spectators, the Montgolfier brothers soon managed to send a sort of giant paper bag some thirty meters (100 ft) up in the air, using gas obtained by burning a mixture of wet straw and chopped wool. Joseph and Etienne decided to push things further, via a "machine" for taking people into the air - an "aerostat" they called it. "Seraphina", to use their private name for this strange contrivance, was to be a 12-meter (40 ft) envelope made of wrapping fabric lined with paper, with its multiple sections held together by some 2000 buttons. A totally hare-brained idea, according to their critics. After the preliminary tryouts, the first public experiment was scheduled for Annonay on 4 June 1783, just happening to coincide with a meeting of the area's most influential people.

Pilot Certification
In order for a person to pilot a licensed hot air balloon in the US and carry passengers, her/she must posses at least an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) issued Private Pilot Certificate with a Lighter-than-air rating. An individual wishing to carry passengers for hire must possess an FAA issued Commercial Pilot Certificate with a Lighter-than-air rating. The licensing process involves training of the pilot in all aspects of balloon flight operations and also requires that the individual complete a written as well as a practical examination in order to receive FAA certification.

Winds Aloft Aviation is owned and operated by Carlos Zuniga. Carlos began flying powered airplanes at age 14 and followed his dream of becoming an airline pilot. Aside from flying balloons and gliders, Carlos also flies for a internationall cargo airline as first officer on the Airbus A-300. To date Carlos has accumulated over 10,000 hours of flight time in all types of aircraft and holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, a Flight Engineer Certificate and is an experience Certified Flight Instructor in powered aircraft and gliders. Carlos is also an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor with the Miami Flight Standards District Office (FSDO-19). Throught the FAA Safety Program, Carlos promotes general aviation safety in South Florida.

We generally fly our Hot Air Balloons in the Homestead/Redlands area of Miami.Travel time from greater Miami and the Beaches to this area is approximately 30-40 minutes. Travel time from the Ft. Lauderdale area is approximately 45-60 minutes. The preferred travel route to this area is the Florida Turnpike. An alternate route is US Highway 1 for those coming from Miami Beach or points east.

Due to the predominant weather conditions in South Florida, most hot air balloon operations are conducted in the early mornings hours. Occassionally, the weather conditions will permit evening flights. Special arrangements will be made for evening flights whenever possible.

Among other cities, Winds Aloft Aviation, Inc may serve the following areas: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Boca Raton, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Kendall, Homestead, South Miami, Oakland Park, Port Saint Lucie, Lake Worth, North Miami Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Coral Springs, Miami Beach, Perrine, North Miami, Tamarac, Sweetwater, Quail Heights, Olympia Heights