Has anyone here been ballooning? There is a place near us that is very busy, they fly 60 times a month on average during the summer. I’d LOVE to take my family up there, but at $285 a person, times 5, it’s expensive.
I just learned though that they will allow you to crew for them, working towards free flights. I’m trying to figure out if I want to commit to it. I’d have to crew for 50 flights, averaging 3.5 hours each total. I know if you work the numbers out, it’s like being paid minimum wage, so that sucks. But, if I had $1500 saved up, neither my wife nor I could justify dripping $1500 for about 2.5 hours of fun.
You can crew on the days you want, either early in the morning, or after dinner (or both). So, is it worth it to you?
Jay_W
Dork
6/5/12 10:14 a.m.
I'm biased. Been making my living flying the silly things for 21 years. I say go for it. you might get hooked and trade crew for flight lessons so be warned...
Giving away 175 hours of work so I can take my family on a balloon trip? That's a lot of time. More than I have to give away.
With all of the euphemisms these days for unspeakably nasty sexual acts, ballooning made my mind veer straight into the gutter.
I have no suggestions for a definition, nor do i want to imagine any.
Sorry.
Hot air ballooning! tee hee hee!
JoeyM
SuperDork
6/5/12 12:46 p.m.
sounds like valentine's day for you and the missus. The kids can hang at grandma's house. 
Foxtrapper; I know, that's a lot of time. I'm thinking about spreading it out till next fall. Then taking a colorful tour of the area.
JoeyM; I thought about that. I could earn two flights this summer no problem. But, I really want to take the kids up. They'd LOVE it, and I'd love watching them experience it. As I become an old fart, I start to get more joy in watching the kids do things than in doing them myself.
Oh, Jay. I was already thinking that. The guy I talked to on the phone started doing volunteer crew work 35 years ago, in high-school. He's been a pilot for decades now.
