Air-ristocrat Balloon Rides

05/25/2026

May is a challenging month for a balloon company in a small market.
Lots of good mornings to fly but everyone is at work or otherwise engaged.
If you have a ticket please book your flight.

05/21/2026

Time to book your flight folks.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"

Regular flights, special events, tethers, walk in balloon, school demonstrations, and travel to your location are all available.

05/09/2026

Another chair flight today!
A very happy young lady named Alexis went for a balloon ride that she wouldn't be able to do anywhere else in Western Canada.
We flew for over an hour, top speed was about 5 kmh.
Believe it or not but that's a bit of a pucker flight for a prairie boy.
I'm more used to having what I call positive horizontal motivation.

04/11/2026

Fun flight with jumpers today out by Innisfail and tried out a new flight app.
Shows how wind speed and direction changes with altitude.

02/15/2026

Fun flight with jumpers today!
We launched from Innisfail airport and headed ESE
Red Deer was totally fogged out. I tried to get a pic but a camera only reflects a moment.

02/07/2026

First jumpers of the year!
8 jumpers, 4 passengers, 2 hops, and 2 hours in the air.
We could see Sylvan Lake, Gull Lake, Buffalo Lake and Red Deer just by turning our heads.
Good Fun.

01/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/19Y9f1n7bq/

🎈 First post of 2026 — let’s look ahead together!

Are you already using AI tools for preparation, analysis, or communication?

How do you think AI could support balloon competitions?
👉Share your ideas and experiences in the comments!

Hot Air Ballooning & AI — where could it help?

This AI-generated image is just one example of how balloon competitions can be visualised in new and creative ways.
But AI is already finding its place beyond images — especially in competition-related areas.

From data analysis and visualization, to education, training, and communication, AI can help pilots, officials, and organisers better understand tasks, weather scenarios, and competition strategies —without changing what truly matters: pilot skill, decision-making, and fair play.

11/30/2025

Merry Christmas Everyone.
Just need to figure out the proper brandy quotient.

11/17/2025

Seems to be a balloon movie kind of year.
Disney+ has The Balloonist... it accurately depicts the swarthy competence of a balloon pilot but all the balloon bits are complete BS.
And coming soon to a theater near you, Turbulence. An action/thriller staring Kelsey Grammer.
All I can say about that one is... Who taught Fraser to fly? Judging from the trailer all that's missing are some aliens. And a snipe hunt.

⭐ Watch The Balloonist on Disney Plus ⭐▶️ Overview of the Series: Out of the blue, Gaby’s life is turned upside down when an arrogant hot-air balloon pilot c...

11/03/2025

Fun day with the walk in balloon in Innisfail.
Johns Manville had an open house and we were happy to be a part of it.