Altitude Endeavors

Altitude Endeavors Providing hot air balloon rides, pilot instruction, commercial advertising, and Lindstrand sales.

The single biggest factor affecting balloon flight is weather. Unlike airplanes that can handle a variety of weather co...
04/29/2026

The single biggest factor affecting balloon flight is weather. Unlike airplanes that can handle a variety of weather conditions, balloons only fly with a specific set of weather parameters. Even when it looks like a beautiful day, sometimes there are factors that prevent flight that are hard to see. Pilots must consider frontal boundaries, pressure gradients, precipitation potential, air stability, air density, and of course wind speed. So where do we get our weather forecasts? We use a variety of sources, compare different computer forecast models, and use a vast amount of experience to evaluate the weather conditions. You can even check the surface conditions online right here at AEi! Below are links to some of the websites we use.

https://ambientweather.net/dashboard/c656531a34a6f165f099d00e93c3024a

https://windlineweather.com

https://aviationweather.gov/gfa/

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?w0=t&w1=td&w2=wc&w3=sfcwind&w3u=1&w4=sky&w5=pop&w6=rh&w7=rain&w8=thunder&w13u=0&w14u=1&pqpfhr=6&psnwhr=6&AheadHour=0&FcstType=graphical&textField1=42.3627&textField2=-85.1899&site=all&unit=0&dd=&bw=&AheadDay.x=393&AheadDay.y=418

https://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KBTL&state=MI

Altitude Endeavors shares a hangar with Thermal Air Repair, the company that completes annual inspections on many of the...
04/15/2026

Altitude Endeavors shares a hangar with Thermal Air Repair, the company that completes annual inspections on many of the balloons in the Midwest. Thermal Air Repair also performs hot air balloon repairs and builds equipment such as balloon basket covers. Tyler Athletic Fields is loaded up and headed out in this photo with a fresh annual inspection and a brand new basket cover.

What qualifications does a person need to fly a balloon? Since hot air balloons are FAA registered aircraft, you must p...
04/08/2026

What qualifications does a person need to fly a balloon? Since hot air balloons are FAA registered aircraft, you must possess a pilots license with an LTA rating. LTA is the aircraft type for “lighter than air.” The process to get a license to fly balloons is the same as for airplanes with some specific requirement differences. On average it takes about 2 years to get a pilots license, however, it can be done much faster. After becoming a certified pilot you must also have your proficiency evaluated every two years by a certified instructor. In addition, you must have logged three take offs and landings within the preceding 90 days to carry passengers aboard the aircraft. The attached photos are of our first flight of the year, which was a Flight Review and currency flight aboard Tres on a beautiful (although freezing) April 7th evening.

Since balloons can only travel with the wind, you must also have a way to get the balloon and its passengers back to whe...
04/02/2026

Since balloons can only travel with the wind, you must also have a way to get the balloon and its passengers back to where it started. Introducing…the chase vehicle. There are many options that can be used to transport the balloon and crew. We choose to use a luxurious Ford Transit 350HD, extended, high roof, dual rear wheel, with a hydraulic lift system. If that’s not mouthful, I’m not sure what is! Our passenger can walk into this beast of a vehicle without even having to duck (unless you’re over 6’6”). Offering plenty of room for equipment, passengers, and crew, the team at AEi rides in style.

This balloon is called Tres. Kind of looks like Trilogy doesn’t it? If you look close, there is a difference. Mainly ...
03/25/2026

This balloon is called Tres. Kind of looks like Trilogy doesn’t it? If you look close, there is a difference. Mainly because Tres only holds 90,000 cubic feet of hot air. That’s 30,000 less than Trilogy. Tres was completed by Lindstrand Balloons US in June of 2022 and flew its maiden flight on July 1, 2022. Tres can fly 2-3 passengers and is used for private flights only with most flights being couples celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or engagement. Tres has been flown in just Michigan and León, Guanajuato MX.

Did you know…hot air balloons are given a name? Most balloon names have a meaning that may be obvious or only known to ...
03/18/2026

Did you know…hot air balloons are given a name? Most balloon names have a meaning that may be obvious or only known to the pilot and crew. This balloon is called Trilogy and was built by Lindstrand Balloons U.S. Registration was complete in December of 2017 and Trilogy began flying in the spring of 2018. This balloon is our largest at 120,000 cubic feet and can carry 4-6 passengers depending on their size. Why do we not fly a larger balloon? Here in the Michigan a number of factors make this balloon the largest that we are interested in flying. It is a great balance between capacity, equipment weight, and availability of good landing sites in our flying area. Also, we specialize in private flights which are scheduled for your small group, so this size is ideal. We do offer shared group rides as well in this balloon so that individuals or couples looking to save a little money can still experience the thrill of a balloon flight.

03/11/2026

What’s a balloon tether? At AEi we offer the option of tethered balloon rides. This is best suited for groups of 30-100 and allows many passengers to get the feel for what it is like to fly in a hot air balloon. Is it as wonderful as a non-tethered flight? Absolutely not, but it is still an amazing experience when you want to entertain a larger group at a much more reasonable cost per person. Enjoy the video from a private event we participated in at beautiful Blue Heron Barn venue.

Did you know…since hot air balloons are certified aircraft, similar to an airplane, they must be inspected at least once...
03/05/2026

Did you know…since hot air balloons are certified aircraft, similar to an airplane, they must be inspected at least once a year to confirm Airworthiness? Each manufacturer has specific requirements for their aircraft and inspections must be performed by a FAA Certified Repair Station. This inspection includes things like checking every square inch of fabric for any possible damage, confirming the fabric strength, inspecting fuel tanks, the basket, and servicing the burners. This insures that each aircraft is ready and safe for up to 12 months of flying or another 100 hours of flight time.

Sometimes customer say “they would like to book an evening flight so that they can watch the sunset.” “Sunset” flights,...
02/18/2026

Sometimes customer say “they would like to book an evening flight so that they can watch the sunset.” “Sunset” flights, however, do end prior to sunset. Typically hot air balloons do not fly between sunset and sunrise. Although the FAA regulations do provide for a method to do this, landing in the dark can be extremely dangerous. If you are really interested in additional adventure, we do offer “dawn patrol flights.” For this type of flight we launch at first light, using aircraft lights, and then land after sunrise.

How big is a hot air balloon? Balloons are manufactured in a large range of sizes. In the pictures below, the balloons...
02/11/2026

How big is a hot air balloon?
Balloons are manufactured in a large range of sizes. In the pictures below, the balloons look the same, however, the one on the left is 90,000 cubic feet and the one on the right is 120,000. Interestingly, the number of passengers a balloon can carry is related to the size of the “envelope” or fabric portion of the balloon and not the size of the basket. A very small balloon is 35,000 and a very large one can be over 315,000. Many recreational pilots fly balloons in the 75,000-90,000 cubic foot range. Serious competition pilots frequently fly balloons in the 56,000-69,000 cubic foot range. For reference, a basket ball is about one cubic foot. If you have any questions or other thoughts on balloon sizes, leave us a comment.

Where are hot air balloons manufactured? Can you buy one online? Well, not exactly. Almost all balloons are custom bui...
02/04/2026

Where are hot air balloons manufactured? Can you buy one online? Well, not exactly. Almost all balloons are custom built for the buyer and take weeks or months to build. The balloons that are flown at AEi are built by the amazing team at Lindstrand Balloons in Galena, Illinois. Want to buy one? AEi can help you get the balloon of your dreams, even if you are not a licensed pilot (more on that later).
There are a number of other good manufacturers that provide balloons in the US including:

Cameron Balloons
Dexter, Michigan

Ultramagic Balloons
Barcelona, Spain

Kubicek Balloons
Brno, Czech Republic

FireFly Balloons
Statesville, North Carolina

Air Fly Balloons
São Paulo, Brazil

Head Balloons
Helen, Georgia

Adams Balloon Loft
Bloomington, Illinois

Address

1255 Hunter Rdg
Battle Creek, MI
49017

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

Telephone

+18889335964

Website

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