General Questions

In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers launched an 800 cubic meter balloon filled with smoke (hot air) in France. This revolutionary event set France, England, and several other countries in motion. That same year, the brothers launched an even larger balloon with two people on board, who became the first humans ever to experience flight.

Since 1783, balloon flight has undergone remarkable development. For a period, gas balloons were dominant – and they also became the foundation for the development of airships. During the 1960s, a gas burner was developed that could burn liquid propane. This launched the modern technology that has brought hot air balloons within economic reach for the general public as well. Today, flights are made in gas balloons, hot air balloons, and a combination of both. The balloons are still balloon-shaped, but modern construction techniques have also made it possible to manufacture special shaped balloons in virtually all sizes and forms.

A hot air balloon works by utilizing the physical law that warm air is lighter than cold air. By gathering a large amount of relatively warm air, it can begin to lift a considerable weight. A cubic meter of air heated to 100 degrees can lift about 300 grams. By heating approximately 2000 m3 of air to 100 degrees, you can create a lifting force of about 600 kg, which is the weight of a small balloon with gas, basket, and passengers. By using the burner during the flight, the balloon pilot can increase and decrease the temperature in the balloon envelope, causing the balloon to rise and fall. The temperature in the balloon envelope is hottest at the top and typically ranges between 80-110 degrees. The balloon's flight time depends on how much gas is carried and how much is used. Normally, about 60-80 liters of gas are used per hour. When the balloon pilot wishes to land the balloon, they can slowly decrease the altitude and finally let the basket land on a suitable fallow field or grassland.

A hot air balloon can be controlled very precisely in altitude. It rises and descends using the temperature in the balloon envelope, and an experienced balloon pilot can maintain a balloon within just 1 meter of altitude difference for extended periods. However, the balloon's flight direction is controlled solely by the wind direction at the balloon's flight altitude. Therefore, during the planning of a balloon flight, it's very important to know the wind direction and thus the balloon's flight path. This is why it's only possible for a balloon pilot to decide on a launch site once they know the wind conditions on the flight day. At different altitudes, there are usually variations in both wind direction and speed. The balloon pilot can use this by changing the balloon's flight altitude and thereby influence the flight path. But it's largely impossible to 'turn around' and fly home. Simply put, the balloon's flight direction can be controlled with altitude...

The typical smaller hot air balloon for about 3-4 people weighs approximately 350 kg. This includes the balloon envelope, basket and burner system, but before the pilot and guests come aboard. It can lift a maximum of 700 kg, which is primarily determined by the volume of the balloon envelope. But balloons can also come in much larger sizes, and our largest passenger balloon weighs, fully loaded and with passengers aboard, approximately 4.5 tons. Of this, just the balloon envelope itself weighs about 500 kg, and we therefore also need many people to help during the setup of the balloon and when we pack it up.

A hot air balloon is divided into three main parts: the balloon itself (which we call the envelope), the basket, and the burner system. The envelope can be made of either polyester or specially reinforced nylon. The fabric has properties that keep the heat inside the balloon, while the balloon's supporting structure is a large network of strong so-called load tapes, around which the fabric is sewn. The balloon basket is woven from willow, but the supporting structure consists of oak planks and strong steel cables, which are connected to the balloon. The willow weaving has the great advantage of being flexible and strong, making it very suitable for the balloon's landings. The burner system consists of gas cylinders, hoses, and a large burner that can be activated and, when the gas is burned, can send heat up into the balloon during the flight.

There are at least as many different prices for balloon equipment as there are sizes. A smaller hot air balloon for private use that accommodates 3-4 people can typically be purchased for around 300,000 SEK. As the balloons get larger, the prices increase accordingly. Our largest hot air balloon cost approximately 1,500,000 SEK when purchased new. On top of this, additional costs for trailer, radio equipment, and vehicle must be added. Hot air balloons are an excellent advertising medium, being highly visible in the sky with their large surfaces. It's common to partner with businesses looking to showcase their profile or message on the balloon, which can help keep costs down.

Modern hot air balloons float because warm air is lighter than cold air. When the balloon is filled, we gather enough warm air to carry the basket and guests. We burn propane gas to create the heat needed to lift the balloon. It's important to note the difference between a gas balloon and a hot air balloon. Unlike the hot air balloon, the gas balloon uses a light gas to float. At DreamBalloon, we only fly with hot air balloons, not gas balloons.

As a starting point, everyone can fly in a hot air balloon. It's a relaxed and calm way of flying, which feels more like gently floating in the air compared to other types of flying. This is because the balloon always flies at wind speed, so everything feels completely still.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all passengers, you should be in a physical condition that allows you to participate in the experience. This means, for example, being able to stand for the hour-long flight and not being physically frail. Additionally, all passengers must be able to understand and follow the instructions given by the pilot and crew.

According to current regulations, the balloon pilot is responsible for the passengers, and ultimately, it's the pilot who decides if a passenger is fit to participate in the flight safely on the given day.

As a general rule, we don't offer flights if:

• You are over 12 weeks pregnant on the day of the flight
• You are a child under 130 cm tall (typically 6-7 years old)
• You use a wheelchair
• You have severe walking difficulties or appear physically frail to such an extent that you're not considered able to safely complete the flight - which includes being able to stand for the approximately 60 minutes that the flight lasts.
• You are intoxicated or appear to be under the influence.

A hot air balloon is a considerably large aircraft. Our largest balloon is a Lindstrand C600 with a capacity of up to 32 passengers. It's one of the world's largest hot air balloons, which has previously flown over central Stockholm. Now it primarily operates in Denmark. DreamBalloon has hot air balloons in many different sizes, and the volume of the balloon envelope determines how much weight, and therefore how many guests, it can lift. Our Cameron Z-425 has a volume of 425,000 cubic feet. This translates to approximately 12,000 cubic meters, which equals the volume of 181 40-foot containers. When filled, it stands over 35 meters tall and can lift more than 3.5 tons.

DreamBalloon has an online booking system, which you can access from the website. As soon as you have purchased your ticket, you can book your flight.
Book your flight here

Hot air balloon flights take place either in the hours before sunset or the hours after sunrise. During the flying season, meeting and flight times will therefore vary as they follow the timing of sunrise and sunset.

Hot air balloons cannot be steered. They follow the direction of the wind, and you never know exactly where you will land. After about 50 minutes, the pilot will start looking for a good landing spot.

The chase vehicle follows the balloon from the ground and aims to arrive at the landing site shortly after the balloon has landed.

We are in the air for approximately one hour, depending on wind and weather conditions, as well as the availability of suitable landing sites, etc. However, you should allow at least four hours for the entire experience.

We fly in many areas and you choose which flight area you want to fly in when you book your flight. In Skåne, we fly from Helsingborg, Lund, Malmö or Sjöbo. In Västra Götaland, you can choose between Gothenburg, Varberg, Uddevalla and Skaraborg, among others. Or why not try a magnificent flight over Stockholm?

Yes, it's a good idea to bring a camera and/or binoculars, as a balloon ride offers many great photo opportunities. However, they are brought at your own risk, and during landing, larger binoculars/cameras should be packed away and kept inside your jacket.

We recommend comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for a walk in nature, depending on the weather conditions on the day of the flight.

It is usually warm during the flight itself, but it's a good idea to bring an extra jacket for after landing, when the temperature drops quickly and it gets a little colder.

It is a good idea to bring a cap/hat to protect against the radiation from the balloon's burner. On warm days, it is also important to bring extra fluids, such as a bottle of water. Sensible shoes are especially important as you risk ending up on damp and uneven ground upon landing.

A hot air balloon never lands in the same place it takes off. We typically travel between 10-30 km on a balloon ride.

Unfortunately, DreamBalloon cannot assist with transportation from the landing site. Therefore, it's important that you arrange your own transport back from the landing site!

It's perfect to bring a family member or friend to drive after the balloon. It's beautiful and exciting even for those who don't get to fly. You can take many great pictures from the ground and share the adventure with the person flying this way. It's easy to follow the balloon from the ground, and our crew will brief your followers on the easiest way to find the balloon.

NOTE! For passengers flying in Stockholm City, transportation back to the starting point is included!

Spectators are very welcome, but it's a good idea to inform them that, for example, there are no restroom facilities near the launch site.

It's also possible to follow the balloon during the flight. You can track the balloon's position online at www.minballongtur.se.

We recommend trying to follow the balloon yourself instead of following the chase vehicle. After landing, you can always call the chase vehicle to get exact information about the landing site.

While we would love to guarantee this, since hot air balloons cannot be steered, we cannot promise you this. If you take off from a location in your local area and the wind is in your favor, it's certainly possible that you'll see your house from the air. However, to avoid disappointment, it's probably best not to count on it.

Flying in a hot air balloon is, in many ways, a calm and peaceful experience, but it's also an adventurous outdoor activity, with the landing being the most exciting part of the flight.

Sometimes the basket hovers over the ground for a while before stopping, and it can also tip over during landing. This is how balloons have landed for over 200 years, and it's completely normal.

The balloon and basket are built for this, and safety is high even during landing. The pilot will provide thorough instructions on how to behave during landing both before and after the flight.

The landing is an exciting part of the experience, and it's often the case that passengers feel the landing was the best part of the entire flight!

The hot air balloon cannot be steered, it follows the wind's direction, and you never know exactly where you will land. After about 50 minutes, the pilot begins looking for a suitable landing site.

The car follows the balloon on the ground and aims to arrive at the landing site shortly after the balloon has landed.

A hot air balloon can't be steered in the usual way, but according to wind direction and speed. The pilot skillfully controls the balloon's height by regulating the temperature inside the balloon envelope.

Therefore, how far you fly depends on the weather and wind conditions on the actual flight day and how long it takes for the pilot to find a suitable landing spot.

You can fly anywhere from a very short distance up to 35 km, but typically the flight is between 10 and 20 km long.

We fly up to about 1,500-2,000 feet (approximately 500-700 meters altitude). At this height, you can see 360 degrees around, but just a few hundred meters up in the air, the view is absolutely spectacular! We also fly part of the tour at low altitude, giving you the opportunity for unique nature experiences, where animals and nature can be seen from a completely new angle.

During the day, the sun heats up the earth's surface, which then warms the air above it, resulting in columns of rising warm air, also known as thermals.

These thermals create ascending and descending air currents that affect the pilot's ability to maintain control over the balloon's ascent and descent.

That's why we fly during the hours around sunrise and sunset, when there are no thermals and we can avoid this issue.

The following are approximate times for meeting on the flight day. You will receive an SMS on the actual flight day (or the evening before a morning flight) with the specific time and exact meeting location for your flight.

Hot air balloon flights take place either just after sunrise or before sunset. During the flying season, the meeting and flight times will therefore vary, depending on the time of sunrise and sunset.

We're in the air for about an hour, depending on weather conditions, wind, suitable landing spots, etc. However, you should plan for at least 4 hours for the entire experience.

The booking is binding and, as a general rule, cannot be rescheduled. However, if you contact us well in advance (72 hours) before a flight, we can usually help you with rebooking. If you become ill before your flight, please contact customer service as soon as possible at 046-248900.

DreamBalloon alternates between various launch sites around the Gothenburg area, Västra Götaland, the Stockholm area, and Skåne. You have the option to choose which flight area you'd like to fly in, but the exact launch site depends on the wind and weather forecast on the day of the flight.

You will receive an SMS on the day of the flight with the address of the launch site for the flight.

DreamBalloon only operates flights when weather conditions are suitable for hot air ballooning. If weather conditions are unsuitable on your scheduled flight date, you will be notified of the cancellation via email and SMS. As soon as the flight is cancelled, your booking number will be released, allowing you to schedule a new flight date through our online booking system.

The changing Swedish weather is one of the factors that makes each balloon flight a unique experience. However, the weather is also the factor in ballooning that we simply cannot control. This means that the pilot sometimes cancels the planned flight because the wind and weather conditions are not suitable for safe flying. Our pilots are all very experienced, and the pilot decides whether the weather on the day is safe to fly in.

Our pilots' top priority is always safety. When they cancel a flight, either in advance via SMS/email, or in rare cases at the launch site, they will usually give an explanation as to why. Our pilots make the decision about whether the weather is suitable for flying based on the most relevant and up-to-date weather information available immediately before notifying passengers via SMS and/or email.

From time to time, however, the weather may change from what the forecast predicted. There are different weather forecasts, and they can be interpreted in different ways by different meteorologists. So, just like all those who work professionally with weather, we can also be wrong. Here are some of the general reasons why DreamBalloon may choose to cancel a flight:

The weather was fine and sunny – why was my flight canceled?

• The ground wind or altitude wind may have been too strong and outside the permitted limits.
• There may also have been a risk of gusts exceeding the limit values.
• Rain may have been predicted in the flight area. We are not allowed to fly in the rain, as it means poor visibility and the balloon becomes heavier to fly.
• The balloon envelope can also be damaged if it gets too wet. Thunderstorms, or so-called Cumuli Nimbus, may have been predicted within the area. These are dangerous for the balloon, and we should not fly within 50 km of them.
• If your flight was a morning flight, there may have been poor visibility or fog during the flight period, which disappeared later in the day.

On the day of the flight, the pilot will send an SMS and an email to all passengers. Here you'll be informed whether the flight can be carried out or not. If the flight proceeds as planned, you'll be informed about when and where to meet the pilot.

The pilot will send this message no later than 3:00 PM before an evening flight and no later than 9:00 PM the evening before a morning flight. Often, you'll be informed earlier than this if possible.

DreamBalloon has an online booking system, which you can access via the website. By clicking on "Booking" from the main page, you'll get an overview of flights. If you already have a ticket, you can book your flight and choose the area you wish to fly in here.

We always strive to keep bookings open at least a month in advance, and to have available spots in all flight areas.

Children must be at least 7 years old and approximately 130 cm tall to participate in the flight.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. We understand that our passengers come in all shapes and sizes, but due to weight, safety, and limited space in the basket, we ask all passengers weighing more than 130 kg to purchase an extra seat.

The pilot's decision determines whether we fly or not, and this is not related to what other pilots do. Our pilots assess the situation based on the most accurate and available weather information and make their own decisions with safety as the top priority.

It might have been a private balloon you saw. They are allowed to fly in more challenging weather conditions than balloons with commercial flight permits like ours. In general, private balloons are also much smaller than passenger-carrying balloons, making them easier to set up and land.

It is the passenger's responsibility to ensure they do not suffer from pre-existing medical conditions that may be aggravated by the balloon flight or that may prevent them from participating in the flight safely. Consult your doctor for advice if you are unsure.

We work hard to ensure that people with disabilities also have the opportunity to participate in the balloon tour with us, if it is possible and safe to do so.

Since all situations are different, and some disabilities pose a greater challenge than others when it comes to ballooning, we kindly ask you to contact us before purchasing a ticket and booking a flight. This way, we can give you the best possible advice, and also arrange special assistance to receive you and guarantee your safety on the flight.

We can provide information on disability issues from different perspectives upon request. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, it is not possible to have passengers in the basket who are dependent on a wheelchair.

Unfortunately, for safety reasons, it's not possible to fly in the balloon if you're pregnant after the twelfth week. If you become pregnant after purchasing a ticket, we'd like to extend the ticket's validity until after you've given birth. In this case, please contact us and send a copy of your medical record from your doctor.

No. All our pilots are certified and highly experienced, and we believe it's best to let them handle the actual flying. However, they'll be more than happy to answer questions about how they became passionate balloon pilots and how it all works.

As we are a company licensed for commercial flights, you are always fully insured with us according to the Swedish Transport Agency's regulations.

Yes, absolutely!

Hot air balloon flights are a very safe form of aviation, and ballooning in Sweden operates under very strict rules and control. We are licensed for commercial flights under the Danish Transport Authority and the Swedish Transport Agency, and all our skilled pilots are certified for commercial flights. All our balloons are of the latest models and fully equipped with safety gear according to the Transport Agency's regulations.