Chianti: Hot Air Balloon Flight with Prosecco & Picnic

Soar over the Chianti countryside on a hot air balloon flight. Enjoy a traditional toast with a glass of Prosecco after landing, and savor a picnic with local products in the landing field.

Begin your adventure by heading to the launch field in the early morning. Watch as the pilot and crew lay out the hot air balloon, position the basket on its side, and lay the balloon envelope out in front of it. See the envelope securely tied to the basket before one or two large fans are positioned at the opening of the balloon. The balloon is initially inflated with cold air from the fan while in a horizontal position. Once the balloon is half full with cold air, move on to the hot inflation and hot air from the burners is blown into the balloon. Slowly but surely, the balloon will start rising to a “standing” position. With this motion, the basket that was once on its side is now upright and ready for flight. The setup and inflation take about 35 minutes. Once the hot air balloon is ready, board the basket and receive a short safety briefing and instructions from your pilot. The burners are then fully activated and the balloon will gently rise from the ground and slowly take flight. Fly for approximately 1 hour, depending on wind speed, direction, and weather conditions, which may influence the duration of the flight. Part of the magic of flying in a hot air balloon is that you never know exactly where you may land. A hot air balloon can’t be steered directly; it drifts with the wind, so you may land in a big sunflower field, on a dirt track next to a vineyard, or maybe on the grounds of a castle. Despite not knowing the exact landing spot, the pilot keeps a constant close watch on the local wind patterns and prior to flight will consult the most updated weather bulletins from several sources and the airport. The wind currents usually travel in different directions depending on the altitude and it is these layered winds that are used by experienced pilots to navigate the balloon. Throughout the flight, the pilot is in radio contact with the ground crew in the chase vehicle and Air Traffic Control. Once the pilot has identified a good landing field, he will start the descent and inform the passengers when to adopt the landing position shown during the safety briefing. The landing may be very gentle and soft if there isn’t much wind or it might impact the ground with some force and drag for a few meters before reaching a halt. This is all normal and done in complete safety. After landing, while the balloon is deflated and packed away, celebrate the magical experience with a traditional hot air balloon toast and a glass of Prosecco. Enjoy a beautifully presented picnic on the landing field, offering a selection of carefully chosen local products. After breakfast, conclude your time by driving back to the launch field.