It's Ok To Be Scared Of Heights The good news is that we've taken thousands of guests flying in our hot air balloons, and almost everyone finds it peaceful and relaxing. Even folks who had some apprehension before the flight found themselves giving up their grip on the uprights in less than 10 minutes.

Surprisingly, many people with a severe fear of heights (acrophobia) find hot air ballooning to be peaceful and manageable. This is because the sensation of being in a balloon is fundamentally different from standing on a balcony or a ladder. Because the balloon drifts with the wind, there is no "breeze" or "wind in your face," which removes the sensory triggers of falling. There is no swaying or "rocking" of the basket; the liftoff is so gentle that you often don't realize you've left the ground until you look at the horizon. Crucially, your brain doesn't have a vertical physical reference (like a wall or a floor edge) connecting you to the ground, which is what usually triggers the "dizzying" drop sensation. In 2026, many pilots are trained to coach nervous flyers, and the high, solid sides of the basket provide a strong sense of security. If you are scared, the best strategy is to focus on the horizon rather than looking directly down. Most nervous flyers report that their anxiety peaks during the first 60 seconds and then evaporates, replaced by a sense of calm that is unique to the world of ballooning.