A typical ARHAB flight uses a standard latex weather balloon, lasts around 2–3 hours, and reaches 25–35 km (16–22 mi) in altitude.

In a specialized pressurized balloon, humans can reach the stratosphere, well over 100,000 feet. The current official record for the highest manned balloon flight was set by Alan Eustace in 2014, who reached 135,890 feet (41.4 km) before skydiving back to Earth. For a standard hot air balloon, the record is much lower; in 2005, Dr. Vijaypat Singhania reached 69,852 feet in a massive hot air balloon equipped with a pressurized gondola. For the average "adventure" balloonist in 2026, flights typically stay between 1,000 and 3,000 feet for the best views, though some high-altitude excursions go up to 10,000 feet where supplemental oxygen may be required. Beyond 63,000 feet (the Armstrong Limit), the atmospheric pressure is so low that a human cannot survive without a pressurized suit or capsule, as bodily fluids would begin to "boil" at normal body temperature. These extreme "edge of space" balloon flights are rare and require years of engineering and FAA-level clearance.