Ballooning in Autumn

People often ask us when is a good time to fly. We think it’s always a good time to fly and every season has something different to enjoy. We fly the least in the winter months due to fast wind and extreme cold. The wind tends to be calm throughout the summer, and we have fewer weather cancellations from mid-May until mid-September, therefore the warm weather months are the times that you are most likely to fly.

Our busiest time of the year is the fall season during the change of foliage colors. There is no simple formula for predicting fall color during the month of October, but usually mid to late in the month of October is a good time for colorful leaves. Leaf color depends on your elevation. Leaves begin changing first on the highest peaks and conclude in the lower elevations where we fly. The intensity of fall color and time of peak color vary and are determined by complex environmental factors, as well as the genetic makeup of the plants themselves.

The “best” fall color for an area occurs during the shortening days of autumn when days are bright, sunny, and cool when nights are cool but not below freezing, and when there has been ideal rainfall. Adequate rainfall also keeps the leaves on the trees longer and enhances the color. Wet, cloudy, warm weather or exceptionally low temperatures in early fall tend to mute the much anticipated autumnal display.

Asheville has one of the most dramatic displays of fall foliage in the country. Extreme elevations, and more than 100 species of deciduous (leaf shedding) trees, give the Blue Ridge Mountains one of the longest and most vibrant leaf seasons.

Be sure to book your flight and overnight accommodations early because most places sell out for this sought-after season. We recommend you book a fall flight with Asheville Balloon Company at least one or two months in advance and many people even book fall flights more than six months in advance.