Deana is a god send! We took a wrong exit and almost missed it!!! Deanna was calm, waited for us and was so sweet. Days before the flight both Chris and Deana patiently guided us through the whole process. I couldn't have asked to be in the clouds with better people. Our pilot Tim was also amazing and extremely resourceful. He made this ride even more incredible! I would recommend these amazing people and this experience to everyone. Thank you Deana! read more

Awesome! Everyone was fun, friendly, and had a great experience. Beautiful balloons and an amazing experience. These are the guys to fly with! read more

Above The Clouds - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Middletown, New York

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I want to give a shoutout to Chris and Deanna and their whole crew at Above the Clouds Hot Air Balloon Rides for helping me celebrate my 75th in high fashion. The balloons are full of hot air, Chris and Deanna definitely are not. From the time I signed up they kept me informed; their instructions were concise and humorous; and they kept their promise that the flight would be a wonderful adventure. On the ground, as the crew prepared (inflated) the balloons, Deanna reviewed what we needed to know and do and did a Stand up routine to keep any of the Nervous Nellies relaxed. My friend and I had the good fortune to be in Chris' gondola (the proper name for the basket) as she piloted us over beautiful landscapes and doled out tidbits of history, geography and geology of the region. The ascent (we are now all Ascended Beings) and descent were smooth and Deanna kept us laughing in the ride back to Randall Airport. A beautiful experience. read more

This balloon ride company is really amazing! Deana and Chris were super nice and friendly. It was also a gorgeous day! The "chase" is also a thrilling part of the experience. If you are in the lower Hudson valley looking for a top notch balloon experience, this is definitely 1st choice in my opinion. read more

Not only was this the best weekend of my life because the love of my life asked me to marry him. He surprised me with a weekend getaway and a balloon ride that I was waiting my whole life for. Deana and Chris (the owners) could not have been more supportive nor helpful. The two helped organize our flight as well as document our sunrise trip and proposal. I would highly recommend flying with 'Above the Clouds', Chris and the crew are experts. We even saw balloons from other companies emergency land in a swamp.... Stick with the pros! Deana if you are reading this THANK YOU AGAIN! read more

This was so much fun .... from the ease of booking to the ride itself to the champagne toast .. this was a great experience. Safety was priority one. Chris our balloon pilot and Deana the company organizer made sure everyone knew what to expect.. all everyone had to do was soak up the beautiful Hudson Valley and enjoy. If you are in the Hudson Valley and want to enjoy our beauty .. book with Above The Clouds. See you in the fall. read more

I got this at a birthday gift from my wife and it was absolutely amazing, Deana and Chris did a fantastic job. Highly recommended read more

Above The Clouds - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Middletown, New York

Love love love it! From the start Deana was so lovely. I called in a week before our ride and most of the weekends they had were already booked. However, somehow miraculously, there was space in one of their balloons for two people for the height and weight that matched my husband and mine. And deana was kind enough to make it work for our first anniversary. We got there early (4:30 am) and from the very first moment Deana was energetic, warm, welcoming, friendly and so kind. (she's also super funny!) The people who joined us (roughly 6-8 people in each balloon) were wonderful as well. Chris is professional, kind and has many wonderful stories to share from his 30+ years of flying. The ride was smooth and serene and there was a deep sense of peace up there. We landed smoothly and popped a champagne and heard the story of how that tradition started. Honestly, if I could hang out with Deana and Chris in general, I'd take that option too; they are such fun people. You're in good and safe hands with this company! Enjoy the ride. read more

What an amazing experience from start to finish! Deana met us as we arrived, full of energy and excitement. She made you feel like family from the beginning. We were ushered out to our balloon and introduced to our pilot Chris, who was personable, professional and knowledgeable (And happens to be the owner). The additional crew members were busy readying our balloon for flight. In no time, we loaded into the basket and were on our way. The experience was thoroughly breathtaking from there on out for our group of seven. Sunrise greeted us as we floated over the landscape. Our landing was flawless and the crew had us packed up and on our way back to the take off site in no time. Thank you Above the Clouds for helping us check off another item on bucket list. And this one may be worth checking off twice. read more

Simply wonderful! Chris, Tim and Deana are incredibly nice and they really make you feel welcome and comfortable. We had to reschedule our trip a couple of times because of the weather but that's just the way these things go, especially if you want to have a smooth flight. They've never had any accidents so I didn't hesitate to go on the flight, didn't even have to think about it. Our flight was at dawn, now we want to go on at dusk... we will certainly go with them again. read more

This couldn't have been more perfect. Went with my grandma for her 80th birthday gift. We had the time of our lives. Deana is amazing. She's an absolute treat to spend time with during this booking process and we were lucky enough to have her along for the ride. Genuinely kind and an absolute hoot! Love her! Chris was incredible. Could not have made the trip more pleasant and we both felt so comfortable and safe. The 3 guys that put it together and took it down were crazy fast and did a great job. My grandma has waited her whole life for her hot air balloon ride and now that we had the experience with them we know why it was destiny to find this place. You will have a blast! Book Now! read more

My boyfriend bought me our first ride together as a birthday present. I am typically scared of heights, but I felt so safe and comfortable in this hot air balloon ride. Now I can't wait to go again! read more

There are lots of things you could spend your time thinking about when shopping for a company to fly you in a hot air balloon, like how many balloons they've crashed, how many people have jumped to their death from the basket or how many intoxicated pilots have showed up to the air field ready to fly. However, if you hire Above The Clouds, Inc., I guarantee you'll spend more time seeing, smelling and listening to the breathtaking Hudson Valley scenery at sunrise and less time worrying about fatalities because safety is this crew's main priority. Safety is evident in everything they do from the way they lay out the balloons to safely inflate them with the burner, assigning passengers to baskets by weight, specific positioning of passengers in the basket and calculating windage, speed and distance for both take off and landing. Deana squares you away with very thorough, organized registration, flexible payment and voucher expiration dates in lieu of weather cancellations), and hospitality details like hot morning beverages, breakfast cake and pre-flight bathroom visitation. She made all of us feel very welcome, and the post-flight keepsake pictures she gave all of us were just the icing on the cake. Above the Clouds, Inc., in my business opinion, is one in which I will consistently cast my consumer vote for because they really, really impressed me all around in the areas of safety, flight, administration and hospitality. And no, I don't work for them, nor am I getting a kick back here. I'm just a very difficult person to please, and not only did Above the Clouds, Inc., please me, but also I felt like I just had a red carpet experience. Not a step out of line, and even the landing was soft! A big shout out to our pilot, Tim, who educated us during the flight and the drive back to the airfield in addition to giving me a live Facebook video for my fans. And remember, the basket is not an open circle where you will be able to walk around while in flight; it's partitioned off like a U-shape around the burner, so you'll be stationary in your spot for the duration with little room to move. If you can be without it for 50 minutes, leave it in your car, but do take your camera because the views of the colorful sights and sounds of the Hudson Valley at sunrise are remarkable! My sincerest thanks to Chris Healy, Deana, Tim and all the crew I didn't get the chance to meet face to face. You all made my first hot air balloon ride a red-carpet experience, and I am so grateful for your services and expertise! read more

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Chris and Deana were remarkably helpful and accommodating when it came to rescheduling with our flight. When two people in my group had been exposed to the flu, I was extremely worried we wouldn't be able to make it to our flight that weekend. Some way, some how, they made our amazing weekend happen 2 weeks later! (Ok, so it wasn't magic....There was a cancellation and Deana reached out to us so that we would be able to take their time slot.) As incredibly busy as they were, they were able to schedule our group into another morning flight! (Btw the scenic view in the morning is absolutely amazing.) It made our experience that much greater that they were willing to speak and reach out to our group in order to make sure we flew with our original plans. I am so incredibly grateful they gave us this wonderful opportunity to fly together! Definitely choose this company when it comes to flying in hot air balloons. They are amazing people who really know their stuff --and most importantly, they care about their jobs and the safety of their passengers. Their pilots have several years of flying under their belt and I'm sure that any one of them is capable of giving you the flight of your life! Thank you 'Above the Clouds' for an amazing September 2017! Ps: Deana bakes amazing Apple Cake Pastries for everyone to snack on before flying. Absolutely delish! read more

My friends surprised me on a hot air balloon ride for my birthday, as it was one of my bucket list items. They seriously could not have picked a better company for this experience. Not only were Deana and Chris very professional and knowledgeable, but they were so friendly and made us all feel at ease. I hit it off instantly with Deana and her bubbly personality! The people you deal with can make or break the experience, and these two TOTALLY made my hot air balloon ride experience that much more spectacular and amazing!!! I highly recommend this company! read more

We booked the sunset ride for our one year anniversary. When we woke up the day of the trip the weather didn't look like it was going to cooperate but Chris assured us it would clear up. We hopped in a car from the city and headed up to the airfield and are so glad we did--it was amazing! Chris and Deana were so nice and made an already memorable experience even better. We had no idea going into it, but the story accompanying their champagne toast at the end was the perfect way to celebrate our paper anniversary. We highly suggest it! read more

I had a really inhumane experience with this company. I bought a flight voucher for some close friends who had recently married. During the time that the voucher was valid the groom's brother died unexpectedly. Understandably, the couple forgot about the flight as they were grieving. When I realised that they had not used the voucher, I called the manager of the company to explain the situation. He was unhelpful and absolutely unwilling to make any exceptions in spite of the extenuating and very sad circumstances. A little humanity and understanding would have been nice. I wouldn't recommend flying with these guys. From my perspective, they just want to take your money :-( read more

For my boyfriend's 31st birthday, I got him a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride. Since his birthday is in early November, we couldn't use it immediately but it was definitely worth the wait. I booked with Chris and he was incredibly polite, knowledgeable and just from speaking to him, I could tell that he absolutely loved what he did. Fast forward 8 months later to when we're finally able to take our hot air balloon ride. You can imagine my disappointment, when Deena called to tell me that due to the weather, we had to reschedule. While it didn't rain the day of our originally scheduled flight, I couldn't fault them at all for putting their safety and the safety of their passengers first. Finally we rescheduled for the 21st. I planned to call at 9PM the night before to get final instructions as our confirmation letter told us to do. However, there was no need. A very chipper Deena called me at about 6:30 to confirm. She mentioned that she knew I was excited about the ride, having seen it on their Facebook page and she wanted to confirm it herself rather than make me wait. As someone who works in social media, I was impressed that she took the time to connect with her customers. When we arrived at 5AM the day of our flight, I can honestly say I was shocked to see how energized she was. she walked us through how the ride was going to go, explained every step of the process as Chris and his team were preparing and inflating the balloon and even took our picture for a memento. The flight itself was beautiful and the early morning launch was definitely worth it. Seeing the sunrise over the hudson valley is a sight that should not be missed. Chris was a great pilot and definitely made us feel safe and secure. And while, at the time I was a little disappointed that our original flight got postponed, it worked out in the end. 3 days before our balloon ride, my boyfriend purchased a ring. 15 minutes into our flight, he proposed! Obviously this is something that I will remember for the rest of my life, and I'm so glad that Chris and Deena were a part of it! read more

I had looked at other balloon companies when wanting to find one for a celebratory family excursion, and Above the Clouds was the most expensive one, but I have no regrets in making that investment and flying with them. From calling to gather information to getting us in the basket, everyone I encountered was straight-forward, helpful, and clearly dedicated to making it a great experience for us. Part of our choice had to do with their many years of experience and apparent professionalism prior to flying, both of which were demonstrated in our day-of experience. Our pilot shared his knowledge (as well as patience) as my father enthusiastically hounded him with questions during our flight and also used that knowledge to give us a fun and smooth flight. Yes, you may have your trip rescheduled due to weather, as it was for us, but they hold safety as priority, and I agree with their mindset that it is better to have a nicer and safer flight on a better day than to force an iffy situation. In fact, they proved themselves to be amateur weathermen as well, since they chose to fly on our date even though the real meteorologists were anticipating poor conditions - they seemed to know the wind would work out just fine and we were rewarded with the most perfect day for flying. In other words, I would entirely trust their judgment - they do not postpone a flight unless they truly believe it's necessary, and they also will not agree to fly on a certain day unless they truly believe it's safe. The keepsake photo they provide for each person was a really nice bonus I was not anticipating, as well as providing the digital pic of our group afterward. If it had not been for this attention to detail of the team, we would not have had a picture of our entire group from that day. We also had the fortune of flying with a second balloon, which provided really great pictures during our flight. Last couple notes are for those going to fly with Above the Clouds, just to share from my experience. The website does say the flight is 45 minutes to an hour and ours ended up being 45 minutes, so just know that that might be the case if you are hoping for more of an hour, BUT it actually felt like it was longer because every moment was new and exciting. Also, we had 2 very tall men in our group, one of them with a bit of heights anxiety, and I also was feeling a bit insecure when the sides of the basket were lower than what I was expecting. But as soon as we got in the air for a bit and felt how smooth it was to sail across the wind, all anxieties were put to rest - the heights guy was perfectly at peace, I felt totally secure (and was hanging over the side often to get good pics), and the warmth of the flame was not overbearing at all for the tall guys (one did not wear a hat at all). Overall what I would say is that Above the Clouds is basically a guaranteed great experience of flying in a balloon and worth the investment to do so. Everyone in our party, including the 2 folks in our basket that were not with my family, had a great time that will definitely be remembered for years to come. read more

My boyfriend and I went for a wonderful balloon ride last week. Everyone at Above the Clouds was fantastic, professional, friendly, funny. Deana and Chris made the whole experience so fun and comfortable. We weren't nervous at all, and we got to see some absolutely fantastic foliage. The experience was really magical. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and if you're going to go, definitely go with Above the Clouds. They were fantastic!! read more

EXCELLENT experience with Chris and Deana. I instantly felt comfortable with Deana when I initially called to inquire about availability. She was very nice and helpful on the phone. My husband and I flew for our 10th wedding anniversary. We were very fortunate to have PERFECT weather for our flight. I imagine flights are rescheduled due to weather very often. I felt very safe with Chris as our pilot. He has been flying nearly his whole life so if you're going to fly with someone...he's your guy! read more

Deana and Chris made the experience great, from the first call I made, to the goodbyes after our flight this morning! I highly recommend!

Had such a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience with Above the Clouds inc. Took my mother and sister as a gift for Mother's Day and had the greatest time making new memories. The ride was breath taking. Chris and Dena are so lovely and pleasant , it made our experience even greater. I could honestly go on forever about how wonderful our time was but you should experience all the beauty for yourself! read more

Above The Clouds - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Middletown, New York

This was an absolutely amazing experience! I purchased this package for a surprise birthday present, and although we needed to reschedule multiple times due to weather changes Deana could not have been more accommodating to work with. Their decades of experience truly shows through their professionalism, safety precautions, and overall energy! They are a wonderful team who really cares about covering all of the little (but important) details while making sure this will be a memory you'll never forget! To top it off, on the day of our flight, the team decided to transport us last minute to a back up launch site in order to have a better view of New York's countryside and not only were the sights spectacular, we were also on time and toasted complimentary mimosas! I cannot recommend Deana & Chris enough! read more

WOW is all I can say. This was excellent. Chris and Ray took us up in a most beautiful balloon and gave my beautiful wife, my mother in law and me a great right across the county. It was exciting and totally peaceful at the same time. This was a "bucket list" item for my mother in law so we decided to take her and add it to our bucket list. :) What a truly professional and still personal operation they have. I give them the highest possible rating. At the end of the trip they gave us a lovely photo in a nice frame from the trip. Really wonderful. A memory for sure. Thanks so much guys. read more

Chris and Deana made our experience unforgettable. My girlfriend is terrified of heights, but Deana's warm and assuring confidence made her feel safe and up for the adventure. Not to mention the expert piloting skills of Chris. We were able to create great memories amongst great people and would highly recommend Above The Clouds If you're thinking of going in a hot air balloon. read more

Above The Clouds - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Middletown, New York

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I cannot say enough wonderful things about Deena, Chris and the entire crew at Above the Clouds!! The entire experience was unforgettable thanks to them! Everything was awesome from start to finish! It truly felt like a family experience, right down to the hugs goodbye! I am so thankful I chose them to make my Mom's birthday a truly special one! If you're thinking about booking a flight with them, DO IT :) read more

I took my girlfriend here for her 30th birthdayand what an amazing experience it was. Chris was great, he truly made you very comfortable. He was also very funny and knowledgable . I highly recommend him and his company. read more

A truly amazing, unforgettable experience. Chris and Deana went WAY out of their way to make this a wonderful trip, from the souvenir photos to the champagne mimosa. To be honest I was a bit nervous, but their calm professionalism made the entire time worry-free. I'm saving up to do it again as soon as possible. read more

Great experience, Deana was wonderful! Definitely something everyone should do at least once and if you're going to do it, do it with Above the Clouds and Deana and Chris! read more

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Wanted to try something exciting and memorable before sending off my oldest back to college, especially during these troubling and uncertain times. I contacted the company after seeing so many positive reviews. My window of opportunity was admittedly small as my daughter was leaving us in just a week, but the company moved mountains to make it work in our schedule and away we went. The first sign that this was going to be a life changing event was pulling up right as the sun was rising and standing with my family in an open field under the beauty of the colors on the horizon. From there, we were transfixed from the moment we watched the balloon being inflated and literally coming to life. Brought me back to memories of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and the wonder of seeing the majesty of the floats. Boarding into the basket was all part of the experience, as was waiting for lift off. As we started to rise, we could feel our collective souls transcend into the atmosphere and we became part of something SO peaceful and yet so thrilling that it defies words or description. I could have floated FOREVER. Seeing the world from this perspective was beyond memorable. Watching my kids faces and their smiles, even covered by masked but revealed through the crinkles in their cheeks and just around their eyes, was awe and wonder in its most natural form. All throughout, Chris gave us history of ballooning and about the local area below that was both informative and fun. The landing was smooth and the champagne toast was exhilarating. I cannot say enough about Deana, who was mentioned in nearly every review as being so sweet and so wonderful, and I can honestly say that she was all that and SO much more. It is not a cheap experience, but it is absolutely worth EVERY penny and something I wish everyone could experience at least once in their lives. A day later and I can still feel myself soaring Above the Clouds!!! Thankful for checking off a bucket list item with this excellent company and being able to sing their much deserved praise!!!! read more

I was super nervous about this as I am afraid of heights. You are greeted with a warm reception of goodies. Even before getting in the Balloon, Deana kept things light while explaining what to do and expect for the ride. What an experience!!! It was calm and peaceful, the view was unbelievable. Chris (the pilot) made me feel safe and secure from take off to the landing. Do this!! read more

My fiance were scheduled to fly on a Monday, but as soon as we got there our flight was cancelled due to rain and winds. Which was a bummer because I had been waiting to surprise her and we drove up 1 1/2 hours to get there. Chris and Deana were nice enough to get us in at the next earliest convenience which was only a few days later. We decided to give it another shot and it was the best decision we made. The entire experience was AMAZING! Chris and Deana greeted us the morning of with some delicious apple spice bread (she wouldn't give us the recipe). The total flight experience lasted about 50 mins and we had such spectacular and breathtaking views. When we finally landed we were welcomed with a bottle of champagne and orange juice for some AM mimosas. All in all I recommend ATC to anyone interested in an amazing hot air balloon experience and not just because of the experience itself, but the level of service and friendliness offered by Chris and Deana are second to none. Thank you! read more

Rode with my family early this morning and we all had an amazing time from start to finish. For one, my Mom paid for tickets last year but due to weather and our scattered schedules we were unable to meet the deadline but the company still worked with us! Finally we were able to book an AM balloon ride and the staff was there and setting up right on time. Deana greeted us all and was immediately engaging as she welcomed into a small red office that had doughnut holes and coffee for us and asked us to sign a sheet. She then led us outside and explained to us very quickly the rules and introduced us to Daniel and our pilot, Chris. We clambered in one at a time and the next thing I know we were soaring! It was easy going and smooth just like we were told. Chris was very calm and easy to talk to, we were told that he has a spotless record and has been doing this for over 31 years so that was reassuring. Once we landed, Deanna was there with the other staff who helped us get out of the gondala safely and treated us like old friends. I really cant stress enough how much the whole staff, especially Deana made this a wonderful experience! read more

Took my girlfriend for our anniversary and had a wonderful time this past weekend. The flight was surreal and the people were fantastic (both the owners and other passengers). The owners' enthusiasm and friendliness made the experience that much better and they seem to be well liked by the community. If you're afraid of heights, there's nothing to worry about! The basket feels solid and once you're off the ground you can't even tell how high you are. I would recommend this to anyone! I can't wait to go again! read more

This ride was on my mother's bucket list so for her 60th birthday this was her gift from me. Words can not express how wonderful this experience was not only for me, but my family as well. Professionalism at it's very best. read more

This was by far one of the most magical experiences I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying! We Were driving home Memorial Day weekend from the Catskills and saw hot air balloons on a sunset ride and I mentioned to my husband how I would love to do that one day. Well.....a few months later for our anniversary he surprised me with a sunrise private ride. We are pregnant and he made sure to call the doctor to get her approval & Chris and Deana were so thrilled that I was their first pregnant passenger. They do a mimosa toast at the end of the flight (virgin for me) and Deana took the cork from the champagne and made me a mini hot air balloon which I put alongside our complimentary photo they gave us. I can't wait to share the story with our son one day about the amazing experience we had Above The Clouds! If your thinking of going on a hot air balloon ride do not look any further. Above the clouds is the ONLY way to go! read more

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From the ease of purchase to the incredible experience with Chris, This balloon ride was everything we dreamed of! I googled hot air balloon rides in Hudson Valley, and a few companies came up. I was so happy that I choose this company...the balloonist was so experienced and made us feel safe. We left at the exact time stated, drove from the hotel in a nice van and it was so professional!! The experience was worth every penny, and was just amazing. When we landed, there was a crew waiting for us with champagne and orange juice, and it was just a top notch organization. We saw other balloon companies rambling to get everything done; after we had champagne and took pictures, the other companies were still trying to get people out of the balloon!! I would HIGHLY HIGHLY (LOL) recommend this company to anyone. Also, definitely go in the morning, as he said the likelihood of good weather is better in the morning. THANK YOU ABOVE THE CLOUDS! read more

My parents thoroughly enjoyed their first balloon ride this morning. Deana and Chris are both wonderful hosts and made everyone feel like family. I knew my parents were in good hands from the moment I spoke with Deana. She knew my parents were only here for a short visit from Florida and made sure to get my mom's bucket list request checked off (thank you Deana & mother nature!) If you are researching hot air balloon rides, search no more. Above the Clouds is the company to work with. Couldn't have asked for a better experience! read more

I had an amazing experience and would recommend this ride to everyone. The crew at above the clouds (Deanna, Chris, & Tim) were absolutely awesome and very personable. I will never forget this memory as the staff went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and enjoyed ourselves. read more