The kids and I celebrated my birthday with a hot air balloon ride with Aerostat. We had a great…read moretime! This was our first experience with ballooning and we didn't know what to expect, but Ellen and Gene were super helpful in walking us through the process, and thoroughly answering all of our (well, mainly me..) questions. The flight was very smooth from take-off to landing! Gene did a great job piloting the balloon and Ellen flawlessly provided ground crew support. Unlike the aerial views from an airplane, where it's difficult to see the details of terrain because of the higher altitude, the aerial views from the hot air balloon were very clear and distinguishable. We flew over the Champion's Gate area and the flight lasted about 50 minutes. I brought my DSLR camera, but an modern mobile phone camera would work just as well. Although, at that height, I wish I had a neck strap for my iPhone.. Couple of other things from memory to share: - Our ride started at 6:15 am, which was really cool because we got to watch the sunrise in the balloon - At the altitude we were flying at (~400 ft), it was not cold in the gondola (balloon basket) as I initially expected. It was actually somewhat hot - because when the pilot triggers the propane burner to heat the air, the hot air radiates in all directions - including heating the air above the basket. - We had very calm winds, so the balloon was moving between 5-10 mph. I didn't initially know what speed to expect, but the slower speed made for a very smooth ride. - Ballooning is a regulated industry, so operators must perform annual inspections on their equipment. I felt safe the entire time. - Gene has over 9 yrs experience as a balloon pilot so he's well-trained. I was thoroughly impressed by how smooth the landing was. - You meet up the Aerostat crew at a predetermined location, and they take you in a van to the launch site and they drive you back. - At the end of the flight, they provide you with champagne, orange juice, and some cookies as a token of appreciation for flying with them. I would definitely fly with Aerostat in the future.

We took a sunrise ride with Glenn and his team this past weekend. The staff went above and beyond…read moreto make our experience memorable. They are extremely well trained and know what they are doing. The ride smooth and the view was amazing-- it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. They even had mimosas and snacks waiting for us when we landed. Would definitely recommend.

This was a very cool experience. I had family in for the weekend and thought my little cousin would…read moreenjoy seeing the parks from above...I think I enjoyed it more than he did. Its a 4-seater plane that takes off from Kissimmee airport and you just walk right onto the runway and on the plane. We flew over all the parks, I-4, the lakes, and even Tiger Wood's house, well, X-house. It was cool to listen to the air traffic controllers and pilots chat and our pilot was great - we asked a million questions. The landing was the best, so smooth and the runway is right there seemingly inches in front of you.

Talk about a thrill ride. I actually got to fly the plane, scary I know...but it was amazing! We…read moreflew over so many amazing places that I didn't even know exist. I will do this again with my friends. They also have a night flight which is on my "must do" list. Perfect for kids and groups. The pilot was so cool and explained the instruments. Wait until you see Harry Potter castle from above. I'm still amazed.

Our pilot Jake was amazing. We had such a great time. Absolutely beautiful and thought maybe the…read morebiggest alligator I've ever seen. A great way to explore Florida from a different view but also just do something unique and fun. So glad that we tried it out.

Warning : you should not use this company. I callled and…read morelet them know that I would be arriving in Florida for four days and asked would this be adequate time to complete the five hours of flight training. I was assured by The female at the desk that this would be no problem. I arrived on time each day and prepared for flight training. I received 2.9 hours of training and then I was informed they had pre-booked charters and would not be able to accommodate me the rest of those hours. I spoke with the lady at the front desk about this situation and we agreed that I would be billed only for the hours received. I received a partial refund and then within two hours the refund was taken back out of my account and I received a text message from the company that stated the owner didn't feel comfortable giving me a partial refund. This company was fully aware of my situation and did not honor their word. This company took my money under false pretenses, and payment was made for services NOT RENDERED!!!! I immediately called my credit card company and explain the situation and started a dispute. Anyone looking to get there sea plane ratings I would advise from my experience do not use this company. They are not a reputable company and they lack honesty and integrity. Next day I went to Jack Brown's seaplane base in winter haven Florida I was amazed and I found the staff was amazing and most of all had integrity. After two hours of flight time the Cfi was ready to sign me off, but we could not get a DPE that day and I was flying out the next morning. I found Jack Brown's Sea Plane base to be everything that you could ever ask for in a company for Sea Plane operation. I will be going back to Jack Brown's to fly again in the future highly recommend Jack Brown.

Such an amazing experience!…read more My dear friend and I are photographers and travel bloggers from California, and wanted to experience a flight at sunset. It was easy to book less than a week in advance. Not possible in LA or SF! Garry was in constant contact with us, and confirmed our flight in a quick and efficient manner. Since we have flown over San Francisco and Los Angeles with the doors off, we wanted to have that advantage point as well on this flight. Garry was happy to oblige and removed all the doors for us, giving us freedom to photograph and lean out (in a safe manner, while belted into the helicopter!) Garry is such a friendly gentleman- putting us at ease with his knowledge and experience! The flight was absolutely perfect and a dream in every way. We ventured over Cocoa Beach, the banana river, the pier, and Port Canaveral. The sky was absolutely stunning! The whole experience at Beachside Helicopters was absolutely amazing from the initial contact to post flight! Could not have wished for a better time! Can't wait for our next flight up! Thank you Garry! Here is the video of our flight: https://vimeo.com/192081598/settings/embed

We took the NASA trip and it was fantastic! The views were incredible and the pilot was very…read moreknowledgeable about the space program and the area we were flying over. One of the best experiences I've ever had! Can't recommend this enough!

First time doing one of these tours. It was fun. The crew here was great. We had to wait a little…read morebit but the waiting room on the second floor was nice. You are able to watch the helicopter take off and land as you wait.

Place was easy to find since it has a small helicopter out front. met with sales lady and discussed…read moreoptions that are available for your trip. Something i didnt know before flight is there is a total weight and per person weight on all flights. just be aware if you have question call. i did the flight of disney parks and old town. It was a nice flight and my wife was a little scared as it was her first time in helicopter but really not bad and you really get a different perspective on things up there. decided to pay for all pictures to be emailed. price was not bad and pictures were taken with good camera. if you have never done this try it you wont be sad. if you have to wait they have a game room with foosball and several other games to keep kids distracted while you wait

What an amazing adventure we had today. These folks are amazing and extremely professional. Toured…read moreabove Disney and around Kissimmee. Well worth trying this adventure

Fantastic place for a ride while visiting the area. Nice helpful staff. Also, if you need a flight…read morereview they can help you out.

I was Sasha's first zero to hero primary student to private pilot in the US. If he can teach me how…read moreto fly that should be proof enough that he is a GOD among instructors! I now fly WWII aircraft including a mustang all over the country! Is there anything this man can't do? You owe it to yourself to fly with Sasha. If you are anywhere within a 50 state radius of Florida, get yourself to Seminole Lake ASAP and experience true flight!! Soar with the man, the myth, the legend: SASHA MARVIN. Overheard quote after an aerobatic flight: "This is better than sex AND peanut butter." Just look at the pictures, it must be true. Book a flight right now!! In fact, book all the flights.

From the owner: I do Glider Aerobatics Rides. This will be the most thrilling and breathtaking experience of all…read moreyour life. You will sit in the front seat of the aerobatic glider with the best visibility ever. You and the clouds. We'll be towed by an airplane high in the sky and then we'll begin our dance in the blue. There's no words to explain what you feel during a stall turn in a glider: no sound, no gravity. You go from heavenly moments to super action like in the loop or the barrel roll. Feel like an astronaut in the long zero gravity curve and feel the G force of a combat pilot in a fighter. All this in the Florida skies, above the lakes and the green swamps, just 14 miles west of Disney. Bring your GoPro or use ours. You'll want to share this with your friends! I also do Glider Aerobatics Training, from Basic to Unlimited. And i teach Unusual Attitudes and Spin Training to glider pilots.