Balloon Quest Inc. – Capt. Phogg Balloon Rides

Our ride was wonderful! It took many reschedule dates, but it was well worth the wait. VERY experienced pilot and and a friendly crew.
Note to those unfamiliar with ballooning (as I was before this flight): Cover your shoulders and neck, that flame is hot! Also be patient with the weather. You might have to reschedule, but that’s the nature of the beast.

I would recommend Hot Air Ballooning and Balloon Quest to EVERYONE!
Yes, it took us 6 tries to get up, but we had an amazing flight and hey, we’re still alive! They spend 2hrs before every flight looking at weather conditions in the varying layers of the atmosphere to keep you safe, thanks guys!
I would recommend the morning flight, the captain said the atmosphere is more stable so you have a better chance of flying and you get to watch the sunrise as they set the balloons up. Please also note that the sunset flight is not at sunset, it is before, so don’t be disappointed.
They have two balloons, a beautiful large rainbow balloon that fits 14 passengers + the captain and a smaller red white & blue balloon. They both fly for flights so they just split you in to groups when you get there.
The flight its self is so peaceful and smooth, its amazing how you don’t really feel like you are going up. We went up to 5,000 feet, where we could still here a dog barking, we got to see quite a few people out in their yards looking up at us and we could even talk with them. Captain Eric is very knowledgeable and has been doing this for 30 years. He took us through the tree tops, which scared me at first but was really cool, he also touched our basket down in the middle of the lake, and then with one pull of the heater we were slowly ascending back up!
Since you can not steer hot air balloons the captain has no idea where they will land when they take off, it all depends on the wind. After about 45 minutes they start looking for yards in the area they can land in and the chasers start knocking on doors to see if people will let them land there! We didn’t get a chance to ask and just landed in someones backyard, they came out and were thrilled even helping to get the balloon back in the van. They do ask for volunteers to help deflate the balloon and pack it up, its a work out for sure, but again volunteer based!
When you get back to the launch site you have a traditional champagne toast and get to hear a crazy story about how the first balloonist landed in a Paris field to a very unwarm welcome, I won’t spoil it!
We went the third week of September and I would recommend that time, the cooler mornings all the lakes and ponds in the are look really cool with the rising steam and fog. The captain said that October is not as good for weather conditions, so even though they fly all year the summers are better for actually getting up in the air.
They chasers are all volunteers, they work 10 flights and get a free flight for themselves, so cool!
Captain Eric did talk a lot about how rude people are when their flights get canceled, he even had his life threatened once, he said this is why a lot of balloonist are getting out of the business. While I do wish people were nicer, we are thrilled to finally be flying, so lets keep the good vibes coming!

Beautiful morning! Seeing the mist rise from the lakes and the sunrise from above was unforgettable. I was in from out of town for one day only and luckily the weather complied. Perfect weather. Great experience.

Beautiful morning for a ride with an engaging, knowledgeable pilot. Great photos and peaceful day with friends!

Amazing!!! Captain Eric was a great pilot and guide. We tried to schedule a few appointments but they were cancelled due to weather. Something to please note — be nice to them regarding any cancellations they need to make due to weather… it’s for your safety! It is much windier in the sky than on the ground. But yea, it was great! I will definitely go again.

My Fiancée bought a «Flight Ticket» through Soaring Adventures and we were trying for well over a year to get up in the air with over 40 cancellations which ruined the whole experience to fly. We were ready to give up when we called Soaring Adventures and they gave us «Sky Adventures» of Oxford Michigan which with one call they were able to accommodate us that very night!!! After «Captain Phogg’s Ballon Quest» cancelled us that very morning!!! Every time they cancelled us they blew smoke up our A** about the upper atmosphere and the cold, warm or storm fronts coming in and out and the winds and so on with his weather Jargin… even tho there were Hot air balloon festivals going on and all their balloons were going up!!! I feel as if the guy did not have enough ppl to fill the balloon it was not worth his time. That is why he cancelled so much is the impression I got. Any Hoo I would not recommend this Company to my worst enemy! Go through «Sky Adventures» of Oxford Mi. They are Super and treat you like family and do a nice ending to your flight with Champagne, cheese and crackers and beautiful Parting gifts :-) I am so glad we got to go on our flight and have an amazing time with «Sky Adventures» cause «Captian Phogg’sBalloon quest» put a bad taste in our mouth to trying a Hot air balloon ride!

We had a fantastic time. My wife and I did the private (Sweetheart) flight. It was just the two of us and our captain Craig. Another balloon lifted off just before ours. It was really neat to watch them from our balloon. Captain Craig was informative, friendly, knowledgeable and very experienced. We were able to see for miles even though it was a little hazy. We were able to skim the surface of a lake with our basket and we went up over a mile high. The landing was exciting and just a little bumpy. I would recommend this company. In fact we were so thrilled with the experience that we are going to buy this as a present for someone special to us and we will definitely do it again!

A friend bought my husband and I a ride as a gift. We were a little reluctant, but it was a great experience and we were fortunate to share the balloon with some really nice people. It was so beautiful and serene. It was amazing to me that you don’t even feel like you are in the air. It’s a little bumpy landing, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Two balloons went up and it was great to watch the other balloon from our balloon. We had to reschedule a few times, but it’s worth the wait. I thought the captain was fun and really nice. Plus, if you ride, it is a great motorcycle ride to the balloon location. A great time was had by everyone in our balloon.

Hot air ballooning is a wonderful, unique thing but there were some oddities here.
We rescheduled 4 or 5 times and flew a year after our first schedule. Better safe than sorry but I didn’t feel BQ’s materials best stated this. It should be marked near the top of their communications. Secondly, we landed half an hour before sunset for a ‘sunset’ ride. The colors of the sky were just starting on the van ride back to the office. I’m guessing darkness is a concern for landing, but a 45 –60 minutes window of daylight was there that we didn’t use. Or don’t call it a ‘sunset ride,’ rather an evening one. Furthermore after a patron complained loudly about rescheduling procedures early on, our captain used the champaign toast to bitch about how every grounding due to weather is complained by at least one customer who thinks they’re a better weatherman. An end of ‘commercial hot air ballooning!’ was pronounced. I sympathize, but you gotta control your emotions in front of customers Captain. You’re not boozing with buddies at the bar and making time and money for something always getting cancelled is going to rankle a handful of people.
Having said that, the flight was pleasant and professional if packed very tightly with people. It was a good time but with some rough spots in experience.

I bought a Balloon ride for my fiancé and I this year. We had to reschedule about 5 times due to the weather — and although that was frustrating– the experience was amazing and so worth it! Our pilot (Eric) was very knowledgeable and helpful. I’m glad we waited for a clear day because we were able to see Detroit, Lansing, AND the Flint Bishop Airport!
I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in a balloon ride. Like I said, the scheduling process can be frustrating but it’s better to be safe than sorry!

I also used a Groupon with Ballon Quest. I didn’t procrastinate this process because i was so excited, so we scheduled a flight ASAP! It got re-​schduled a few times due to weather, but rather be safe then sorry. If you have to reschedule, the process is very different because you can only call during office hours and you talk directly with the pilots, which is cool.
Once we got there the service was great! Everyone was really friendly and talked us through everything. The people seemed really down to earth and very informative. The ride was amazing and something i will never forget. Our pilot and the volunteer person who picked us up were great! We learned so much about Hot Air Balloons during our adventure!

I bought a Groupon for my wife’s birthday for a hot air balloon ride for two (Buy one/​get one). What a deal for $ 300! (so I thought)…
When I called to schedule, Eric (one of the pilots) was complaining to me that everyone that bought the Groupon waited until the last week to schedule their flights, and they (Balloon Quest) will never do the Groupon again. He also said they are one of the largest hot air balloon ride companies in the state, and that… hold your breath… they don’t need any new customers!!! Can you believe the arrogance?! What business says this! I told my wife this story and she wanted nothing to do with Balloon Quest, so we received a refund from Groupon.
I would not recommend this company! Support another hot-​air balloon ride company that appreciates your business.