Photo by Bob Barbarick Fall in love with the Valley all over again~from the air! UP by Stephen Ferry Imagine yourself floating slowly, silently, and weightless above an endless expanse of vineyards and estates criss-crossed by oak-lined stream courses. You could be having one of the best dreams of your life, or you could be renewing your crush on the Napa Valley by flying with one of several hot air balloon companies currently operating here. Families with children over six or seven years of age, lovers, couples planning marriage proposals, airborne weddings, business people enjoying employee or client appreciation gifts—all are frequent fliers on the lighterthan air crafts. The balloons launch from the Yountville area and Calistoga on any day that the weather conditions are suitable and safe. “We will never launch when there is any question about unsuitable weather that could impact customer safety,” said Bob Barbarick, owner of Balloons Above the Valley. “The flying skill of the pilots is nothing less than incredible. They are all FAA-certified for lighter-than-air craft.” “A big part of our pinpoint, feather-light landings is our ground crew,” said Jay Kimball, the scion of family-owned and -operated Napa Valley Aloft Balloon Rides. “We’ve got the best crew in the county.” The ideal time of day for a balloon flight is sunrise, when the air is calm and cool. In Napa Valley, the prevailing wind direction aloft is dependably from north to south at that time of day, and the heating effects of the sun have not yet warmed the air to instability, which makes it too windy and unpredictable for ballooning. 20 www. n A PAVA L L E Y L I F Emagaz ine .com
NVLife_SeptOct_2013
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