portland rose hot air balloons

Thanks for the review Xander, it was a pleasure flying you.Thanks again,Derek

The only thing missing was the blue skies and sunshine. But when in Oregon, the land is glorious regardless of what the weather does. Derrick and his crew were organized and fun to be with. They give you the hands on experience from start to finish and the views are breathtaking. And what a treat to have a champagne toast and light breakfast when we got back to the airport. The basket fit 12 people, so a great activity for a group!

a must-try experience! Derek was exceptionally great at what he does plus the champagne and food after the flight was really good as well! would definitely recommend Portland Rose to anyone wanting to try flying on a hot air balloon. :)

As mentioned already by other reviewers, this could be a great and romantic surprise for your significant other. It is also a good way to celebrate a special event or, for Portland visitors, to do something memorable in the area. Derek - the owner- is an example of great customer care: from booking, to flying and the brunch afterwards he and his crew were very attentive and professional.This is an early morning activity that’s also weather dependent since it requires low wind. Highly recommended!

I scheduled this adventure as a "just because" romantic getaway for me and my wife. We were thoroughly impressed with Derek and his crew. They allowed all of us to participate in the process from the very start. From getting the balloon filled with hot air all the way through landing, deflating, rolling it up and stuffing it in the storage bag, we were an integral part of the adventure. It helped infuse the experience with a sense of belonging and camaraderie between all the participants. The vistas were absolutely breathtaking! With the sun rising over Mt. Hood and the fog clinging in patches to the ground, we were treated to an overwhelmingly beautiful eye candy experience. After we landed, we were treated to a delicious champagne breakfast and discovered that one of the couples became engaged while we were flying! Be sure to buy a few souvenirs to help you remember this once in a lifetime adventure!

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary with a balloon ride and we loved it. Derek, the owner, was super professional and clearly an experienced balloonist. All went smoothly and I felt very safe. The mimosa brunch after was a nice way to end the experience too :)

Derek and crew made our choice way to celebrate our 40th anniversary the absolute best. Fabulous morning watching the sunrise from the balloon. Would recommend Portland Rose Hot Air Balloons to everyone. P & R EthierCanada

If you wonder how to celebrate a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.), consider a flight with Portland Rose Hot Air Balloons! The experience begins early, at 5:45 a.m., because you'll lift off at sunrise. Our very experienced pilot, Derek Hancock, made this a memorable flight. Despite a morning overcast and cloud cover, the balloon is a great platform for photography and we enjoyed the entire flight. Other than the occasional roar of propane, it was remarkably quiet. Though familiar with the area around the Aurora Airport, I'd not seen it from this perspective before. The crew was great, and the post-flight champagne brunch was delicious. I recommend this operation enthusiastically and without hesitation.

Thanks for your kind words. We had a great time with you also. Looking forward to flying with you again,Derek

The captain/owner Dereck (and his crew) was easy to work with, friendly, and made it a great experience from start to finish. We booked this for our anniversary and had a wonderful time. I would recommend tem again to anyone. Just great! We took off around 5:30am, got to see a beautiful sunrise, flight was a little over an hour, and then landed to help but the balloon away. Following there was a champagne brunch which was a nice little touch.Well done!

I booked this for my parents, aunt and her boyfriend. They could not have been happier. They said it was absolutely beautiful and worth every penny. They had a fantastic experience and highly recommend it!

On a misty morning in July we arrived before dawn (about 5 a.m.) and were welcomed by Maureen and Derek. We were able to help set up the balloon, meet the other six passengers and the two chase truck assistants. We took off by 5:45 and ascended to about 1700 feet but low-lying clouds kept us mostly at lower altitudes. The morning was very calm, and the lower-level winds were light, so we had beautiful views of farms, forests, and fields, some small-plane activity at Aurora Airport, and a trio of hot air balloons above distant Newberg. Derek was so informative and knowledgeable, and we enjoyed talking with the other passengers and learning of their travels and experiences. The temperature was probably close to 60 degrees, and it was comfortably warm in the basket. We did not find the propane heater's noise to be disturbing, but there were sound-blocking headphones available for anyone who did. It was of course spectacular to float soundlessly above the fields during those periods when the heater was not on. Derek, assisted by the ground crew, made a flawless, incredibly gentle landing in a football field at North Marion High School, and we all were able to enjoy the process of walking the balloon basket up into the trailer, flattening and folding up the balloon, and stuffing it into its sack, then the brief ride back to the airport. Their champagne brunch was informal and fun (although perhaps it should be termed a champagne breakfast, as we were all done before 8 a.m.!), and we had the opportunity to purchase photos that Derek took from a camera rigged alongside the balloon up in the air, as well as commemorative T-shirts. Everyone was friendly and lovely, and even though we did not have weather that allowed us to travel further or over the Willamette River, it was still an amazing and memorable experience, and a great 72nd birthday present for my husband.

The reviewer didn't realize that he hadn't been charged for his brother who decided not to fly, or for the additional family members that joined in the picnic and hadn't flown. I emailed the customer to inform him of the misunderstanding. He tried to amend his review, but was unable to do so.See the attached copy of his email.Hi Derek:Thanks for the note - and the update.I've tried going in and editing the review, but trip advisor is letting me do it.I think there is a function, where you as the owner of the listed service, can go in and respond to the review; I've seen those responses on other reviews. If you can do that, I would like to suggest that you give that a try.CheersDavid

Arrived on a foggy morning for an adventure long-dreamed of. This is a family-owned business, and they put the passengers to work helping set up the balloon. Once we were up in the air, the view was awesome. It was foggy, and looked somewhat eerie. We could see Mt. Hood, farmers' fields, neighborhoods, and all just beautifully decked out in fog here and there. We traveled about 8 miles and arose to around 2,500 feet. It was silent, and then the sound of the torch keeping us up (and quite warm). It was a perfect morning!After landing in a farmers field we were driven back to the Aurora Airport where we had a delicious champagne brunch. Derek, our pilot, and Maureen, his wife, were great hosts; they answered all our questions. Then Derek gave us the background of hot air ballooning. Educational and a lot of fun. This is a must do trip!I would not recommend this for anyone not capable of climbing into the basket. You need to be a bit nimble. A light sweater and t-shirt was all we needed to stay warm.

I had a truly awesome experience. I was a little apprehensive to begin with (not too keen on heights) but to my surprise it was so calm and serene, I really enjoyed every minute. What a wonderful way to see Oregon (well, parts of it anyway!) It's a whole different world up in the air. It was an early start, but that all added to the excitement of the trip. Then there was the champagne breakfast afterwards, and the whole day is still in front of you after that. It was the perfect thing to do while visiting the Portland area of Oregon. I would recommend that EVERYONE takes a hot air balloon ride with Portland Rose Hot Air Balloons.