Experience the Wonder of Flight with AirHound Adventures

AirHound Adventures brings the science, history, and wonder of hot air ballooning directly to your homeschooled students! Tailored for middle school age and below—yet engaging for all ages—our interactive STEM program makes the "impossible" feel reachable for smaller groups.

Florida Step UP programs

As part of our specialized Step Up program, students and guardians get an immersive, hands-on learning experience that goes far beyond a standard demonstration. Every phase of our program offers a unique look into the science, engineering, and teamwork required to fly a hot air balloon.

Please note: All activities are strictly weather-dependent. The pilot in command will make all final safety determinations based on real-time weather and wind conditions.

Ready to bring the magic of aviation to your learners? Please complete our quick booking request form, and Lead Pilot will reach out to discuss location details, site space, and scheduling windows.

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM

Hands-On Activities Included:

Complete Ground Setup: Students work directly alongside our flight crew to unpack the massive envelope from its storage bag and stretch out over 105,000 cubic feet of specialized fabric.
Burner & Equipment Test: Students can climb inside the basket to learn how the burner system works and test the controls under pilot supervision.
Cold Inflation & Mouth Crew: We utilize high-powered inflation fans to fill the balloon with cold air. Selected students will assist crew members by holding the mouth of the balloon open and preparing the crown (top fabric) for full inflation.
Walk-In Balloon Tour: If wind conditions allow, students will have the rare opportunity to walk directly inside the cold-inflated balloon before hot air is added.
Hot Inflation: Selected students will assist the flight crew during the burner inflation phase as the hot air brings the balloon into its vertical, standing position.
Tethered Flight Experience: Weather permitting and at the pilot’s sole discretion, students will climb into the basket for a real tethered flight, experiencing lift-off while safely anchored to the ground.
Deflation & Packing: Once flight operations wrap up, students join the crew to deflate the balloon. Everyone helps roll the massive fabric envelope to press out the remaining air and pack it securely back into its storage bag.

Please Note: All activities are strictly weather-dependent. For the safety of all participants, the pilot in command will monitor real-time wind and weather conditions and adjust the program activities accordingly

Location

Dedicated Local Launch Site: We have an ideal field location just minutes from 45590 US-27, Davenport, FL 33897, perfectly set up for homeschool and co-op demonstrations!

Individual Homeschoolers & Independent Families:

Semi-Monthly Launch Site Field Days: Not part of a formal co-op? Join us at one of our local balloon launch sites for our semi-monthly demonstrations! You can still utilize your step up funding for thsi event
Smaller Setting: Bring your student to experience our complete STEM curriculum and hot air balloon display in a smaller, more intimate group setting alongside other independent homeschool families.

Schedule or Join a Demonstration

Ready to schedule a demonstration for your co-op or reserve a spot for your student at an upcoming launch site field day?

Please complete the form below (Click HERE). Once submitted, Lead Pilot Max will reach out directly to evaluate site space requirements, review weather availability windows, or provide details for our next semi-monthly launch site event!

What Students Will Learn

History of Hot Air Flight – How human aviation began long before airplanes.
The Basic Science of Hot Air Flight – Understanding heat, density, and thermal buoyancy.
How Air Balloons are Built – Envelope materials, load tapes, and structural design.
The Process to Become a Licensed Pilot – FAA training, flight hours, and aviation requirements.
How to Fly – Navigating the air, controlling altitude, and catching wind currents without a steering wheel.
How the Burner Works – The mechanics behind generating massive heat on command.
How the Fuel is Used – Propane systems, liquid-to-gas conversion, and fuel safety.
Flyable and Non-Flyable Weather – Wind speeds, thermal activity, and reading forecast conditions.
Walk in the Balloon – Cold inflation experience going inside our dedicated walk-in envelope.
Inflation & Deflation – Watching the step-by-step transition from flat fabric to a 115-foot standing balloon.
Pack Up – Hands-on student participation in squeezing the air out and bagging the envelope.

What We Expect from You:

The school/teachers are responsible for the students and ensuring they behave appropriately. AirHound Adventures will bring the crew to handle the hot air balloon but will not have enough staff to supervise all students. AirHound Adventures reserves the right to terminate the event at any time for safety concerns.
The school/teachers are responsible for ensuring all proper approval from the school and site is received before we arrive for the event.

Safety Concerns:

We expect the teachers to remain in control of the children and direct them, children, during the event.
If specific children create an unsafe situation, they will be asked to leave. If that cannot be managed, the event will end.
Teachers or other adults in charge MUST be present during the entire event while students are present.

Educational Demonstration Process

1. Setup & Unpacking Our team (pilot and crew)

Students work directly alongside our flight crew to unpack the massive envelope from its storage bag and stretch out over 105,000 cubic feet of fabric.

2. Equipment Introduction & Basket Test

Once the equipment is laid out, students gather around the basket. We introduce the gear, explain how it works, and answer questions. Students can climb inside the basket to learn how the control system works and test the burner under pilot supervision. We love curiosity—the more questions, the better!

3. Cold Inflation & The "Walk-In" Experience

We use a high-powered fan to fill the balloon with cold air while it lies on its side. Selected students assist the crew by holding the mouth of the balloon open and preparing the crown (top fabric) for inflation.

Walking Inside: Most balloonists never allow people on their fabric, but we bring a specialized envelope specifically for this purpose. If wind conditions allow, students walk directly inside the inflated balloon to see its internal structure.
Note on Noise: The inflation fan runs continuously during this stage and is quite loud. Students with noise sensitivities may wish to wear ear protection or view this portion from a distance.

4. Standing the Balloon & Tethered Flight Option

Once the walk-in portion is complete, selected students assist the crew during the hot inflation phase as the pilot uses the burners to heat the air and bring the balloon to a standing position. Our pilot will explain the physics of flight and hot air density.

Tethered Flight (Step Up Exclusive): If weather permits and the pilot determines it is completely safe, students will have the chance to experience a live tethered flight—climbing into the basket while safely anchored to the ground to feel true lift-off.

5. Hands-On Pack Up After flight operations wrap up

We lay the balloon down for deflation, and the students officially become our crew!

The Squeeze: Students walk and roll along the massive fabric envelope to help press all the air out.
The Bag: Students form a line to help lift, stuff, and pack the massive fabric envelope back into its storage bag.

Weather

We will continually watch the weather for the 3 days leading up to the balloon demonstration. We will be in contact with the primary person-in-command for the event and the AirHound Adventure pilot will make the final GO/NO-GO decision by 6 PM the night before. Please see weather cancelations for additional details.

Balloon Operating Conditions

Hot air balloons are highly sensitive to weather. To ensure the safety of all students and staff:
Final Authority: AirHound Adventures maintains sole and absolute discretion to cancel or postpone an event if weather conditions are deemed unsafe.
Wind Restrictions: We cannot inflate the balloon if ground winds—or winds up to the balloon's peak height of 115 feet—exceed 5 MPH.
Last-Minute Changes: Safety is our priority; therefore, we reserve the right to cancel an event at any time (including after arrival) if conditions deteriorate.

Florida Step UP programs
Educational Demonstration