Why Host AirHound Adventures on Campus?

• Campus-Wide Impact: Designed to engage large student bodies, grade-level assemblies, or school-wide STEM days.

• Hands-On STEM Engagement: Students experience live physics, fuel science, burner mechanics, and get to step inside a cold-inflated balloon envelope.

• Safety & Peace of Mind: AirHound Adventures is fully licensed and insured. We are happy to issue a Certificate of Insurance (COI) listing your school or district as an Additional Insured for the event.​
   

We will cover the following topics
 

• 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: 

• No children will leave the ground in the balloon; pictures inside the balloon while on the ground MAY be permitted but are not guaranteed. 

• 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. 

​​

The Whole Process
​

1. Arrival and Setup

Our team (pilot and 2–3 crew members) will arrive with an enclosed trailer. Because the equipment is heavy, the trailer must be driven directly onto the designated field. Setup takes approximately 30 minutes from the moment we park.

 

2. Equipment Introduction & Q&A

Once the equipment is laid out, we invite the students to gather around the basket. We’ll introduce the gear, explain how it works, and answer questions. We love curiosity—the more questions, the better!

​

3. The "Cold" Inflation (Walking Inside!)

Most balloonists never allow people to walk on their fabric, but we bring a specialized, non-airworthy envelope specifically for this purpose.

• We use a high-powered fan to fill the balloon with cold air while it remains on its side.

• Students are invited to walk inside the balloon to see the internal ropes and structure.

• Note on Noise: The inflation fan is quite loud and runs continuously during this stage. Students with noise sensitivities may wish to use ear protection or view this portion from a distance.

​

4. Standing the Balloon (The "Hot" Inflation)

Once the "walk-in" portion is complete, everyone will move to a safe distance. The pilot will use the burners to heat the air and bring the balloon to an upright, standing position. Our pilot will then explain the physics of flight and what happens during a real journey.

​

5. Hands-on Pack Up

After a final Q&A, we will lay the balloon back down for deflation. This is where the students become the crew!

• The Squeeze: Students can help us "squeeze" the air out of the fabric as it deflates.

• The Bag: We’ll form a line and have the students help lift and feed the fabric back into its storage bag.

​

6. Basket & Burner Experience (Optional)

Depending on school preference, we can allow students to climb into the basket and test the burner themselves. Since the fabric envelope is already packed away at this point, there is no risk of lift-off—just a lot of heat and excitement!

​

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.

 

Weather Cancelations.

In the event of weather cancellations, we have two options.
1st, We can reschedule 

2nd (High Winds) We can still bring the Balloon basket out but cannot inflate the envelope.
3rd (Rain) If there is rain, we can bring the balloon basket into the gym and still talk about the balloon and how it works. We are working on additional activities that can be offered.

​   

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.

​

Static Demonstration (No Flights)

Please note that these events are ground-based educational demonstrations only. The balloon will be securely tethered to the ground at all times and will not take flight.

 

Volunteer Requirements

To ensure a smooth demonstration, we require the assistance of three (3) adult volunteers.

• Physical Requirements: Volunteers must be able to lift up to 50 lbs and be comfortable kneeling and standing repeatedly.

• Liability: Volunteers are not considered employees of AirHound Adventures and must sign a liability waiver before assisting.

• Special Note: If your school or organization is unable to provide adult volunteers, please notify us during the booking process so we can make alternative arrangements.

Insurance

AirHound Adventures is fully insured. Upon request, we are happy to name your school or organization as an "Additional Insured" on our policy for the duration of the event. Please let us know if your administration requires a certificate of insurance (COI).​​

​

Read to book

Please fill out this Forum CLICK HERE and our pilot will be in contact with you ​