Ballooning in Tuscany

A Southern Tuscany balloon company since 1990

Ballooning in Tuscany runs its own hot air balloon flights in Southern Tuscany, Italy. The footer names the company as Ballooning in Tuscany srl and states that it is the "Holder of an European EASA Commercial Air Operator Declaration and operating in Italy under the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC)." Its locations page lists flights from Montisi, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Siena and Cortona, plus winery flights near Montepulciano and Siena. Nothing on the site suggests flights outside Tuscany.

The about page tells the company's history. It "started as the Discovery Club in 1990 when English balloonist Robert Etherington and his wife, artist Liz Graham-Yooll, established ballooning in the area." In 2010 the couple moved to France and asked the owner of Virgin Balloon Flights in Britain to take over. Brexit then made it too complicated for a UK company to be involved, so, in the page's words, the business "has just recently been taken over by Rokas Kostiuskevicius an experienced Lithuanian operator and pilot." The page says the Virgin Balloon Flights owner "is no longer involved" but keeps in touch and wants to see the company live up to "the exacting standard which he established." The current team adds: "We believe we have been able to improve even further, but we'll let you be the judge!"

The launch areas

Each area on the locations page gets a short description in the company's words.

Montisi. The company flies "from an enchanted valley hidden below rural Montisi," which it calls "the real old Tuscany, a Tuscany as yet almost untouched by tourism." It says that "from many years of experience" it now knows the Montisi area, with access to both the Crete Senesi and the Val d'Orcia, "truly offers the most spectacular balloon flights."

Montepulciano. Take-off is from the grounds of Relais Ortaglia, described as "a 17th century Tuscan villa on the outskirts of Montepulciano," the town the page says is famous for Vino Nobile.

Montalcino. Take-off is from the Casato Prime Donne vineyard, which the page calls "Italy's first all-woman vineyard," on the outskirts of Montalcino towards Buonconvento, in Brunello country with views over the Val d'Orcia.

Siena. The company has 3 launch sites near Siena and picks one by wind direction, but "we will always meet at our main take-off site just to the Southeast of Siena at Casetta." For Siena flights you can also bring "your own private guide in the air": Francesca Fumi Cambi Gado "can accompany you on board the balloon," arranged by phone or email.

Cortona. There are 3 launch sites in the Val di Chiana ("Val d' Chiana" on the page), just west of and below the town. "We always use the same meeting point and then choose the launch site that will give us the best possible flight depending on the wind direction."

Winery flights

The locations page also lists flights that pair the balloon with a wine estate. Avignonesi, Wine in the sky is an early morning take-off from the Avignonesi winery near Montepulciano, a flight over the winery and vineyards, a landing in the countryside, then "a tour of the cellars and a brunch prepared by the winery chefs and paired with 4 premium wines and the renowned Avignonesi Vin Santo."

Monte Chiaro Winery, Wine Brunch follows the same pattern from the Monte Chiaro Winery near Siena, with a cellar tour and a brunch "paired with premium wines." The page does not say how many wines are poured on this one.

When the launch site moves

The locations page explains the company's back-up rule in unusual detail. "On rare occasions," it says, the balloon cannot fly from the chosen site, and "the pilot will decide to move the flight to our nearest suitable backup site." If the site changes for reasons outside the company's control, it will "write this very clearly on our Flight Status page," which passengers check the day before their flight, also to see "at what time the flight is called on in the morning."

Examples given are a launch field "waterlogged after heavy rain" or a wind direction "taking the balloon towards a large lake or a large area of dense forest." The page adds that "the pilot's main priority is your safety and a flight would not be moved to a backup site unless there is a very good reason to do so." That is the company's statement of its own practice.

Booking and contact

The menu has a Book a Flight page, a Flight Status page, an FAQ, pages called The Flight, Your Flight and Our Balloons, and a gallery. The about page signs off from Rokas, with the phone number +39 338 146 2994 and the email info@ballooningintuscany.com, and offers more than bookings: "we will be more than happy to give advise where to stay and what to do when you are in Tuscany." The footer links to Terms & Conditions and a Flight Information page.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The site gives no prices on its locations and about pages, for either the standard flights or the winery flights, and no flight length or group size. It does not say whether the winery brunch can be booked without the flight, what the cancellation or refund terms are, or what happens when weather grounds a flight altogether rather than moving it. The menu links separate booking, FAQ and terms pages, but none of those terms is spelled out alongside the flight descriptions. The language of the pilots and the private Siena guide is not stated either.

What the site does give is a clear map of where the balloons fly, an unusually candid account of who owns the company and how that came about, named launch venues, a stated regulatory basis, and two winery flights that turn a morning in the air into a long Tuscan brunch. It suits visitors staying anywhere between Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Cortona who want an early morning flight close to their base, and wine travelers drawn to the Avignonesi or Monte Chiaro packages.