Rainbow Ryders

What Rainbow Ryders is and where it flies

Rainbow Ryders is a hot air balloon ride company that flies its own balloons with its own pilots in the Southwestern United States. The Albuquerque page says it "was established in 1983, right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico", and that it serves Albuquerque and "the other three locations we serve": Phoenix and Scottsdale in Arizona, Colorado Springs in Colorado, and Park City in Utah. The homepage says it operates "year-round in Phoenix and Albuquerque, and during the summer months in Colorado Springs and Park City".

Each location has its own meeting point. In Albuquerque it is 5601 Eagle Rock Ave NE, "about five minutes east of Balloon Fiesta Park". In Phoenix it is 7934 N Glen Harbor Blvd in Glendale, near Loop 101 and State Farm Stadium. The Colorado Springs address is 4389 Tutt Blvd, and in Park City the team meets in the lobby of Black Rock Mountain Resort, 909 W Peace Tree Trail, Heber City. From each meeting point the crew drives guests to a launch site chosen for the day's conditions.

The homepage remembers founder Scott Appelman and calls Rainbow Ryders "the largest hot air balloon ride company in the United States". The Park City page says the company has flown "over 750,000 passengers", and the Albuquerque page says its pilots fly "over 10,000 local passengers annually". Those are the company's own figures.

Flights by location

In Albuquerque, the sunrise ride has a flight time of "45 Minutes - 1 Hour" and a total time of "About 3 - 3.5 hours", and runs "every day of the year". The page lists the Rio Grande and the Bosque, the Sandia Mountains, ancient volcanoes including the Three Sisters, and Petroglyph National Monument from afar, and mentions a chance of a "splash 'n' dash" in the Rio Grande in summer. Sunset rides run daily, weather permitting, "from November 1st through January 31st", and must land before sunset; the page says guests may see "a light dusting of snow on the Bosque's cottonwood trees".

In Phoenix, sunrise flights run every day of the year with a total time of "About 3.5 - 4 hours", over the Salt River Valley, saguaro cacti, the White Tank Mountains, Lake Pleasant and, on occasion, Camelback Mountain. Sunset rides run daily from November through March, launching about an hour before sunset.

In Park City, sunrise flights run every day, weather permitting, from June to September, with guests back at the resort about 3 hours after meeting; another passage on the same page says July through September, so the start of the season is worth checking. The page lists views of the Wasatch Range, the Jordanelle Reservoir, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Deer Valley, Midway, Park City Mountain and Utah's Olympic Park, and says passengers get 25% off breakfast at the Overlook Restaurant inside Black Rock Mountain Resort. The homepage describes Colorado Springs flights as showing "Colorado's dramatic Rocky Mountains and the iconic Garden of the Gods".

Private flights are offered for sunrise and, in season, sunset, with a "Minimum of two passengers required", and the site says it has private rides "for parties larger than two". It adds that its rides "were voted one of the top places to propose in the world", without naming the vote. It also sells proposal and wedding packages, and corporate experiences "From team-building flights to branded balloon displays".

Balloon Fiesta and festivals

Rainbow Ryders says it is "the only company authorized to give balloon rides from Balloon Fiesta Park for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta", which it dates to October 3-11, 2026, and that "All other commercial ride companies launch at least 5 miles from Balloon Fiesta Park". The Mass Ascension ride has a total time of 5 hours. The optional Ryders Club adds an express check-in line, a heated VIP lounge with a catered breakfast, a Q&A with the chief pilots, a VIP escort to the balloon and a souvenir package, and the private Mass Ascension ride includes it, "valued at $150 per person". For fewer crowds, the Pre and Post-Event rides fly a day or two either side of the Fiesta "alongside up to 50 other balloons", with a total time of 3 hours, a toast and a flight pin.

The company says it is also official ride operator for the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off and the Arizona Balloon Classic in Chandler. It lists the Arizona Balloon Festival in Phoenix and the Spooktacular festival in Scottsdale, where it gives tethered flights, and it attends Gallup's Red Rock Balloon Rally.

Rules, safety and booking

The rules are stated on every flight: "Due to insurance requirements, we cannot fly anyone who is pregnant or under the age of 5 years old", and "per FAA regulations, we must launch after the sun has officially risen" (or land before it sets). The company says its pilots each hold an FAA commercial pilot's license and a second-class medical certificate, have "a minimum of 500 flight hours", and "regularly undergo drug and alcohol testing", and that equipment is inspected "through an FAA-certified repair station". These are the company's own statements.

Flights are booked online by location and date, or by phone on 1-800-725-2477. The menu sells gift certificates and flight gear and has a page of coupons and discount codes, and the Plan Your Flight menu links to pages on safety, requirements, what to bring, maps and an FAQ.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The location pages do not show a price for any standard sunrise, sunset or private flight, and they do not state a cancellation window, a refund rule, weight limits or what happens when weather stops a flight. The site links FAQ and Terms and Conditions pages, which travelers should read before booking. The Colorado Springs season and flights are described only briefly.

Rainbow Ryders suits travelers in Albuquerque, Phoenix, Colorado Springs or Park City who want a sunrise balloon flight with a large, long-running company, and above all anyone going to the Balloon Fiesta who wants to launch from inside the field. Families should note the minimum age of 5.