The Weather

Everyone knows you can’t predict Mother Nature’s moods, and as you can imagine, we’re at her mercy—especially in a hot air balloon… but just how much do you really know about it? In a hot air balloon, you need wind to move forward but not too much to take off; you need good weather but not too hot either… no rain during the flight, of course, but not too close either, nor too far ahead… so when do we fly??

We fly when conditions are deemed safe first and foremost. There’s a saying in our industry that goes: It’s better to regret staying on the ground than to regret being in the air. We have to analyze everything before making a decision to fly, and that’s why we have several tools and apps to study the weather and its trends, because we can’t rely solely on forecasts.

At Montréal Montgolfière, we study the weather every day, even when flights are canceled. We analyze trends, effects, and outcomes. We compile statistics and calculate probabilities because every region and every location has its own quirks and varying, unique factors. We also have to assess the conditions of the fields and the locations where we plan to take off. We have to analyze the forecasts and try to predict the conditions we’ll face at takeoff and landing. Not to mention that hot air balloon flights don’t just happen at ground level but up in the air, so we also have to check the weather conditions at higher altitudes. Each wind layer has its own flight conditions that we’ll need to analyze as well… complicated, you say?

Complex, yes. Every pilot must take the time to analyze and evaluate the conditions that will allow them to make a flight decision with rigor and awareness, always prioritizing safety first and foremost. Safety for the passengers, for the team, for the equipment. We have to think of every little detail. As you know, the weather is constantly changing, especially in Quebec—we can say that Mother Nature’s mood swings are very unpredictable!

This explains why we make our confirmation calls for flights as close to the last minute as possible… to save you the trouble of traveling only to have your flight canceled once you arrive! That doesn’t mean there isn’t always a risk of cancellation, but if it does happen, it’s always for a good reason. Please know that our goal isn’t to disappoint you—on the contrary, it’s to offer you the best possible experience!

Now, given all this complexity, you can probably guess that we can’t let passengers make the decision to fly. Sometimes, the day may seem beautiful and perfect, but unfortunately, it still won’t be suitable for your flight. You have to look beyond appearances and… Météomédia!

(Far be it from us to criticize this great weather site for the general public, but we hope you understand that we need more precise forecasts for our field in an even more specific sector.)

Hot-air ballooning is always dependent on weather conditions, so with every flight we have to adjust and adapt, and sometimes we’re even forced to cancel—but in any case, safety is ALWAYS the top priority!