July 24, 2008
Soar Above Central Park in a Balloon
Central Park may be pretty from the ground, but the view from above will give New Yorkers a whole new perspective while taking in "the brilliance of the Greensward Plan, Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux's 1858 design." The NY Post reports that starting tomorrow, helium balloon rides will be offered for just $25 a pop.
The rides will be offered from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Aug. 22, and children 12 and under ride for $17.50. Starting today, the company is accepting reservations for rides between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. The rest of the day will work on a first-come, first-served basis.Aeroballoon is the company responsible for the temporary attraction, and says at night the balloon will be lit up. Before illumination and the first take off, however, they had to acquire "a slew of permits, including one from the Federal Aviation Administration to enter New York's airspace."
The ride lasts about 10 minutes, so even if you discover a sudden fear of heights, the countdown to the ground will be a fairly quick one. The balloon will bring you and yours about 300-feet above the park in a wicker basket (the FAA won't permit them to go higher than 500-feet); four passengers join the pilot for the lofty jaunt, and it's all part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the park's original design.
Earlier this year The Balloon Project released a video containing aerial views of Central Park, it was filmed in January on a video camera that was attached to a set of helium balloons! Watch it here.
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Please don't pollute the skyline.
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Ballooning in Central Park sounds insane. 30 days over/under for the first mishap. I'll take the under.
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oh the humanity!
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Some of us have been high in that
park before.........Remember the film
"Hair" remember the real cloud of smoke?
Ah for the old days or waz dat daze.
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There's no way that one balloon can support 8 million people.
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This does everything right that the waterfalls do wrong. Probably at 2% of the price too.
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What a GREAT idea! For anyone who really loves the city and the park, what could be better than going above it all for a fan-effing-tastic view? csk (#1) - must you hate everything? Just how would an old-fashioned balloon, not advertising anything, pollute the skyline? What a glorious sight this would be against the park and the skyline! ace (32) - these balloon companies are super-cautious. it took my dad 4 separate attempts to go up for his 80th birthday. the company finally OK'd the launch in time for his 81st birthday. The least bit of bad weather or poor conditions and they cancel the launch.