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Hot air balloon company a bucket list destination

BY JORDAN HOUSTON

GetOut StaffWriter

Whether it’s conquering a fear of heights, boosting adrenaline or simply enjoying a romantic setting, hot air balloon rides are a top bucket list contender for many – and Rainbow Ryders is here to help.

The North Phoenix-based hot air balloon company boasts four decades of experience providing rides to over 500,000 passengers.

Rainbow Ryders, headquartered at 715 E. Covey Lane, is the official balloon ride operator at events around the country, according to its website.

The Phoenix location offers daily scenic rides year-round over Deer Valley and the Sonoran Desert vistas. Rainbow Ryders seeks to provide an “unforgettable bucket list experience,” explained founder/owner Scott Appelman.

“Being in Arizona, you’ve got the beautiful mountains around us and the desert landscape – it’s just stunning,” he said. “I’ve flown in over 45 states and three different countries. There is nothing like flying here. It’s just so pretty. It’s like the pictures that are painted.” All company pilots are FAA-certified and have nearly 200 years of combined experience, the site continues.

While each typically services between two and four people, and can fit up to 12 to 14, personal requests seeking smaller baskets are available.

“When you’re coming out here with your grandma, grandchild or your sweetheart, you know you’re in the best hands possible,” Appelman said. “The simple fact is you’re floating with a bag of hot air and you’re at the mercy of mother nature, which has all of the cool romance that goes with those words, but you just want to make sure you’re with an operator that is reputable and will treat you right.”

The Phoenix location offers year-long group and private sunrise rides. Sunset rides are also available from November Rainbow Ryders, Inc. is the largest hot air balloon business serving the Southwest, with offices in Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs. (Courtesy of Rainbow Ryders)

through March due to climate and weather factors.

Adult group ride tickets originally cost $275, but can vary depending on the time of purchase and potential specials. Individual adult tickets for private rides are slated as $425 per person. Both types of rides take about 3 and a half hours in total, with 45 minutes to 1 hour of flight time.

“A majority of our people will do this once to fill that bucket list,” Appelman said. “And I am amazed that a lot of people have multiple flights with us and bring back new family members or new friends.”

Sunrise Rainbow Ryders’ passengers are asked to first meet the pilots at the headquarters 30 minutes prior to sunrise. The pilots will then study the wind conditions to determine the best location to launch. The flight team will drive passengers to and from the drop off and pickup locations before and after the flights. Once the balloon is inflated, pilots will fly from ground level to a couple thousand feet above, depending on wind direction and speed. The conductors will steer the balloon by moving it to different altitudes to get different wind patterns, so the height of the balloon will vary throughout the flight.

“The wind will change based on the geographic conditions of where you are,” Appelman explained. “You can’t fly through the mountains, because it has weird weather sensations that compromise safety.” Appelman says the flight’s sensations are similar to what it would feel like to float. He adds it’s very quiet, other than the sound of the burner.

“It’s like the ocean, there are different currents down there and it’s the exact same thing when you’re up in the air,” he says, noting that the pilot will steer by adding more heat.

Each trip concludes with a traditional celebratory toast and a commemorative flight certificate.

All pilots are required to have a minimum of 500 flight hours and are regularly tested for drugs and alcohol. They are also required to carry a 2nd Class Airman Medical Certificate.

Appelman says the company has won countless awards and has been named the only official ride operator for worldrenowned events “due to the impeccable safety record we hold as a company.”

Rainbow Ryders, Inc. dates began offering hot air balloon flights in the scenic Rio Grande Valley in 1983 after Appelman made walled away from his family’s construction business and pursue his passions in the air.

“When I was 12 years old, I lived in Albuquerque. They had the first balloon festival there and I was fascinated as a young boy,” he says. “I love aviation and I saw these balloons fly and I thought, “Oh my gosh, this is so cool.’”

Appelman attained his license in 1983 and began to fly hot air balloons recreationally. When he launched Rainbow Ryders, he started with one two-passenger balloon and did every task from answering the phones to booking reservations to piloting the flights.

And he hasn’t looked back since. “I thought, ‘Holy mackerel, I’m doing something that really matters,’” Appelman says. “it’s a luxury item – it’s not like putting dinner on the table but it’s being part of making people’s lives and being part of that memory. It is probably the greatest privilege of my life.”

“None of us are promised tomorrow and the bucket list thing has become a very big thing – especially since we get younger generations,” he says. “This is a way that people can go on out and fill up their list and do something different and exciting during what has been challenging times.”

ACROSS

1 Red Planet 5 Dandy guy 8 Espy 12 Part of Q.E.D. 13 Lennon’s lady 14 Frau’s mate 15 Mater lead-in 16 Old Oldsmobile 17 Notion 18 Head honcho 20 Desolate 22 Presidential nickname 23 Dol. fractions 24 “Toodle-oo!” 27 Shun liquor 32 Actress Thurman 33 Hostel 34 Pie -- mode 35 Gifted 38 “Roots” author Haley 39 Altar affirmative 40 Sushi fish 42 Demand 45 Zealous 49 Gestation location 50 Gun the engine 52 Black-and-white cookie 53 Spoken 54 “As I see it,” to a texter 55 Cold War initials 56 Prime-time hour 57 Owned by us 58 -- good example

DOWN

1 Potatoes partner 2 Folksinger Guthrie 3 Wheelchair access 4 Sports venues 5 “Never mind!” 6 Single 7 Crawl space? 8 Japanese faith 9 Statue base 10 Baseball’s Hershiser 11 Tea carrier 19 Letters of approval? 21 Calendar abbr. 24 Boy king 25 Docs’ org. 26 Amulet 28 Away from WSW 29 Try 30 Pub order 31 Remiss 36 Safe to consume 37 Refusals 38 Novelist Huxley 41 Hectic hosp. area 42 Victor’s cry 43 Sushi wrapper 44 Half a sextet 46 Gaelic 47 Tree home 48 Afghanistan’s -- Bora region 51 Outback bird

Sudoku

With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Contributor

World-famous chef’s recipe transforms its ingredients

He’s one of the world’s most famous culinary masters. Spanish chef Ferran Adrià is known for taking a dish that is well known and transforming all of its ingredients.

His take on Tortilla Española is no different, made with crushed potato chips instead of fried potatoes. It’s wonderful, and simple and world famous. Here, I’ve combined it with a delightful recipe for deep fried olives – also a treat! 

Tortilla Española with Aioli Dip

Ingredients:

• 4 cups thin style potato chips • 1 large red bell pepper, grilled, seeded and diced • 1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped fine • 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Heat the oven broiler to high. In a dry skillet over high heat, pan roast the red bell pepper. When charred, remove from skillet, cool, and then peel off skin, seed and dice. In the same skillet, add diced onion with 2 TBSP of butter. Sauté until golden brown, about 10 minute.

In a large bowl, combine the potato chips, red pepper, onion, prosciutto, thyme, eggs, and salt and pepper. Let sit to allow the chips to soften in the eggs, about 5 minutes.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add the egg mixture and cook, without stirring, until the bottom begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the broiler, and broil until the top is set but still slightly jiggly (not sloshy) on top, about 3 minutes.

Cut into wedges or small squares to serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Deep-fried olives

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) jar of pitted green olives or pimento stuffed olives, drained • 1 cup plain bread crumbs • 1 cup all purpose flour • 1 cup buttermilk • Vegetable oil for frying • Parmesan cheese for garnishing optional • Aioli Dip • 1/3 cup mayonnaise • ½ lemon, juiced • 1 clove of garlic, finely minced • ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Make the Aioli dip by combining the mayo, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a heavy bottomed pot heat a couple of inches of vegetable oil until it reaches 350-375 degrees on a thermometer.

While the oil is heating, set out three shallow plates for a dredging station. Put flour in one plate, the buttermilk in the second plate and the breadcrumbs in the third plate. • 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped • 8 eggs, lightly beaten • Salt and pepper to taste • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Dredge the olives in the flour, and then into the buttermilk, and finally roll the olives around in the breadcrumbs, making sure they are well and evenly coated.

Fry the olives in the hot oil until they are golden, about a minute and a half. Do this in batches so the oil doesn’t cool down when you add the olives.

Drain the olives on a paper towel, and serve hot. Using toothpicks, dip into aioli dip. (Reheat by putting in a 350F oven for a few minutes.) 