The best time of year to go Hot Air Ballooning

A common misconception is that it is better to go Hot Air Ballooning during the warmer months, but the ideal conditions for ballooning are actually the colder months of the year such as Autumn and early winter.

Most operators still fly in the warmer months of the year, however there is more chance that your experience may be postponed.

A hot air balloon basically works on the premise that hot air rises - if the air outside of the balloon is too warm (say 15c or more) than the balloon will have trouble lifting off the ground.

Thermal columns of air that exist when it's warm can also cause unwanted lift to a hot air balloon.

A thermal column (or thermal) is a column of rising air  in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface from solar radiation, and an example of convection. The Sun warms the ground, which in turn warms the air directly above it.. Dark earth, urban areas and roadways are good sources of thermals.

The warmer air expands, becoming less dense than the surrounding air mass. The mass of lighter air rises, and as it does, it cools due to its expansion at lower high-altitude pressures. It stops rising when it has cooled to the same temperature as the surrounding air. Associated with a thermal is a downward flow surrounding the thermal column. The downward moving exterior is caused by colder air being displaced at the top of the thermal.

[via wikipedia]

Total fire bans in the summer months can also mean that balloons are grounded.