Enchanted Balloon      Rides



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Enchanted Balloon Tours is rich in ballooning history.  The Williams family has been hot air ballooning in Orange County New York for 36 years. This is the longest tenure in the area and one of the longest in the United States. 
Dave's father Fred Williams, an outstanding pilot and ballooning pioneer, began ballooning in 1971 by building his own equipment.  It seemed a little risky, but that is how it was done.  Fred wove the gondolas, attached all of the fixtures, and even cut patterns before sewing his own balloon envelopes. 
Fred has built more than a dozen balloon systems including his first - 'Neophite' in 1972 (the green and white balloon above).  Imagine a 100,000 cubic foot balloon floating overhead in 1972 when there were just over 200 hot air balloons in the entire country.  Fred also built balloons for promotions and for the motion picutre and prison escape movie entitled "On the Yard".  
Fred converted his experimental vision in 1985 to commercial reality by starting his own hot air balloon ride business.  Fred's sons Dave, Daryl, and Scott were involved at a very young age.  Dave became his dad's crew chief and started logging student pilot hours at the age of 14.  Scott and Daryl also took interest in crewing and piloting.  Our prominence in ballooning comes from our entire ballooning family flying for many years mostly for fun, over New York's beautiful Orange County.
ENCHANTED
HISTORY
(above) One of our first chase vehicles.  Times have changed.
(above) Fred built this balloon to celebrate the bi-centenial in 1976.
(above) Fred's first balloon, 'Neophite' contained the same volume as thirty  - 18 wheelers!
The balloon above was used as a model for the movie 'On the Yard'.  A larger model was actually flown out of the prison in the movie.