6 places offering fun in Birmingham’s sky, including Southern Balloon Journeys

Have you ever wanted to fly? Now’s your chance. From hot air ballooning to skydiving, here are six places offering adventures in the sky around Birmingham.

Southern Balloon Journeys

Imagine drifting through the sky in a colorful hot air balloon as it soars over the gorgeous landscape of the Birmingham. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Well, pop that dream bubble and take a ride through the sky on a magical hot air balloon at Southern Balloon Journeys in Helena.

Flights are:

• Available year round
• Taken in early morning or late afternoon
• Last one hour

Are you an aspiring pilot or balloonist? Southern Balloon Journeys offers training for both.

Contact: 205.213.1054/wmdacisjr@yahoo.com

Cost: $300 for single rider; $225 per person for group of two-three passengers. Deposit required

Bucket List Rides

Is soaring among the clouds on your bucket list? Then consider going on a flying adventure with Bucket List Rides. This company offers so many thrilling activities in Birmingham’s skies, including:

• Helicopter rides
• Flying lessons
• Hot air balloon rides

Contact Bucket List Rides: 888.586.7863

Air Adventure Powered Parachutes

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a powered parachute! And you can actually fly them around Birmingham with a certified flight instructor from Air Adventure Powered Parachutes. 

Basically, it is a personal aircraft with a propeller-driven cart suspended from a parachute. Think hot air ballooning, flying a plane and skydiving all rolled into one. 

What exactly are powered parachutes?

Air Adventure Powered Parachutes offers to exciting flying adventures:

1. Powered parachute discovery flights
2. Pilot flight training

During each discovery flight, you’ll fly into the sky 1,500 to 2,000 feet above ground in a powered parachute with a certified instructor. Travel speeds range from 32 to 34 miles per hour. One passenger per flight only.

So where do you fly these bad boys? 

Air Adventure Powered Parachutes flies from airports, including:

• Shelby County Airport 
• Bessemer Airport 
• Sylacauga Airport 

Know someone who would love to hit the sky in one of these contraptions? Gift certificates are available. 

Cost: 30 minutes–$195; One hour–$295

Contact Air Adventure Powered Parachutes: 205.567.9800 or info@airadventure.net.

Birmingham Helicopter Tours

You know Birmingham is beautiful from the ground. Can you imagine how amazing it is from above?

Birmingham Helicopter Tours provides unlimited aerial access to some of the best views and magnificent signs in Alabama.

What’s extra cool about this company is that you can request a custom flight plan. So where you fly and how long you’re in the sky is totally up to you.

Contact: 866.826.4826

Alabama Helicopters

For a birds eye view of Birmingham, I suggest stepping aboard a helicopter for a tour of the city.

Alabama Helicopters offers:

• Charters
• Flights
• Pilot Training

You can also take a helicopter tour over Logan-Martin Lake.

Contact: 205.591.5456

Skydiving Birmingham

Okay thrill seekers of Birmingham. This one’s for you.

If you’re looking for the ultimate rush, skydiving is guaranteed to blow your mind—from 14,000 feet in the air.

Skydiving Birmingham offers:

• Tandem Skydiving
• Advanced Skydiving Training with Accelerated Free Fall
• Tandem Progression Programs

They even offer video packages so you can remember your jump into the sky forever.

Gift certificates are also available. What better way to say “I love you” than watching your sibling, friend or spouse jump out of an airplane?

Here are the areas around Birmingham that they serve:

• Mountain Brook
• Homewood
• Vestavia Hills
• Irondale
• Trussville
• Pelham
• Alabaster
• Helena
• And more!

Contact: 256.736.5553

Where else can you soar through the sky around Birmingham? We want to know all the best spots!