Fantasy of Flight Balloon

Fantasy of Flight is a museum all about the history of aviation in Polk City, FL. If you're into old aircraft and stuff related to aviation, you'll probably love the place. I'm not all that into that type stuff, but it is still a cool place. One thing that used to make Fantasy of Flight much better in my opinion was their giant balloon. The balloon was a giant Helium balloon tethered to the ground by a steel cable. Museum guests would load into a ring shaped basket, and the cable would then unwind, allowing the balloon to rise to several hundred feet. It was a very cool ride and provided some nice views of the surrounding area.




Fantasy of Flight has a small airport attached to the museum where they sometimes give airplane rides. Here is an ultralight plane giving a ride as seen from the balloon.


I'm not sure what the reasons are, but the balloon has since been removed from Fantasy of Flight. For me, the balloon really was the highlight of the museum, so it's a shame that it's gone. The helium balloon experience can still be achieved in Florida though. There is a similar balloon to this that was recently installed in Downtown Miami, but looking at their website now, it appears they have closed. Downtown Disney has also announced that they will be adding one of these balloons to compete with the nearby giant Ferris Wheel being constructed.