Ask pilot Denni Barrett about the “Mile High Flights” he offers at his Temecula, California, hot air balloon company Magical Adventure Balloon Rides, and he’ll tell you: “What happens in the basket stays in the basket.”
But when you dig a little deeper, he’ll reveal some details. For instance, he says the flight takes riders 5,280 feet above Southern California wine country, exactly one mile. At that point, he pulls a privacy screen to give thrill-seekers the green light to get busy in the basket. And, he asserts, they indeed do get busy. “Somebody who operated a drone from a distance sent me a picture and said, ‘Hey, we’re just kind of curious, what was going on there?’” Barrett recounts. He adds that the Mile High Flights are among the most popular packages at Magical Adventure Balloon Rides, which is typically a traditional hot air balloon company. “I don’t want to be crude, but okay, I’ll just be straightforward: They were doing it in the doggy style, with the woman on the side of the basket… so she could look out.”
However, there are no judgments. “We’re like the priest in the confessional booth,” he says. “If someone has a fantasy about having outdoor sex, then this would surely fulfill that desire.”
To create a semblance of privacy, a tall screen divides the basket into two separate compartments. Pilots also wear noise-canceling headphones and provide a Bluetooth speaker for couples to cover any noisy moments. The balloon can be relatively quiet when the burners aren’t in use.
Once airborne, the flight lasts around an hour, during which the pilots mostly ignore their passengers. Couples are instructed to yell loudly if they need anything. “For the pilots, it’s all about business,” Barrett says. “We’re focused on navigation, flying, and trying to avoid other balloons to prevent any spectators.”
Flickr/Renee Silverman
Engaging in sexual activities in the sky is not a new concept. Historical records suggest that the idea of the mile high club originated from a dare in 1785 when one English aristocrat challenged another to “get into a lady’s knickerbockers while one thousand yards from the Earth.”
Since then, adventurous couples have dreamed of having intimate moments while in the air, and opportunistic companies have stepped in to fill the gap. There is even an airline in Las Vegas that offers private Mile High flights for $799. And while most couples who book the Mile High flight at Magical Adventures have romantic intentions, some simply want to fly higher. The mile-high mark is about 2,000 feet higher than the traditional hot air balloon flight path. The package also comes with a commemorative certificate and a pin indicating that you are a member of the Mile High Club.
“These make great conversation starters, whether guests did anything in the air or not,” he says. “I’ve also had nudists buy the Mile High package just because they wanted to commune with nature, naked in the air, and not engage in any sexual activities.”
Regarding Barrett, he has been offering Mile High Flights since 2000 when he worked for another Temecula balloon company that has since closed down. Initially, he says, mile high customers were mostly “older couples who wanted to add some spice to their lives.” But the clientele has now expanded to include younger, “very fit or alternative lifestyle” individuals. “It used to be mainly heterosexual couples,” he says. “Now there are quite a few same-sex guests as well.”
Compared to a cramped airplane lavatory, Barrett claims that his Mile High Club is spacious. The balloon basket can accommodate eight to ten people, so when there are only two (or three or four, he jokes), there is plenty of room to, well, lie down. “Okay, sometimes they don’t lie down,” he adds.
Barrett gives a 15-minute, 10-minute, and 5-minute warning before it’s time to descend. Of course, not everyone is easily able to end the experience. “There have been several times when people have asked for seconds or thirds,” he says. “There was one guy who said, ‘Hey, can you fly just 10 minutes longer, please?’”
Photo courtesy of Magical Adventure Balloon Rides
Needless to say, balloon sex is not cheap. Flights start at $1,400 per couple, plus $159 for each additional rider (because group sex on a balloon does happen). At least one couple has asked Barrett to keep the privacy curtain open for exhibitionistic purposes. To which, Barrett says, he “spent a lot of time looking away.”
Above all, safety is of utmost importance. Magical Adventures gives the basket a “very thorough cleaning” after every flight, and there are “specialized cleanings” for Mile High Flights. Customers are also required to bring their own bedding.
Pilots won’t fly the balloons in high winds or any adverse weather conditions. And, as for the motion caused by the activities in the basket, even the most passionate lovers won’t cause the balloon to lose its stability. “Based on how vigorously they engage, there may be some rocking or bouncing, but it’s minimal,” he says. “It’s safe.”
In the end, despite the intimate nature of the flights, Barrett says his customers are usually unashamed when they land. “We’re not discussing the details or anything like that,” he says. “People are just really complimentary, saying, ‘Hey, that was really great,’ or ‘That was an unforgettable experience.’”
Melissa Heckscher is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. Her writing has been published in the Los Angeles Daily News and the Orange County Register.
