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Among the best hot-air balloon company in Turkey is Butterfly Balloons, owned in part by longtime Göreme hotelier Ali Yavuz of the Kelebek Hotel. (Kelebek in Turkish means butterfly.)

Butterfly Balloons is a small company which I can recommend because it has experienced, personable pilots who are extremely knowledgeable about the countryside. This is important, because a hot-air balloon flight is not just gliding along with the wind high up in the air, it's an opportunity to learn about Cappadocia, its landscape, culture, history, traditions, agriculture—anything you see. To do this well, a pilot must be not only knowledgeable, but interesting and entertaining—and speak your language fluently.

Because Butterfly Balloons is a small, high-qualiy company providing excellent value-for-money, its balloons fill up, so make your reservation in advance if possible. If you wait until a day or two before you want to fly, you may find no space available.

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The pilots at Butterfly Balloons hold British, French and American commercial pilot’s licenses validated by the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority. The company holds an approved Air Operators Certificate, and carries international-standard full passenger insurance for public transport.

Chief Pilot Mike Green is English, He came to Cappadocia with his wife and family in 2000, and is now one of the most experienced pilots in the region. He has flown balloons in many countries and some exotic locations such as the Jordanian desert and over the North Pole. Mike was a Production Manager for the Virgin Global Balloon Challenge, has 20 years' experience with hydrocarbon gas, and has a certificate in the Science of Weather. He is also a Fellowship Member of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Butterfly Ballons usually avoids filling the balloon basket completely in order to give passengers more room and greater comfort. Their balloons are made by Cameron Balloons of England, widely regarded as the world's premier high-quality hot-air balloon manufacturing company (Lindstrand is also very good.) They renew their balloons on a regular schedule based on flight hours to reduce the chance of mishap.

If you plan to fly only once in your life, I'd recommend that you go for the longest flight so your time soaring silently through the heavens doesn't seem all too short.

One of the nice things about these early morning flights is that you've had the thrill of the day (if not of a lifetime), and then you go have breakfast and still have a full day of fun ahead of you.

Contact Butterfly Balloons for details on schedules, reservations and fares, and remember to mention TurkeyTravelPlanner.com.

Butterfly Balloons
Göreme, 50180 Nevşehir, Turkey
Tel +90 384 271 3010
Fax +90 384 271 3009
[email protected]

—by Tom Brosnahan

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