Thank You to the Landowners of the Flathead Valley
Hot air ballooning is one of the most peaceful ways to experience Montana, but every flight also depends on something very important: the land below us.
At 2 Fly Us, we are grateful for the landowners, farmers, ranchers, and families of the Flathead Valley who help make safe ballooning possible. Whether we are flying near Kalispell, Whitefish, Bigfork, or the Flathead Lake, we never forget that the beautiful land below us belongs to people who live here, work here, and care for it every day.
We value Montana the way it is. The open fields, green valleys, mountain views, and quiet mornings are what make this place so special. Our goal is to enjoy the beauty of the valley while treating the land and the people with respect.
Ballooning Depends on Good Neighbors
Unlike an airplane, a hot air balloon does not return to a runway. We fly with the wind, and every landing is chosen based on safety, weather, wind direction, livestock, crops, fences, roads, and available open space.
That means ballooning has always been a people business.
A safe balloon flight depends on good planning, careful judgment, an experienced pilot, a trained crew, and the cooperation of the community around us. We are thankful for every landowner who has greeted us with kindness, waved from a fence line, asked questions, or simply allowed us to safely pack up and move along.
Respecting the Land Comes First
When we land, our first priority is safety and respect.
We do our best to avoid crops, livestock, irrigation equipment, wet fields, sensitive ground, and anything that could be damaged. After heavy rain, we take extra care because wet ground can be soft, and we do not want to leave ruts, disturb a field, or create unnecessary impact.
We use lightweight equipment and portable carts when appropriate to help move the balloon carefully. Our crew works to pack up efficiently, minimize impact, and leave the area as clean as we found it.
A hot air balloon may look large in the sky, but our approach on the ground is simple:
Be careful. Be respectful. Be grateful.
2FlyUs Team after a flight over the Flathead Valley
Our Landowner Appreciation Drawing
For about the last 10 to 11 years, we have held a landowner appreciation drawing as a small thank-you to the people of the Flathead Valley.
Every time we land on someone’s property during the Montana season, that landowner is entered into our yearly drawing for a free hot air balloon flight. If we land on your property more than once, you are entered more than once, which gives you more chances to win.
We draw the winner each year on September 1st.
Sometimes a landowner is home when we land, and we get the chance to say thank you in person. Other times, no one is around, so we leave a note or postcard when appropriate to let them know we were there and that they have been entered into the drawing.
It is a small way for us to give something back to the people who help make ballooning in the Flathead Valley possible.
If You See Us, Come Say Hi
During the summer, you may see our balloon over the valley or our crew on the ground preparing for a flight, following the balloon, or helping with a landing.
If you see us and we are not in the middle of a safety-sensitive moment, come say hi.
We love meeting locals, visitors, families, photographers, and anyone curious about ballooning. Many people see the balloon from the road, from their porch, or from a nearby field and wonder how it works, where we launched, where we are going, or whether they could fly someday.
The answer is simple: we are happy to talk.
Thank You, Flathead Valley
To the landowners of the Flathead Valley: thank you.
Thank you for caring for this land. Thank you for preserving the open spaces that make Montana so beautiful. Thank you for your patience, curiosity, kindness, and understanding when a balloon quietly becomes part of your morning.
At 2 Fly Us, we are proud to offer personal, small-group hot air balloon flights near The Glacier National Park Area in the Flathead Valley. But we know those flights are only possible because of the community around us.
We are grateful to be back in Montana for another summer season, and we are committed to flying with respect for the land, the weather, and the people who make this valley special.
If you have questions about our flights, please reach out.
Call 602-525-4282 or use the Book Your Ride button to contact 2 Fly Us.