North Carolina
Carolina High's sunset flights near Benson cost $700 for a couple plus $250 for each added passenger, up to four, with about an hour aloft. Neither local company sells shared seats.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two Person or Couple Only FlightIncludes Champagne or sparkling juice, Flight certificate, Crew photos with your camera before and after the flight |
$700 per group |
Most flights about 1 hour; about 3 to 3.5 hours from meeting to the after-flight celebration |
up to 4 passengers |
No minimum stated; children must fly with a parent or guardian | 650 lb combined for all passengers | Weather rescheduling is common and the pilot makes the final launch call; no refund or fee policy published. | Check dates | |
Private balloon flight |
Not listed |
Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Carolina High Hot Air Balloon Company meets passengers at a site it picks in advance near Benson, close to the I-40 and I-95 interchange. Benson lies in southeastern Johnston County, under a mile from the Harnett County line, with I-95 on the southeast side of town and I-40 passing to the northeast on its way to Raleigh. Just over half the county's residents lived in rural areas in 2020, and the county is a top producer of pork and sweet potatoes, celebrated at its Ham and Yam festival.
Carolina High describes its flights only as floating over the countryside and names no landmarks. Above and Beyond Hot Air Balloon Company gives 6900 Zebulon Road in Wake Forest as its main meeting spot and says the address is not its office or mailing address. Its site says nothing about the area flown, and a notice on it says the site was hacked and is being rebuilt.
Carolina High flies in the evening. It meets passengers about 2.5 hours before sunset and puts the whole outing, through the after-flight celebration, at about 3 to 3.5 hours, with most flights lasting about an hour. A volunteer crew assembles and launches the balloon, Spellbound Spirit III, then follows it in a chase vehicle and recovers it after landing. The pilot makes the final launch decision with the release line in hand.
Carolina High says some landings can be bumpy, and passengers must brace for touchdown and walk unassisted over uneven ground afterward. The celebration has champagne or sparkling juice and a flight certificate, and the crew takes photos with your own camera before and after the flight. Tips are customary and are split evenly among the volunteers. Above and Beyond's site mentions a post-flight champagne ceremony served from its chase van.
Carolina High wants light winds and little thermal activity, says rescheduling for weather is not uncommon, and leaves the final call to the pilot at the launch site. It does not list flying months. In October 2026 its homepage was taking bookings for October through December 2026 at the Benson site, and it posts short-notice openings on Facebook.
Raleigh has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with about 48 days a year at 90°F or higher, and showers and thunderstorms come often and sometimes hard. Tropical systems bring the heaviest rain from August to early October. Autumn otherwise has fewer rainy days than spring, and winters are cool, with freezing rain and sleet most years.
Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville, which calls itself "the second oldest hot air balloon festival in the country," is held each year on the third weekend in October. The 2026 festival ran October 16 to 18. Carolina High says festival flights are priced on each festival's own website.
Neither company lists a shared flight. Carolina High Hot Air Balloon Company, run by Randy and Jean Lee, charges $700 for two, $250 per added family member or friend, and $200 for children 10 to 17 with two adult fares. Its basket takes four passengers at most, with a combined limit of 650 pounds. Payment is by North Carolina check or cash, and the price list is labeled for flights booked after May 1, 2023, with an increase expected from September 1, 2026.
Carolina High sets no age limit, but children fly with at least one parent or guardian, and it warns that some under 10 get bored. Every passenger must climb in and out of the basket, stand for the whole flight and walk unassisted on rough ground. It publishes no refund or fee terms, and festival flights, tethers and corporate events are quoted separately.
Above and Beyond Hot Air Balloon Company in Wake Forest sells private flights for birthdays, anniversaries and similar occasions, all scheduled in advance by request form, email or phone. It also runs tethered balloons with team building for corporate, church and large family groups. Its site lists no prices, passenger limits or cancellation terms.
from $700 per group
Two Person or Couple Only Flight
Owned and run by Randy Lee (pilot) and Jean Lee (schedule and crew)
Price on request
Private balloon flight
Private flights for birthdays, anniversaries or just for fun
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.