Love Soars with High-Flying Valentine Gift Ideas

(ARA) – Love may be the ultimate thrill-ride, so is it any wonder that many lovers this year will be looking for Valentine’s gifts to make their mate’s heart race? Adventurous romantics can take to the skies with pulse-pounding, airborne gift options.

“Every year, we see more people giving thrilling sky experiences to their loved ones for Valentine’s Day,” says Roberta Collins of Soaring Adventures, a company that specializes in high-flying experiences.

“There’s something about an airborne experience that really underscores the giddy excitement – and romance – of love.”

From hot air ballooning to gliding to sky diving, companies that provide these experiences can now be found in virtually every community. Soaring Adventures alone has over 200 locations nationwide. To really sweep your loved one off his or her feet this Valentine’s Day, consider the following Gift Certificate options:

Hot Air Balloon Rides

“Few experiences combine peace and privacy with adventure like hot air ballooning,” says pilot Rob Wilkinson. A typical hot air balloon experience begins with the inflation of the balloon.

Couples can watch as the envelope fills with hot air and the balloon rises overhead. Or, they can participate in the preparation with the ground crew. Then, travelers ascend to 500 to 1,000 feet, floating for about an hour over the countryside, enjoying breath-taking views.

Upon touchdown – often in a farmer’s field – passengers celebrate the trip with a champagne toast or fruit juice, an old European tradition.

Soaring Glider Rides

Gliding also combines a peaceful experience with the excitement of actually taking control. Two-person gliders allow a passenger the chance to try his or her hand at piloting the aircraft.

The adventure starts off with the glider being towed into the air by a powerful towplane. The rope is released when the glider is about a mile high, and the pilot maneuvers the craft on wind currents.

Skydiving

Particularly appealing for 20-somethings, skydiving is a pure adrenaline rush. The experience of freefall is not for the faint-hearted and is very different from ballooning or gliding.

After training and preparation, the skydiver boards a plane that climbs to 2 miles above the Earth. The novice makes the jump strapped to an expert skydiver, who controls the freefall – which lasts several minutes – deploys the parachute and manages a safe landing.

Soaring Adventures of America, Inc. offers a gift certificate that can be used for hot air ballooning, gliding or sky-diving experiences.

The company has a 100 percent safety record. For more information go to www.800soaring.com or call (800) 762-7464.