Flying

The Best Flying Experiences in Australia

From the rush of freefall to the calm of a slow drift at sunrise, RedBalloon has a flying experience for every kind of person. Pick the thrill or pick the view. Either way, you’re giving them a day they’ll talk about long after it’s over.

Not sure where to start? Here’s how the range breaks down.

Hot Air Balloon Rides

There’s a particular kind of quiet you only get in a hot air balloon. The burner falls silent, the ground drops away, and suddenly it’s just you, the sunrise, and a slow drift over vineyards and coastline. No engine, no rush, nowhere else to be.

It’s the flying experience for people who want to feel something calm rather than fast. Float over the sunny skyline on a Gold Coast Hot air Balloon Flight with Bubbles, or make a proper morning of it with a Geelong Hot Air Balloon Flight and Breakfast. Wine country makes a gorgeous backdrop too, whether that’s a Hunter Valley Sunrise Balloon for Two or a Weekend Hunter Valley Balloon with Breakfast for Two. Closer to Sydney, the Macarthur Region Balloon for Two drifts over rolling farmland at first light.

Planning a proposal or a big milestone? A balloon at sunrise is hard to beat. Balloon flights run in the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Canberra, so there’s likely one closer than you think.

Skydiving Experiences

This is the one people put on their list and never quite tick off. Here’s their chance. You’ll climb to up to 15,000 feet, sit on the edge for one long heartbeat, then freefall at over 200km/h before the canopy opens and everything goes calm and quiet for the glide home.

You’re strapped to a qualified instructor the whole way, so no experience is needed, just nerve. Leap over the coast on a Tandem Skydive over Newcastle, take in the surf breaks on a Weekend Tandem Skydive over Wollongong, or chase the Great Ocean Road coastline with a Tandem Skydive in Melbourne. Prefer a quieter weekday jump? The Midweek Tandem Skydive over the Great Ocean Road has the same drop with fewer people around.

Want to double the adrenaline? The 15,000ft Skydive and Three Hot Laps in a Mustang pairs the jump with a track day for one very big morning. Skydives run in Melbourne, Wollongong, Newcastle, Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays and beyond.

Scenic Helicopter Flights

Nothing shrinks a landmark down to size like a helicopter. You lift straight up, tip the nose, and there’s the coastline, the skyline or the reef laid out beneath you, no crowds, no queues, just the best window seat going.

It’s a natural fit for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and proposals, or simply a clever way to sightsee. Trace the bay on a Melbourne City and Bayside Helicopter Flight, feel the wind on a Doors-Off Helicopter Flight over Melbourne, or swap the city for cellar doors on an Express Brisbane Winery Helicopter Flight.

Chasing something further afield? Soar the far north on a Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Flight with Bubbles, or take in the red-and-turquoise contrast of a Broome Peninsula Helicopter Flight for Two. Helicopter flights run in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth and more.

Seaplane Flights

Australia has more than 25,000 kilometres of coastline, and a seaplane is the way to see it. You take off from the water itself, climb over the harbour, then come back down to land on the surface like it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s equal parts scenic flight and story you’ll be telling for weeks.

Seaplanes lean towards the indulgent end of flying, so they make a lovely gift for two. Settle in for a Seaplane Flight with a Three-Course Lunch and Champagne for Two, or keep it fresh and simple with a Seaplane Flight, Seafood Platter and Bubbly for Two. Want the flight to lead somewhere? A Seaplane Flight over Sydney Harbour and Palm Beach turns the journey into a day out, while the Oyster Farm Tour with Seaplane Flight for Two lands you somewhere delicious. Flights run over Sydney and beyond, and you might spot a bit of local wildlife on the way down.

Scenic Flights

Sometimes the whole point is the view. Scenic flights put you in a small plane with big windows and let the landscape do the talking, no adrenaline required. They’re ideal for people who want the wow of flying without the drop.

See two of Victoria’s icons in one go on a Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles Scenic Flight for Four, or trade the coast for the reef with a Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight and Reef Snorkel, which gets you the aerial view and time in the water in a single day. Explore the full range of Scenic Flights to find one over your favourite stretch of the country.

Learn to Fly with Lessons & Simulators

For the aviation obsessed and the pilot-curious, this is where the daydream gets real. Some people just want to know what the cockpit feels like. Others are quietly serious about a licence one day. Either way, there’s a way in here.

Test the water with your feet still on the ground in a Boeing 737-800 Flight Simulator, where you’ll handle take-offs and landings in a full replica cockpit. Ready to actually leave the runway? A Learn to Fly Trial Introductory Flight or a Hands-On Trial Flight Experience in Perth hands you the controls under an instructor’s watch. Prefer to start smaller and closer to the ground? An Aerochute Training Flight teaches you to turn, climb and descend on a powered chute. And for the one with a real plan, the Pilot Training Flight Starter Package rolls three training flights into one gift. Browse all Flying Lessons to match the right one to your budding pilot.

For the Aviation Die-Hards

Some people don’t want scenic. They want loud, fast and slightly terrifying. For them, a Gold Coast Warbird Adventure Flight puts them in an ex-military aircraft with aerobatic manoeuvres and real G-force, while a Jet Fighter Flight over Wangaratta delivers the full fast-jet fantasy over Port Phillip Bay.

More Than Flying

Love the idea of a gift that becomes a story? So do we. If flying isn’t quite their thing, we’ve got plenty more up our sleeve. Put them behind the wheel with our driving experiences, get them out on the water with a cruise, pour a good drop on a wine tasting and winery tour, or help them unwind with spa and wellness. Still deciding? A Gift Voucher lets them choose their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best flying experience gift in Australia?

It depends on the person. Thrill-seekers love a skydive, romantics love a hot air balloon at sunrise, and sightseers love a helicopter or scenic flight. RedBalloon covers all of them across Australia and New Zealand, so you can match the experience to the story you want them to tell.

What is tandem skydiving?

Tandem skydiving means you’re harnessed to a qualified instructor for the whole jump, so you can freefall from up to 15,000 feet without any prior training. It’s the most popular way to skydive for a first-timer.

How much does a hot air balloon ride cost in Australia?

Prices vary by location, flight length and whether breakfast or a shared basket is included. Popular regions include the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Canberra. Browse current options on the hot air ballooning page to compare.

Where can I go skydiving in Australia?

RedBalloon offers skydives in popular spots including Melbourne, Wollongong, Newcastle, Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays and Adelaide. You can see every current location on the skydiving page.

What’s the difference between a scenic flight and a helicopter flight?

A scenic flight is any flight focused on the view, and it can be in a plane, seaplane or helicopter. A helicopter flight is one type of scenic flight, prized for low, close, hovering views. For a fixed-wing example, the Whitsundays Scenic Flight gives you Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach from above.

Can I do a flying experience over the Great Barrier Reef?

Yes. You can pair a flight with time in the water on a Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight and Reef Snorkel, seeing the reef from the air and up close in one day.

Is a flying experience a good gift?

It’s one of the best. Experiences give someone a memory instead of another object that ends up in a drawer. A flying experience makes a strong gift for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and proposals. If you’d rather they choose, a gift voucher works too.

How long are RedBalloon experiences valid for?

RedBalloon experiences and vouchers come with long validity and free exchanges, so the recipient has time to book when it suits them.