"Hello, my name is Nils Römeling and I have been a balloon pilot since 1993. Ballooning is my passion – my father took me up in the air for the first time when I was 6 years old. Standing on a stool, I could just see over the edge of the basket."
In August 2018 , I took to the skies for the 1,000th time as a pilot— in our beautiful Augsburg balloon, of course, which is intended as a tribute to my hometown—Augsburg's skyline and the colors of the Fugger city are immortalized on it.
1993: In pilot training
1986: Proud balloonist at age 10
Ballooning – my passion: Pilot since 1993
I love floating over Augsburg in a balloon—every balloon ride is different from the next, the wind determines the direction, and the landing site is different every time. Ballooning is my passion.
In 1997, I came to Augsburg to study. I completed my business studies degree (majoring in business informatics and advertising psychology) and started ballooning here too, after obtaining my hot air balloon pilot's license in 1993 in the Swabian Ostalb region with my dad. At the age of 18, I completed my "PPL-D" and was the youngest pilot in Germany at the time.
For your safety – Flying over Augsburg for more than 25 years
Since then, I have known the airspace and landscape around Augsburg and, of course, the city center like the back of my hand. I know the wind currents, the areas where you can land easily, and where you should definitely not go because there is no landing area.
Ballooning isn't my main job!
Admittedly, from May to September, there's little else for me to do but ballooning! It's hardly possible to make a living solely from ballooning. The rest of the time, I work as an online marketing consultant and coach companies in the areas of SEO (Google optimization) and social media (Facebook and Instagram).
Why don't I make a living from ballooning? Well, first of all, the weather during the "cold season" is too bad for ballooning. Secondly, our balloon is relatively small and only has room for six passengers plus me as the pilot. Other balloonists fly with 12 or 14 people—and those pilots make a living from ballooning. For us, service and quality are what count, and we focus on small groups. We don't believe in mass processing – it's hard to achieve tranquility with 12 people. That's why our prices are higher than those of other low-cost balloon operators.
Your advantage: I do between 60 and 80 balloon rides per year—that's a lot of practice. However, I don't have to make a living from it, so I don't fly in questionable weather— safety comes first, and I don't have to rush to get in a balloon ride "come hell or high water" just to earn money.
Nevertheless: we are professionals and a licensed aviation company.
I have been flying as a pilot in my father's aviation company since 1995. Since 2013, I have been flying under my own flag in Augsburg, naturally as a licensed company by the Munich Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Authority in Braunschweig. This means that we are strictly monitored and, as a commercial enterprise, must undergo numerous inspections and provide lots of documentation.
Why should you choose us as your balloon flight provider?
- Nils Römeling has completed almost 1,100 balloon flights—all without incident!
- Depending on the weather, we drive 60 to 80 times a year.
- We have more than five launch sites around Augsburg, which means we can adapt to different wind directions.
- We are the only licensed aviation company in Augsburg – and not a balloon club.
- Our balloon was built in 2017 (basket) and 2015 (envelope), making it state-of-the-art. We have to undergo an annual inspection.
- We know Augsburg like the back of our hand! We've been here since 1997—that's over 20 years!
- Safety is the number one priority—even ahead of profit.
- Premium: Little things like coffee after a morning balloon ride, a nice farewell gift as a souvenir, or photos taken during the balloon ride set us apart.
The balloon team at Ballonfahrten Augsburg
Without my helpers and followers—who are family and friends—there would be no balloon ride. All balloon followers and helpers are also enthusiastic balloonists—and look forward to welcoming you to our balloon basket. You will notice that we are fun and look forward to every balloon ride!
What sets us apart from other balloon ride providers?
- Ballooning is not my main source of income, but we are professionals and passionate about what we do!
- We fly in a small balloon with between 4 and 6 passengers on board. No mass transport with 12 or more passengers.
- We are the only professional balloonists in Augsburg, so we don't have to travel far. This is particularly important in uncertain weather conditions, as we don't have to drive for an hour or more. This means we can assess the weather conditions on site. Otherwise, balloon flights are canceled in advance, even if the weather would be suitable for ballooning.
- We take off from various launch sites around Augsburg – depending on which way the wind is blowing! This means we can guarantee you beautiful scenery and hope to fly over Augsburg as often as possible!
Our Augsburg balloon D-OANR
We have been flying our Augsburg balloon since 2015. It shows the skyline of Augsburg! Here are more photos of the Augsburg hot air balloon.
Have we convinced you?
Then you can find gift vouchers here in our shop, and you can make an appointment directly here.