Learning to Fly: Hot air balloons in Boulder County

Often on a clear, crisp morning when the weather is fine and the wind is calm, Niwot residents who are lucky enough to be out early may get a view of a slow moving, brightly colored train of balloons flying low on the horizon.

While a few of them are navigated by private pilots, many of the balloons in the sky just east of town belong to commercial companies. According to RefUSA, there are 21 comm...