"Come Fly!" reads an advertisement promising champagne flights and suggesting a romantic setting for weddings, birthdays and proposals from A Southern Arizona Balloon Experience.

Hot air balloon rides are considered one of the more romantic activities, and now, this Valentine's Day, balloon companies are swamped with reservations to give people "a special moment, a freeing of spirits that soothes the soul," said Patrick Nilz, head commercial pilot instructor for A Southern Arizona Balloon Experience.

"I have been asked if people could have a sexual experience or whatever while they are in the balloon. Sometimes they ask things that make me turn a couple of shades of red," Nilz said. "I just tell them they can't do that here, it would waste too much fuel!"

Tucson has two hot air balloon companies. Both offer rides starting at $125 per passenger.

Sam Ng, a biochemistry and English major, said he went on a hot air balloon ride "to top off a memorable evening in the best way I could imagine."

Ng rode with a hot air balloon company from Phoenix. "There were a lot of people, but it was nice because we got to see the sun rise, and floating up there in the clouds was cool."

There are no age limits, said Captain Robert Miller, owner of Balloon America and balloon pilot for 16 years. "Our passengers have ranged from 3 years old to 97 years."

Nilz said a hot air balloon ride makes a great gift. "You forget about the cards, or they get lost. These rides make an impression that you never forget."

"You can give them the sky. It will be the neatest thing they ever do," Nilz said.

Balloon rides are offered for anything from 45 minutes to three hours. During the flights, pilots act as tour guides, pointing out various sights from the basket.

"The balloon baskets are 52 inches tall with a padded foam bolster," said Miller. "At Balloon America, we have baskets that hold five, eight and 12 people."

Miller said the comparisons between balloon baskets are similar to "whether you like Fords or Chevys; just a matter of preference."

Balloon passengers are asked to meet at sunrise for their flights. The companies have separate pickup and drop-off locations.

A Southern Arizona Balloon Experience offers a moonlight flight where passengers "fly with the stars and a full moon," Nilz said.

As people are drifting in the balloon at average speeds between five and 10 miles per hour, they are often close enough to speak to people walking along the ground.

Balloon America operates both in Tucson and in Vale, Colorado. Miller said that once when he was in Colorado directing a balloon, he got caught in a stream of air.

"We went up and over the Continental Divide and landed on the other side, on Interstate 70. It was right in the middle of the busy ski rush-hour traffic and we caused a traffic jam while everyone stopped to watch us land the balloon on the interstate."

Miller said he has flown celebrity passengers, including Judge Wapner, from "People's Court," and his wife.

"He was a very funny guy," Miller said. "He could be a stand up comic."

Nilz said he has also had some unusual passengers; most memorably, several nursing home residents under supervisory care who bribed the groundskeeper to let them out of the home to go on the balloon ride.

"After the ride, one said, 'It was the most fun I've had in 60 years,'" Nilz said.

Though flying around in a wicker basket may seem dangerous, Miller said it is quite safe. "Ballooning is actually safer than driving your car around Tucson."

"Flying in a hot air balloon is a spiritual feeling," Nilz said. "It brings you a different kind of closeness."