zReports Research Institute · Updated August 2026
47 balloon ride operators operate within 150 miles of Santa Monica, California, sorted by distance below. Every one has a free zReports records page built from federal NTSB accident data under the mandatory reporting rule. Reviews can be managed by the business; the federal record cannot. No operator can pay to be listed, ranked, or removed.
1. Star Helicopters · Hawthorne, CA · ~11 mi
2. Griffith Park / Pony Rides · Los Angeles, CA · ~14 mi
3. Palm Springs Balloons · La Quinta, CA · ~23 mi
4. Balloon Race · Buena Park, CA · ~30 mi
5. Greenpeace · Fountain Valley, CA · ~38 mi
6. Great Park Balloon Ride · Irvine, CA · ~46 mi
7. Skyline Balloons · Perris, CA · ~71 mi
8. Mathew W Norwood · Sun City, CA · ~78 mi
9. Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival · Winchester, CA · ~85 mi
10. Temecula Wine Tours · Winchester, CA · ~85 mi
11. California Dreamin Hot Air Balloon · Temecula, CA · ~85 mi
12. Cielo Balloons Temecula · Temecula, CA · ~85 mi
Before you book: open any operator above and run the free A to Z Check. It pulls the operator's federal accident history, if any exists, and audits it against public reputation. 1 click, no login, free.
zReports maintains a records page for every US balloon ride operator on file, cross-matched at load time against the NTSB accident database. This page lists the operators whose home city sits within 150 miles of Santa Monica city center, nearest first. Distances are measured between city centers and are a drive-planning guide, not door-to-door mileage. Operators are never contacted, never notified, and cannot pay to change what a record shows.
The nearest operators to Santa Monica are Star Helicopters (Hawthorne, CA, 11 miles), Griffith Park / Pony Rides (Los Angeles, CA, 14 miles), Palm Springs Balloons (La Quinta, CA, 23 miles). In total, 47 operators sit within 150 miles.
Every operator listed here has a free zReports page built from federal NTSB accident records under the mandatory reporting rule (49 CFR Part 830). Open any operator above and run the free A to Z Check. Reviews can be managed by the business; the federal record cannot.
Distances are measured between city centers, from Santa Monica, CA to each operator's listed city. Use them as a drive-planning guide, not door-to-door mileage.