Up In The Air

Why spend the summer anchored to terra firma when you could be zipping overhead in a biplane, drifting with the winds in a colorful hot-air balloon or learning how to paraglide or jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Here are some places to get your summer off the ground.

------------------------ Airplane tours and rides ------------------------

Cedardale Aviation

Open-cockpit rides in a vintage biplane over the scenic Skagit Valley, 20 minutes and longer. $80 to $100. 1874 Frontage Road, off Interstate 5, South Mount Vernon. 360-424-5154.

Seattle Seaplanes

Take off from Lake Union and see all the Seattle tourist sights from above. Also charter flights. From $42.50. 1325 Fairview Ave. E., Seattle. 800-637-5553.

Noland-Decoto Flying Service

Take off from Yakima for air tours of mountains, orchards and rivers. From $125. 2810 W. Washington Ave., Yakima. 509-248-1370.

Classic Helicopter Corp.

Get a whirlybird's-eye view of Seattle. From $177 per hour. 6505 Perimeter Road, Boeing Field, Seattle. 206-767-0515.

Sound Flight

Tours include downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades. From $79. P.O. Box 812, Renton. 425-255-6500.

Kenmore Air

Wide variety of charter, package and transit flights from Lake Union and Lake Washington to the San Juans, Victoria and other areas. Rates vary. 6321 N.E. 175th St., Seattle. 425-486-1257.

Galvin Flying Service

Open-cockpit biplane rides from Boeing Field over downtown, Vashon Island, Snoqualmie Falls and other areas. From 7001 Perimeter Road, Boeing Field, Seattle. 206-763-9706.

--------------------- Hot-air balloon rides ---------------------

Go Lightly Inc.

Morning brunch flights over south King and north Pierce counties. From $150 per person. 428 Eighth St. S.W., Suite 3, Auburn. 206-939-3040.

Soaring Adventures of America

A national company that contracts with local companies for balloon rides in Carnation and glider rides in Arlington. Also rides all over the country. From $170 per person. P.O. Box 541, Wilton, Conn. 800-762-7464.

Balloon Depot

Flights from the Carnation area over the still-rural Snoqualmie Valley. From $110 per person. P.O. Box 1262, Carnation. 425-881-9699.

Over The Rainbow

Breakfast, brunch and dinner flights over the winery country outside Woodinville. From $99 per person. P.O. Box 2772, Woodinville. 206-364-0995.

Vagabond

Scenic, romantic flights over La Conner and the Skagit Valley, Woodinville wineries or Snohomish. From $110 per person. 313 Morris St., La Conner. 800-488-0269.

Airial Balloon Co.

Romance soaring over the Snohomish and Skagit valleys and Woodinville wineries. From $130 per person. 10123 Airport Way, Snohomish. 360-568-3025.

--------- Skydiving ---------

Blue Skies Skydiving Adventures

Training and instruction for static-line, tandem or free-fall parachuting from the Shelton Airport. From $129. P.O. Box 440, DuPont. 800-801-5867.

Skydive Snohomish!

Instruction followed by static-line jumps from 3,000 feet or tandem free-fall jumps from 8,000 feet over Snohomish. From $149. Snohomish Skydive Center. 9912 Airport Way, Snohomish. 800-338-5867.

----------- Paragliding -----------

Dixon's Airplay

A 1,600-acre paragliding school and flight park in Central Washington. Classes from $245. Tandem flights from $125. 8101 Hay Canyon Road, Cashmere. 800-323-9992.

Chelan and Tiger Mountain Paragliding

Flight training and tandem flights outside Issaquah or in Central Washington at Chelan Butte. Prices start at $100 for tandem flights. P.O. Box 1323, Maple Valley. 425-432-2876.

Issaquah Alps Paragliding

A pioneer of paragliding at Tiger Mountain, offering tandem flights and full instruction. Tandem flights from $95. 10316 179th Ave. N.E., Redmond. 206-467-5944.

North American Paragliding

Full-service paragliding school in Central Washington outside Ellensburg. Courses from $299. P.O. Box 4, Ellensburg. 800-727-2354.