The Hot Air Balloon is a balloon that takes players up to the Sky Castle. It costs 
5 to sponsor it and is run by Captain Arg, the ship's NPC. It is mainly not used as much as players use flyable pets, grapple hooks, propellers, or the portal den item to get there.
When the player sits down in the balloon, it asks them to buy a trip for 5. Once purchased, it then proceeds to give notifications in the chat when there are 60 to 30 seconds left to board, and when the flight is about to take off.
As it flies, a message can be read at the front of the balloon, reading "[Next stop: Sky Castle]" and then "[Sponsored by (XXX)]" (XXX being the name of the player who paid the 5 Bucks). When it reaches Sky Castle, you can read "[Please exit with caution]" at the front. It then waits for 30 seconds, not showing messages in the chat now. As soon the 30 seconds have passed, the Hot Air Balloon flies back down to where Captain Arg is standing, reading "[Next Stop: Adoption Island]". It then stays until another player boards the balloon and repeats the process.
Trivia
- The Balloon Stroller found in the Sky Castle is a smaller retexture of the Hot Air Balloon.