@bennessb Hot air balloon from the look of it. Always wanted to do a balloon tour, but apparently the timing is tricky and you basically don't know when you'll actually fly with any certainty due to changing weather conditions. Helicopter might be more predictable but also more expensive. One of these days though.
ETA: I suspect the friend (which may even be the same person as the OP) is actually a balloon operator, which is why they were unable to post the photos with self-credit.