The initial solution to fly from the first known flights of the Montgolfier brothers to more recent pioneers like Sir Richard Branson’s record breaking flights, Hot air Ballooning is among the most fascinating sports to take part in.
Hot air ballooning is most likely the slowest way to fly and most likely not the safest but so far as being the most spectacular it’s difficult to beat. Booking a hot air balloon ride is easier than you think as well as common there are lots of Hot Air Balloon company’s providing excellent flying experience.
Before taking the plunge and booking a flight, be sure to check out the company and its pilots experience to make sure the company is in good standing with the Better Business Bureau and that the pilots are qualified and have a good safety record.
I began by going to Hot Air Balloon festivals in such there are some great shows around the US and some overseas the biggest being the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which is held in October every year.
Hot Air Balloons come in a lot of different shapes and sizes depending on the usage the really large ones are used to carry more people and sometimes you can see these saw for miles as they must contain the ability to carry more weight and more fuel on board.
Hot Air Balloons are difficult to pilot and must be flown in the early morning or in the evening as these are the times that the air is most still and manageable for the pilot. During the day there can be too much interference from thermals lots of hot air rising that can cause the hot air balloon to be unstable.
So if you book a balloon trip and its early in the morning don’t forget it can very cold at altitude sensible clothing and a woolly hat are recommended items. Listen carefully to the safety brief from the balloon centre paying attention often makes for a safe landing.
Knowing what to expect does not prepare you for the feeling seeing the burner heating the balloon and standing in the basket waiting for the lift off which is carefully controlled by the pilot to be smooth as not to rise too rapidly.
A hot air balloon is steered by the pilot understanding that air at different heights moves in different directions and the pilots skill is to interpret the weather for the day and adjust the height of the balloon to go in the correct direction for the day’s planned flight.
Riding the skies at dusk and dawn is a real thrill and looking down at our busy way of life while drifting across the sky makes for a real fun day out. I urge you to put this on your bucket list.