Several factors have made hot air ballooning one of the fastest growing adventure ride items and hottest gift tickets around in the last 20 years. With more than 70 Michael Hutchinson Youth Jersey ,000 passengers flown in the UK alone every year.
Sir Richard Branson and his well publicized Atlantic and Pacific crossings and numerous round the world attempts. All kept hot air balloons in the public eye.
The successful round the world flight of Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard caught the imagination of millions.
Balloon operators in Africa have made magic carpet rides over the Serengeti and Maasi Mara ecosystem possible for many thousands of people.
Perhaps this is why the people of Britain voted hot air ballooning as the number 7 thing to do before you die! A poll that certainly caused an upward blip in the number of passengers flown in the UK.
Modern technology has also made taking a passenger ride in a hot air balloon much safer. Advanced burner designs, giving more powerful flames. Much better pilot lights that keep burning. Baskets especially designed for the carriage of passengers.
Above all modern fabrics that are not only stronger but more able to combat the effects of Ultra Violet Light and mould and mildew. Yes the balloons just like your tent if you get it wet Dustin Byfuglien Youth Jersey , rots.
At this point I should admit that I am a hot air balloon pilot.
Ballooning has been kind to me and taken me to all points of the globe.
I hope to be able to answer some queries and maybe allay some fears in this article. These are the questions I am asked all the time.
Do you have a pilots licence?
Yes balloon pilots have taken written exams just like their fixed wing friends but they have taken the flying test in a balloon instead. In some countries, notably the United Kingdom and Australia there are also fairly strict commercial pilot''s licences and annual flying tests to be undertaken. (You''ve guessed it I have UK and Australian licences) Coupled with this in most countries the balloon company will also have to have an Air Operators Certificate. This or its equivalent is issued by the local aviation authority. An inspector will have checked all the aircraft and pilot paperwork and made sure that the company employs safety systems.
Run a Google check on your particular country and if the person that you ring for a flight cannot assure you that all paperwork is in place don''t fly with them.
Better still ring the aviation authority ask for the person responsible for balloons because there will be one.
Ask them if they know of the person you are going to contact for a flight.
You would not believe the number of unlicenced operators there are out there. As a rule of thumb a pilot with 500 flying hours and 5 years of experience should know what he or she is doing.
How many people will be in the balloon?
These days it is unusual to have less than 4 people in a passenger ride balloon. Unless the client has paid a considerable sum of money it does just not make economic sense for the balloon operator.
Probably a good average would be eight passengers.
You will not all be in together. There would probably be five compartments. One in the middle for pilot and gas. Two either side each containing two passengers.
This means in the event of a fast landing you don''t all fall on top of each other.
Important to note here that there are no overhead lockers so try and keep luggage to a minimum. A stills and video camera is really all you need. Remember the heavier the basket the shorter time the fuel lasts.
Why so early or late??
Most balloon flights take place first thing in the morning Jacob Trouba Youth Jersey , at or just before sunrise.
This is for the important reason that the air is at its best behaved at that time of day.
It has had a chance to cool down over night and in simple terms get heavy or sticky. Trees, buildings Dmitry Kulikov Youth Jersey , stuff all help slow down the bottom sticky air and the wind drops.
Hot air balloons do not cope with high speed winds very well.
It''s all about the stopping.
At the end of a flight the pilot will pull a line and open a vent in the top of the balloon, this lets air out. But only as fast as it can go through that vent. If its windy the balloon itself or envelope as it should be more correctly called acts like a sail and drags the basket through whatever might be in the way. There are no brakes.
A drag landing is a good time to see why it''s a fine idea to make balloon baskets out of wicker. It flexes and gives; a stiffer material would bend or break. I can''t count the number of times I have been asked Patrik Laine Youth Jersey ,? but why is the basket still wicker?. If the passenger ends up having a drag landing they soon realise.
That sticky layer of air is known as the boundary layer, air moving above 2000? is what the pilot is told about by the weather office when he makes his weather check before you fly. This is known as the gradient wind. It will be faster.
They will also tell you the surface wind but the gradient is more accurate. Using the gradient forecast the pilot will have made mentally his best guess as to where you will end up from your take off site.
The pilot will probably release a small helium balloon before your flight and watch it intently. The harder and longer the pilot looks at the thing the trickier the flight will probably be for him or her! If he releases stacks of met balloons then there is a good chance you will be going home.
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16.04.2020 07:45
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