Fly High In The Autumn Sky
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get a birds-eye view of autumn’s fabulous colours? Well that’s exactly what you get when you take a hot air balloon fl ight. Here’s Susan Brookes’ description of her recent trip:
I joined a group of excited passengers at the launch point and listened to the pilot’s safety briefi ng. Behind him, the balloon’s envelope was being fi lled with air using an enormous fan. The pilot judged our weights and sizes and told us all where to stand ready for boarding. Once in position, we watched with awe as the material became more and more infl ated. Men rushed about manoeuvring the 100ft long nylon material to hasten fi lling. When the shout to board came, we moved rapidly to clamber into the then vertical basket. The balloon was unsecured and we began to lift off . Rising high into the sky, we waved to the gathered well wishers who quickly became just dots in the distance. As we headed to heights of up to 3000 feet, we were treated to a bird’s eye view of the countryside below. The whole landscape stretched before us: fi elds, trees, livestock in the fi elds, streams and lakes. It was a beautiful sight.
The huge balloon moved silently across the sky. The calm only interrupted by the passengers’ conversation and the periodic blast of the burners injecting the spell- binding fi re into the belly of the balloon. The temperature was surprisingly similar to that at ground level, but with the added bonus of the glow from the fl ame.
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Our lovely pilot cheerfully answered all our questions, pointed out landmarks, and told us about the skill of ballooning. Satellite navigation systems are installed in the balloons, but pilots also take maps in case equipment fails. Travel is so gentle because the balloon is moving at the same speed as the wind, and even the most apprehensive passenger soon relaxed and admired the views.
When it was time for our fl ight to end, the pilot descended slowly. I had expected a jerky landing, but the contact of the basket with the ground slowed the progress of the balloon and brought it to a halt quite gently, within a couple of bounces. The basket slowly tilted on its side as it came to rest in a fi eld and the balloon began to defl ate in the breeze. We found ourselves lying on our backs, rather like wine bottles in a rack, laughing at the fun of it all.
For safety reasons, hot air ballooning can only take place when there are suitable weather conditions. Most in our group had waited a while before we fi nally got the opportunity to take to the skies, but we all agreed the wait for such a thrilling experience had been worthwhile and we’d love to do it again.
If you would like to book a balloon fl ight make sure you use an accredited member of the British Association of Balloon Operators (BABO)
www.babo.org.uk
To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e.
the.wire@btinternet.com
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