Hot Air Ballooning
Yet another blip to ward off yet another pedestrian week.... I always say keep the blips coming.
Yet again my network engineer and I were invited to go go flying, this time it was hot air ballooning, while it was a very exciting prospect mainly due to the fact that I absolutely love flying, I don't do the actual flying myself, I get flown, small planes, vintage planes, big planes, helicopters and now a hot air balloon....
So as I was saying the prospect was extremely exciting but I suppose also with a small amount of trepidation, I mean lets face it, going up in the sky in a wicker basket with a big bag of hot air above our heads and fire.... yes...... that's safe.
And so it was we gathered at the launch site at Heia Safari Ranch at 4:30 in the morning - the reason for early, the outside air has to be cool so that the hot air balloon can fly stable.
Now I don't quite know what I expected , I've seen plenty of hot air balloons in flight, when I was a kid (many many years ago) I went to an international balloon competition, but still I didn't know what to expect.
I had the impression they would fill the balloon, we would all climb in the basket, yes a wickerwork basket made of woven wicker or rattan with a big ripstop nylon bag above you a good couple of kilograms of liquid propane gas - add fire - lots of fire .... who on earth climbs into a flammable object with fire, lots of fire ........ but I digress;
We climb into the basket, lots of ground staff hanging onto the sides to keep the balloon on the ground, get settled and the pilot gives the command to release ...... and.......
Well.........we just sat there all looking at each other .....
Reeeaaalllllyyyyy??
No spirited leap into the blue yonder, roaring off across the trees....
No we just sat there the only thing roaring was the burners above our heads; I mentioned lots of fire didn't I?
Aaaaaannnnnd ever so slowly and gracefully the balloon slid gently away from the ground gathering height, and we are up above the tree's
Then the incredible happened; the pilot turned off the burners and instantly you are enveloped in silence, you can hear birds and animals below, but by and large it is exquisitely quite, and we are gaining height into the sun rise.... INCREDIBLE!!
The flight lasted nearly an hour passing over roads and farms, the pilot taking the balloon down low and then high up in the sky, it is alternately hot and very noisy when the burners run and crisp, cold and quiet when they stop.
Then onto landing and champagne to finish, before heading back to Heia Safari lodge, breakfast and the ubiquitous technology presentation.
Yet another blip to ward off yet another pedestrian week.... I always say keep the blips coming.
Yet again my network engineer and I were invited to go go flying, this time it was hot air ballooning, while it was a very exciting prospect mainly due to the fact that I absolutely love flying, I don't do the actual flying myself, I get flown, small planes, vintage planes, big planes, helicopters and now a hot air balloon....
So as I was saying the prospect was extremely exciting but I suppose also with a small amount of trepidation, I mean lets face it, going up in the sky in a wicker basket with a big bag of hot air above our heads and fire.... yes...... that's safe.
And so it was we gathered at the launch site at Heia Safari Ranch at 4:30 in the morning - the reason for early, the outside air has to be cool so that the hot air balloon can fly stable.
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| Sunrise |
Now I don't quite know what I expected , I've seen plenty of hot air balloons in flight, when I was a kid (many many years ago) I went to an international balloon competition, but still I didn't know what to expect.
I had the impression they would fill the balloon, we would all climb in the basket, yes a wickerwork basket made of woven wicker or rattan with a big ripstop nylon bag above you a good couple of kilograms of liquid propane gas - add fire - lots of fire .... who on earth climbs into a flammable object with fire, lots of fire ........ but I digress;
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 |
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| Second Balloon ready to go |
We climb into the basket, lots of ground staff hanging onto the sides to keep the balloon on the ground, get settled and the pilot gives the command to release ...... and.......
Well.........we just sat there all looking at each other .....
Reeeaaalllllyyyyy??
 |
| Slowly easing away from ground crew |
No we just sat there the only thing roaring was the burners above our heads; I mentioned lots of fire didn't I?
Aaaaaannnnnd ever so slowly and gracefully the balloon slid gently away from the ground gathering height, and we are up above the tree's
Then the incredible happened; the pilot turned off the burners and instantly you are enveloped in silence, you can hear birds and animals below, but by and large it is exquisitely quite, and we are gaining height into the sun rise.... INCREDIBLE!!
The flight lasted nearly an hour passing over roads and farms, the pilot taking the balloon down low and then high up in the sky, it is alternately hot and very noisy when the burners run and crisp, cold and quiet when they stop.
Then onto landing and champagne to finish, before heading back to Heia Safari lodge, breakfast and the ubiquitous technology presentation.
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| Sunrise over Heia Safari Ranch |
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| Dam near take off point |
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| Wildebeest below |
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| Fire and nylon |
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| Wicker basket |
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| Mist in the trees |
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| Balloon with Sunrise |
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| Sister balloon - Red Monster |
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| Balloon passing below us |
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| A tad high |
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| Lots of fire |
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| Our Shadow |
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| Support vehicles waiting for us |
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| All over |
