Rules of crewing:

• Lift with your knees and not your back

• Never wrap a rope around your hand

• Be very careful around the inflater fan

• When the balloon is inflated, always stay upwind of it to keep it off of your toes

• DO NOT let the balloon lift you off the ground at any time—turn loose

• If you have a question, ALWAYS ask

• Wear provided gloves

  Flyers:

• Do not pull on any ropes in the basket

• Enter and exit the balloon from the upwind side

• Do not enter or exit until the pilot instructs you to do so

• Keep your hands down inside the basket

• Be polite to spectators on the ground

• Be polite and respectful of landowners where we land

• Face forward in front of the pilot and bend your knees when we land

• Tell everyone you know how much fun you had!

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  BALLOON FLIGHT SUMMARY

  Hot Air Balloon rides are one of life’s most exciting experiences! The ride itself is only part of the overall event. The launch and retrieval of a balloon involves three phases:

   

  Launch

  First, the pilot and crew decide on a suitable launch site based on winds and other factors. The team then arrives at the designated time at the launch site. Everyone brings gloves and wears suitable clothing. The balloon is unloaded and the pilot begins assembly of the system. The crew unpacks and lays out the envelope taking care to not damage any balloon fabric.

  Once the system is hooked up and all systems are tested the cold air inflation begins. During this step a large inflater fan blows air into the balloon to pack it while lying on the ground. The pilot double checks all cables and connections and seals the top of the balloon. When everything is all set and the balloon is completely packed while on the ground, we are ready to hot air inflate.

  During hot air inflation the pilot lights the burner pilot lights, then ignites one of the huge 18million BTU/HR burners. The balloon immediately lifts up and begins to stand up right. One of the crew on the crown line lets the balloon raise slowly and stops it once it reaches a vertical position. The pilot checks all components, seals the top and turns the instruments on.

  Once the passengers are loaded and a final check is done we are ready to launch the balloon!

   

  Flight

  After the balloon lifts off, the pilot controls the ascent and descent by making varying lengths of burns, which shoot large amounts of heat into the balloon. The wind takes the balloon in the direction of travel and every flight is different. The pilot will study the wind currents and the crew chief will drive us all to where we need to launch from to provide the most scenic flight possible for that days weather conditions.

  The pilot must abide by FAA rules and stay certain heights above congested areas. They also cannot take off and land at airports or fly in controlled airspace. But other than those rules a hot air balloon can go anywhere.

  A typical flight lasts approximately one hour. On a typical 80-degree day the temperature at the top of the balloon might reach as high as 245 degrees! You could boil water up there. It takes that much heat to lift the weight of the envelope, basket, propane and passengers. On cooler winter days the balloon might only reach 205 degrees with the exact same load.

  After flying over the countryside at various altitudes the pilot decides where to land. A suitable field is picked which contains no crops, livestock or other obstacles. The crew will get permission from the landowner to make sure we can land the balloon there. The pilot gently brings the balloon closer to the surface and at just the right time uses a vent line to release large amounts of hot air allowing the balloon to descend and land. Once settled back on earth the crew gathers around, the pilot grabs the ‘red line’ and pulls out the top of the balloon. This lets all the hot air out and as a crew member pulls on the crown line the balloon is gently put back to the ground.

   

  Retrieval

  After the balloon lands the pack up process begins. Once again help from 2-3 people is required as the balloon gets unassembled, packed up and stowed back in the trailer or pickup. The envelope itself weighs about 305 lbs and the basket with propane loaded weighs about 450 lbs. So it’s a full time job lifting and carrying the equipment. The crew is instructed how to handle everything and in just 20-30 minutes things are packed away and the post flight traditional celebration begins.

   

  Call to book your Special Day today!

  Always book in advance for a good experience

  Call Pilot or Captain direct @ (251) 970-3598