Hot air ballooning trips are some of the best adventures an individual can experience. Unfortunately, there are many people who are afraid to fly in a hot air balloon because they overestimate the risk factor. As someone with a great deal of experience flying in hot air balloons, allow me to offer the following information on the inner workings of hot air balloon flights. It is my hope that after reading it, the idea of flying in a hot air balloon won't seem as daunting.
Hot Air Ballooning Safety
The most commonly asked question in regards to hot air balloons involves how they are capable of flying. Fortunately, this question is easily answered. The flight of a hot air balloon revolves around the principle that heat rises. In preparation for take-off a nylon balloon is inflated by huge fans that blow cool air into the envelope. Once the pilot is ready to go he/she heats the air with propane tanks attached to the base of the balloon and off it rises. As long as the pilot continues to heat the air, the balloon will stay afloat. When he/she is ready to come down, the pilot gradually allows the air inside the balloon to cool.
If you are afraid to take a hot air balloon ride because you are scared of crashing, allow me to offer you a bit of advice based on personal experience: crashing isn't so bad. I have lived through several hot air balloon accidents, the most dangerous and recent of which involved a three hundred foot crash into an orange grove. Due to the fact that I was traveling with an experienced pilot who understood balloon/wind navigation, however, we walked away without scratches.
When planning a trip in a hot air balloon, the most important piece of advice I can offer is to use a reputable charter company. A good pilot can recognize a problem before it becomes a problem and steer his/her passengers to safety. Balloon navigation is a skill that can only be mastered through training and experience. As long as the pilot with whom you are traveling is a good one, even if something goes technically wrong you should be just fine.
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