Before we left on our vacation to Scottsdale, Arizona,
I was very excited to book a hot air balloon flight.
Upon landing in Phoenix, I turned my phone on and
read an email notification that our balloon flight had been cancelled.
Why?
Because Trump was coming in for a rally and the airspace
had to be closed for his arrival and departure!
I was not a happy camper!
Nevertheless, I persisted.
I called the company immediately and booked it for another day.
We met at a small airport outside of Phoenix at 6 AM.
There were more than 70 people flying that morning
In 6 balloons. We were divided up and taken in vans
to the launch site about 1/2 hour away. The balloons
take off from different places each day, depending on
wind direction and speed.
When we arrived at the launch site, our balloon was mostly inflated
but still lying on the ground. Multiple powerful fans were used to
inflate it initially. They allowed us to look inside and it was spectacular!
There were 12 people in our group and we were divided up and assigned
to one of 4 compartments in the basket. At this point, the propane was
used and the balloon began to slowly lift upright, pulling the basket upright with it.
There was a short period of time when we had to climb into the basket.
The flight crew on the ground took pictures with our cameras,
we were given instructions, and then the pilot added a lot of flame
and we began to float gracefully up into the blue sky!
We were told beforehand that people rarely experience a fear of height
while in a hot air balloon, and from someone whose legs get all shakey
while climbing to the top of a ladder, I can attest that this is true.
It just felt like we were floating.
The pilot initially brought us up high, then lowered
the balloon to skim over the desert, sometimes
even brushing the tops of trees.
What I never understood is that the flame is not “on”
for most of the flight. The pilot uses it sporadically
to give lift to the balloon. When it was turned on, the top
of my head got very hot. Hats were offered if it bothered anyone.
As we floated across the desert, the flight crew on the ground
was following us off-road in the vans.
After about 45 minutes, the pilot announced that we were
about to begin our landing. There were handles in the basket
that we had to hold on each side of us and bend our knees
slightly before landing.
The process of landing took about 15 minutes
as the pilot searched for a clear area. When we finally
touched down, it was with a pretty gentle thud.
The time AFTER landing was the scariest for me.
The balloon was swaying back and forth and the basket
kept tipping. Then, the basket was hooked up to a truck
we were towed by the truck, hovering inches above the
ground, to an area where the balloon could be deflated
without injuring it on cacti or trees. It was a rough ride!
I was glad to finally get out of the basket.
After taking care of the balloon, the flight crew
laid out a nice breakfast for us to enjoy.
There was a “first flight ceremony” ending with a champagne toast.
This toast is reputed to have started with the first balloonist in France.
Early balloons would land on farmer’s fields and the farmers were
offered champagne to make amends for their inconvenience.
Breakfast consisted of quiche, cheese, apples, and a croissant.
After conquering our first flight, I wouldn’t mind experiencing
another flight in an area with more to see (the desert doesn’t have
much variety to look at!).
If you ever get the chance, go for it!
You’ll be happy you did!
