O.T. Balloons

Thirty years ago I lived near a launching point for hot air balloons. I saw hundreds drift over my house, and sometimes balloons would come down in the field across the road. The balloons looked peaceful and calm and quiet. I would have loved to take a ride, but I have a fear of heights that would have spoiled the experience.

My dentist has a side business offering ballooon rides in the evening during the summer. After spending a small fortune on some dental work he offered me a free ride. As much as I would have loved the scenery, I too could not conquer my fear of heights and turned town his offer.

Congrats, farmerart. How long were you up. (talking baloon ride, not boner.) Jacks fear of heights isn't totally unjustified. Myself being a tall guy, I made sure that I had my hands on either the side of the basket, or an overhead assemblage at all times. If you go on a hot summer day, you'll be sweating bullets, because there's ZERO breeze (unless baloon is descending, then you might catch a slight whiff over the front edge of the basket.

As where the baloon goes is entirely dependent on the winds aloft, one must be aware of what is going on around them, and climb or descend to get to where you want to go. I noticed baloon pilot carrying some cans of shaving cream. Wind shifts with altitude, so baloon pilot would squirt some shaving cream downward periodically to observe its drift. If stream drifted to the right, he'd know to descend if he wanted to alter couse to the right, climb if he wanted to alter course to the left. One could also observe which way the baloons above you or below you were going. Art, you should take a ride in an open cockpit biplane next.

It's certainly quite an experience farmerart. I did my one and only flight a few years back over the Cotswolds, it was remarkable.

@minnow,

I was up in the air for about 15-20 min; balloon was tethered for about half the time so my 'free flowing' ride was barely 10 min. And, I have been in an open cockpit biplane before. Balloon ride was much more fun.

@jackslash & motorhead,

Fear of heights? A few days working on the monkey board would cure you of that.

A couple decades ago, I rode in a glider (soaring), went skydiving, and took a balloon ride all within the space of a few months. Soaring made me throw up (right after we landed), and skydiving nearly made me pee my pants. The balloon ride I'd like to do again some day. As I recall, we were up for about an hour.

My first balloon ride was with a friend's wife. They both had recently gotten their FAA licenses and purchased 2 balloons my wife, two kids, the pilot, and I took off at dawn on a February morning with the temperature below zero (F). We climbed rapidly to about 4,000 feet and it was so clear with the rising sun and the coastline and Cape Cod in the distance. She took us up to 5300 feet and there was no air moving. We were totally becalmed. She then began our descent and it was almost completely straight down. Nothing moving at any elevation. We got down to about 100 feet and I overheard her on the radio to her husband in the chase car. We were low on fuel and hanging over a heavily wooded area and no air moving. There also was about a foot of snow on the ground and the nearest open area about a quarter mile away. My friend walked into the woods , grabbed a line which the pilot dropped and he walked us out of the woods. We came to a double lane road and she slowly lowered us to the ground just as the fuel ran out. A true adventure - but nowhere near as much fun as climbing between a strippers spread legs.

"but nowhere near as much fun as climbing between a strippers spread legs."

If she drops a line, do NOT grab it.

Art, are you member of the 'mile high club' now?

If you ever get the chance, go to Albuquerque for their balloon festival. Literally hundreds of hot air balloons fill the sky.