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HOT AIR BALLOONING Gone with the wind

Written by travelovacations.com    Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Ballooning is surely one of the most elegant modes of travelling ever invented, and certainly worth trying at least once. Being suspended in a basket, hundreds of metres up in the sky at dawn, with the world spread out below like an open map, is a unique experience. Hot-air ballooning operations are springing up around Asia. There is now a range of commercial operators, events and competitions in the region. The advantage of ballooning over other aerial sports is that just about anyone of any age can enjoy it. It is not as hardcore as hang-gliding, skydiving or paragliding but it still offers the thrill of open-air flying and excellent bird-eye views in a tranquil environment. There is no need for fitness, courage or skill to do it. It is "soft adventure". Ballooning today is not very different from what it was in 1783 when Frenchmen Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d'Arlandes first took to the skies in linen balloons. Even the quixotic, slightly eccentric aura still surrounds the sport and is nurtured by commercial ballooning operators who often end their flights as the Frenchmen did - with champagne. The only drawback to this otherwise charming activity is getting up before dawn. Balloon flights almost always take place at sunrise when the air is cool and calm. Provided winds are not strong, balloons are easy to control. A balloon can be made to ascend or descend rapidly by altering the temperature of the hot air. And there are never wrong turns to worry about. Balloons proceed downwind at the exact speed and direction of the wind at that altitude. Most balloon flights last between one and two hours and maintain a height of about 500m off the ground.

Last Updated ( Monday, 25 February 2008 )