A Lot of Hot Air

It is early in the morning. Very early. In fact it is still dark (and cold) as we headed northwest of Johannesburg to Skeerpoort in the Magaliesberg for a sunrise appointment with a hot air balloon pilot who was taking us on a flight.  Arriving at the launch site, we were greeted by a choice of fruit juice, coffee or tea to accompany a rusk or other such snack.

After a briefing about the flight and what to expect, we signed our lives away and then proceeded to the field where the colorful "envelope" was laid out attached to a large wicker basket resembling a large picnic basket.  A gas flame was being used to heat the air inside the envelope which gradually filled out until it lifted vertically above the gondola into which the passengers and pilot clambered.  The rope anchor tethers were cast off and slowly, silently the balloon lifted up into the still morning air.

Steering a hot air balloon is tricky and comes with experience.  Essentially, wind or breezes blow in different directions at different altitudes and the experienced pilot uses the gas flame to heat the air to ascend and taps off to descend! Sounds simple?  Huh.  Drifting silently over the Magaliesberg and Skeerpoort mountain ranges is indescribably peaceful and beautiful.

In what seemed to be no time at all, our pilot brought the balloon gently back to earth in a field where transport was waiting to convey us back to the club house where a sumptuous breakfast including champagne awaited the hungry passengers.  Groups of between 2 and 18 passengers can be accommodated and special events such as game viewing or team building can be arranged.  A young friend even arranged a "proposal of marriage" flight (she accepted!). Flights also take place over the Waterberg and Pilanesberg.

The first manned flight took place in France towards the end of the 18th century. New records have continued to be set in recent times with Richard Branson co-piloting a trans-Pacific high altitude balloon in 1991 but the longest duration and distance record was set in 1999 by Bernard Piccard when he circumnavigated the world.       



http://www.balloon.co.za/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_air_balloon
http://www.hotairballooningsa.co.za/
http://www.air-ventures.co.za/