Balloon flight

Let's take off!

This year for my birthday, I'll get to cloud nine. It's the gift that my friends offered me: an hot air balloon flight. After having photographied them so much I'll finally know what it's like to leave the ground.

Appointment is made for Sunday, October 16 with Les Montgolfières de l'Ouest Lyonnais. Of course, my birthday is in July but this year Summer was particularly uncertain. So, ok for 8:30 at the Brindas airfield, it takes a good half an hour to get there. I have the feeling that extracting myself out of bed so early on a Sunday will be a little difficult but I know that the experience and the show will be unforgettable.

Air balloon (basket and envelope) out of the hangar and still in the trailer

View of Brindas airfield

The balloon that will carry me into the air, and two other passengers as well as the pilot is an Ultramagic S-105, registered F-GSYK. It can carry up to 5 people, the height and circumference of the balloon is 19m, which is a little bit higher than a 5-storey building!

Unfolding and installing the balloon to the ground

Ultramagic S-105 air balloon

Courses of action

Inflation: The basket is lain on the ground and the balloon is unfolded lengthways. The first step, the cold inflation, is performed with a powerful gasoline fan placed in front of the balloon mouth. For this purpose, three people are needed: two to hold the envelope open and a third at the other end to stretch and keep it on the ground by means of a rope. The second step is to activate the burners to straighten the balloon and slowly reach a vertical position. The basket is lying down on the ground to allow to activate the burners during the inflation phaseFinishing the balloon inflation using the burnersThe air ballon envelope is held on the ground by the crew
Take-off: It's time to take place in the basket by climbing it through two small openings in the wicker basket. Once everyone's installed, the balloon is again heated to reach the balance point when the balloon is still retained down but ready to escape Earth's gravity. The crew remained on the ground let go the rope, a shot of a burner... and it's off! Those who remained on the ground shrink rapidly, the landscape becomes more dominant. The journey begins... The morning sun casts the shadow of our air balloonThe air balloon next to us has already take-off
Flight: The balloon takes us where the wind goes. Direction changes are done by changing altitude to find other more favorable winds, but it's difficult to know before hand where they will take us. Some instruments are there to assist navigation and flight safety: radio, GPS, altimeter, vertical speed, pyrometer, ... And for a two-hour flight it's no less than four propane cylinders under pressure that will be used. To get an idea of the generated heat, you must imagine 800 BBQs burning :) View over the city from the air balloon (the red stroke is a part of the basket frame)Activating the burners to maintain altitude
Landing: To land off the balloon, it is necessary to look for an open area that is also accessible by car. We will have to bring it back to the hangar! There, a further difficulty is added to the landing: anticipating the movement due to inertia. The ground is getting closer... slight bending of the knees to absorb the possible shock when touching the ground. That's it, back on solid ground! The first person to get down has to be careful because once his or her weight is carried again by the ground, the balloon becomes lighter and thus will slightly rise again. Air balloon in the landing phaseThe envelope of the air balloon is being emptied of some of its air
Folding: The balloon is lowered to the ground by a rope and emptied of its air. Two persons on each side are going along towards the top of the balloon to tighten the envelope. Once at the top, we go back to the basket by rolling the envelope. The whole ends up placed in a large bag. The envelope is placed on the ground ready to be foldedJeep is coming to carry up the basket and the envelope
Return: As we do not know the landing site before hand, the coordinates are transmitted to a vehicle, usually a Jeep, which allows easier access to the various sites encountered (mainly fields). The basket and the balloon are placed in the trailer. And now going back to the airfield for a coffee and some croissants. Bakset and balloon folded into a ball and placed in a bag

Journey

Leaving the Brindas aerodrome, we were carried by the winds to the Aiguillons, 2.5 km away as the crow flies, and we have traveled a total distance of 4km including the various detours where the winds led us. About ten minutes after the take-off, we reached an altitude of 1200m above sea level, the climax of our flight, which is also about 900m above ground.

Position

Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:

Distance

Traveled:
Beeline:

Time

Wallclock:
Stopwatch:

Feelings

First, and this is pretty reassuring, you don't have vertigo, which will allow you to fully enjoy the scenery. Well, after doing some searches, it seems that one can not have vertigo when in contact with a floor. There is no shaking and the flight happens smoothly which will almost make forget the hundreds of meters which separate us from the ground, except for the beautiful view that's up there...

That day we had a pleasant surprise. Another balloon was following us, allowing us to have a reference point in the sky and a touch of color as well. In addition to a blue and sunny sky, the Eastern lands were misty adding mystery to the landscape.

Morning and misty view on and around Brindas

Eclipse of Sun caused by the air balloon near us

Even if the burners are facing up, you feel especially on the head the heat generated.

Burners and view from the balloon inside

The two burners used to maintain the air balloon up in the air

Burners in action

In the middle of the sky, in a quiet surrounding, with the landscape as far as the eye can see on a 360° view, one is completely relaxed and can enjoy this magical moment. I have only one regret: time flies way too fast!