Lehigh Valley Hot Air

Arrival

When you arrive at your launch site, the pilot and crew will greet you and your fellow passengers. If the balloon is not yet ready to fly, you will be able to watch (or even help) the flight preparations.

The basket is removed from the trailer and the burner assembled on top of it. The burner is checked to make sure that it is working properly, then the end of the folded balloon envelope is attached to the basket and the rest laid on the ground.

After the balloon has been inflated and is standing upright, you are ready to step inside the basket for takeoff. When you are in the basket, the pilot will give you safety and security instructions if these have not already been given.

The pilot will fire the burners up and the balloon slowly lifts into the air.

The direction of the flight is dependent on which way the wind is blowing. The pilot can influence the flight by moving up or down, but unlike other aircraft, he cannot steer the balloon.

Many first-time flyers are impressed by how quiet a balloon is. If your only experience of flying is a noisy commercial jet, by contrast, a hot air balloon ride is serene and peaceful.

Even people who are normally afraid of heights do not tend to feel stress during hot air balloon rides. Flying in a hot air balloon is both relaxing and exciting at the same time. If you have a camera or phone with you, you can take some bird’s eye pictures of the ground below, and some of your fellow passengers and crew smiling.

The chase vehicle tracks the balloon flight from the ground. As the flight nears the end, the pilot will look for a suitable landing site. A few minutes before the descent, the pilot will issue landing instructions. The pilot vent the balloon which will cause the balloon to gently lose height,  eventually the basket will touch the ground and halt. Everyone remains in the basket for a few minutes until the balloon cools down.