Hot Air Balloons
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
I cannot believe something so dear to my heart hasn't already got a Guide entry.
I first got into ballooning about four years ago when some friends were visiting a balloon fiesta at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire on a photography shoot. They had been ballooning already and said it was thrilling. I packed the family into the car on a Friday evening, hitched up the caravan and set off.
The event had started when we arrived just after tea and about a dozen balloons had taken to the sky. Quite a colourful sight I can tell you. We got set up and sat around imbibing liquid relaxant and watching what I later learned to call the balloon retrieve teams return at spread out intervals.
"How do I get involved?" was the burning question. The answer was "get up at 6am!!" The down side to this pastime is the strange hours. All to do with thermals and heavy/light air at certain times of the day.
So up early and a cup of caffeine to kick start the weary body. I was volunteered to crew with a small balloon owned collectively by some friends and within an hour I was above the Castle Howard estate on my first flight accompanied by about 30 balloons. I was hooked.
Since then I have travelled from home in West Yorkshire to Cornwall, Austria and to just about every town and village in South and North Yorkshire. I have crewed on special shaped balloons, my favourite being the huge Bertie Bassett.
I am currently a volunteer crew on Kit Kat, a large, red passenger carrying balloon based around York and flying from York racecourse, Doncaster, Beverley and Conisborough.
Why do I do it? Well it is exhilarting, sometimes frightening, but always different and seeing this beatiful country from 2000 feet at 7am on a Summer's day. Words don't do it justice.
Ambitions? To own and pilot my own balloon.
I would welcome requests for information on how to get into ballooning. My next outing is to the big fiesta being held in Bristol this weekend from 9th to 12th. Check out their official website by searching for Bristol balloons.
Hope you have found this article interesting.
