The first time I helped crew for a hot air balloon I knew that my life would never be the same. I was introduced to a new world. A world where people are always looking out for one another, a world where people enjoy the beauty that life has to offer.
Hot air balloons are often a forgotten way of transportation. While you aren't able to buy a ticket and take a hot air balloon across the county, or even across the state, you are able to book a flight in an area near you and see the world from a different point of view. Being up in a hot air balloon is how I imagine floating. You are moving at a relaxing pace, watching the world below you.
Pilots often spend their summers going from one festival to another, each festival drawing in a crowd excited to see the balloons fill the sky. The balloons are only able to fly early morning or early evening, but it's worth the view. Nothing is quite like seeing 15+ balloons in the sky as the sun is rising.
(hot air balloon still in it's bag, left. hot air balloon being blown up by the fan, right).
(standing up and being held down, left. off it goes, right)
The time before take off can be a little hectic. Here's how it works at the Hot Air Balloon Fest in Findlay. All the pilots will get up early for their meeting, normally around 6:30 am. I've never been to one of these meetings but from what I've learned at the meetings the pilots will get the coordination's of about 3 targets on the ground they want to hit and wind speeds and different levels and all the information they need for a successful, safe flight. From there, pilots have to use their own equipment and knowledge to go out in the town to figure out where the best launch spot it. This is often the longest part of the process. They look at several different locations, putting up P I Balls and watching how fast they move and what direction they move at different levels of the atmosphere. They also have to take into account what is around them, to make sure they do not run into any trees or power lines when they are taking off. Once the launch site is located, there is organized chaos. The balloon is taken out of its bag and laid out on the ground and the basket is placed at the bases of the balloon. Next, there is a big fan that is taken out to blow air into the balloon to help it inflate. Once the balloon inflates to a certain amount, the pilot will start using the flame to put hot air into it. Not too long after this, the balloon starts to stand up, and it's all hands on deck to hold the basket down (it's also clipped to the back of the truck so it can't go too far too fast). Within a couple of minutes of the balloon being up, the pilot gives the go ahead and undoes the carabiner holding the balloon to the truck and the crown line is brought in. Once the basket takes off, we all step back for a minute a take a deep breath. The rush is over, and the chase begins.
Each balloon has it's own unique design, name and story behind it. Tumbleweed, pictured above (the largest balloon in the picture, near the top left corner) was hand made by it's owner. Each piece of fabric carefully cut and sown together in a garage.
The pilots meet as strangers but quickly become family, sharing the same love for flying.
If you're ever given the opportunity to volunteer at a local hot air balloon festival, or even take a flight, do it. It's a decision that I didn't regret and you won't either.
