10/10/2022
Here’s a story written by one of my passengers last week. Such a fun couple and a great flight. Sometimes I take it for granted that I get to fly a hot air balloon anytime I want. I get asked all the time if I get tired of it. Never tired of it but when you fly the same area over and over, you see the same houses, farms and cows sometimes it can feel like same old flight again. But then I remind myself that to my passengers this is their dream, hard earned money and a bucket list item.
It’s the moments when I have a neighborhood full of kids smilling, yelling, running up to the balloon just as I did when I was a kid. It’s the smiles on passengers faces or watching them point out every deer, cow, lake and balloon shadow during our flight. Then it’s stories like Cindy’s that really make me understand what I do is truly magical for some. It’s a long read but we’ll worth it. Take a few minutes and enjoy Cindy’s flight.
The Hotair Balloon dream come true.
I want to share my story on what it is like to ride in a hot air balloon. I wanted to share my experience and in hopes that as your reading you can feel my excitement.
October 1st 2022 it all began with time, it's time to wake up and await for the call to let us know if we are going to get to fly or not. For over 17 years I've waited for this day! For over 40 years I dreamed of the day that I would be in a hot air balloon, not just to be in it, but up in the sky.. And now, the time is here, my husband has worked so hard to make this fantasy of mine to be real. He and the pilot have stayed in close contact. It's now 445am and we received a text from the pilot, give him 30 more minutes for a update. 515am received a text from the pilot said come on and let's meet up.. 552am were in the truck and on our way. 610am we are in the balloon van. 3 gentlemen are with us. The pilot, Jason had a regular balloon and put a led light inside with helium, and let it go into the air. Why? Because, they were checking the wind direction. The wind is the major factor of this fantasy. Its now 628am and were actually riding in the van to the take off location. We are not positive yet if we will fly yet.. The not knowing is driving me crazy, my emotions are all over the place. We then signed our waiver. On Our ride to our destination, we learned more of a restaurant, which is owned by the pilot called the Dirty Dog. It was a great way to relax and get to know him and the crew.
It's now 7:00 am, we arrived at the take off location, the land is beautiful, the field was covered with a mystical blanket of cloudy fog, it felt as if the clouds were sitting here on the ground as if they decided the heavens were down here instead. So I walk on the grass, in amazement of its beauty along with The sun was rising and streaming through the trees.
Then as a group of guys unloaded the enormous hot air balloon basket from a trailer. Then came this huge tarp which was unrolled and spread out across the damp grass like a picnic blanket for a giant. Next was the "balloon" the envelope, It was like a magician’s trick as they kept unrolling and unrolling and more and more of the balloon was laid out. As the sun rose, the enormous balloon was inflated by a big fan, the sound of the roaring flame that helps keep the balloon inflated I also experienced seeing my husband have hands on experience via helping with the set up. This was definitely a dream come true.
As we are here at the field, awaiting to know if we get to take off or not, they crew is still setting up, and I am thinking to myself that it could not get any better, I look up and here comes another hot air balloon company their balloon is Remax. THey began to set their balloon up,, and when this happen I had a better feeling of knowing if they were setting up then it would be a yes to us.
Just a note to let you know that Being a spectator at an event, sitting on a blanket and waiting to hear if the flight is going to take off for a race is really exciting. And to be able to touch the balloon, get up close, watch it air up and light up and watch them take off is awesome. However, what you feel as you active participant is
Majestic and grand, hot air balloons take to the sky with a mystique that is both soothing and exciting. I will describe the sensation of hot air balloon rides like being weightless. The balloon floats as if by magic and drifts under the influence of the wind, making it a unique experience, like a cloud in a paper bag.
Hot air balloon rides are an adventure. From the beautiful views to the adrenaline rush of being up in the air to the unique experience of being floated into the heavens by a brightly colored balloon, it's hard not to see the appeal in the remarkable world of hot air balloon rides.
The initial feeling is very surreal. I felt like I was in some kind of a dream, and I was pleasantly surprised with how gentle the floating sensation of being in the balloon is. When I first got into the basket, which is typically made of wicker, it appear or felt flimsy. Don't worry-- once you're in the air, it will feel more stable. I also noticed that you can't quite hear the wind from inside the basket, either. To put it simple, it does not matter how nervous you are, you will feel a serene sense of peace while up in the air. Hot air balloon rides are designed to be gentle. AND you must know just because the wind is gentle on the ground, does not mean the Upper winds are. They play a huge factor In your flight. They can change direction in a blink of an eye, it plays a factor on where you even land. No matter how great your pilot is, the upper winds will be the true factor and the boss. And remember there is not a steering wheel, a break, a gas pedal much less windshield Wipers (smile) you are allowing your life to swept across the sky with nothing but faith and wind. It is something that is so unreal, so breathtaking, so speechless.
I do not know how my husband stays so calm at this time, because I feel like I am gonna burst out crying and hyperventilate.
The adrenaline is something that is out of this world. Remember how you felt at your wedding, your first child, your first grandkids? Add that all up and then add more.
Now.. the news is here… TIME to fly!! Pilot says let's do it..
Wait I said.. wait.. you mean we are really going up? He smiles and says yes. The pilot climbed in the basket and we climbed in one by one enthusiastically. The 2 crew men kept a hold of the balloon until it was time for take off.. My heart was beating so fast, my palms were sweaty and my knees were shaking. I had to remind myself that I must breathe. I looked at my husband and cried out, "we're doing it, we are going up up up" THE smile of joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction that my husband had on his face was priceless, he was so proud..
I am now inside this wicker basket, it seemed so small and flimsy.. My husband had a smile like I never seen before, its so beautiful and he is so relaxed and happy.
A few puffs of flame from the gas burner, and off we go into the beautiful sunrise. A fortuitous shift in the winds, we turn an invisible corner and we’re there. The fields of crops, ponds, looms majestically before us: The fog on the ground made it appear to be magic. We are Surrounded by wisps of translucent white clouds that float passively on the breeze, it sits there brooding as if in a state of deep meditation. The sounds of dogs barking, the view of the houses, landscaping, ponds, farmland and cars on the interstate all looked so much smaller than what they are.
Each and every ride is different,” the pilot told us. “You don’t have much control over the balloon other than going up and down so you really have to let the winds take you. You don’t know where you’re going to land and can’t control the direction you go in.” We rose up so gently that if I’d closed my eyes I wouldn’t have known we were moving. It was so steady and the basket felt so secure and firm. There wasn’t a wobble or even a tremor or a belly flip, it was just perfectly still. I hear my husband and pilot talking, however I'm lost in my own world. The beauty of it all. When flying in an airplane your surrounded by windows and you don't get the just of The amazing way the lord has made our universe, with a hot air balloon, your not only see everything from a different view, you hear things, you feel the wind in your face, there are no windows you are up there in the sky with a magical feeling. You almost feel untouchable. You actually feel as if you're flying on your own. Not a care in the world, not a worry.
I look off to the side and I see the remax balloon landing in a brush pile, it scared me a little however Jason let us know they are fine no worries.
We attempted to land several times, however we couldn't do as Jason wanted. Finally after 5 attempts it started to happen and As we approached our landing, I looked down and I could see children and adults coming out of their houses. They are looking up with amazement, waving and yelling hello to us. And I notice some have their phones or cameras.. One lady yells, Are yall ok, do you need help? A young boys yells "OH My Goodness".
Our landing was almost as smooth as the take off. We were told to prepare ourselves for a bumpy landing and adopted a secure position in the basket. I gripped firmly to the ropes at my waist and bend my knees to take the harsh impact I was expecting. But it was nothing more than a little jolt before the basket was securely planted in the middle of a neighborhood on a street. Yes, that shocked us we were to land in a field, however Mother nature had other plans for us. And the chasers came out of nowhere, ran up to us and grabbed us so that we would not take off again or skid down the street.
The envelope deflated like a sad sail collapsing in the breeze. My husband and I watched the envelope deflate and protected it from hitting the mailboxes. I sacrificed my body so to speak in order for the envelope not to get hurt, I allowed it to come over the top of me as it continued to deflate, I heard the pilot yell, great job Cindy, I'm coming to get you hang tight. I never once thought of me, just the envelope. Once we have it protected then they put a metal hoop around the balloon and flatten it up, my husband wrapped the straps around it every 5 ft as I handed him the straps. Then both my husband and I helped to roll it back up. Once that was done we then all helped put the envelope in this big canvas bag and the guys put it into the van, next the burners, and the beautiful wicker basket was last to be put on the van. We all smiled and thanked one another. We laughed, and got into the van for our ride back to our truck.
To me, not only did I get my dream come true, I spent it with the man I love more than life and he and I have met a new lifetime friend.
