All about hot air ballooning
THE NOT-SO-FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BALLOONING
When is the best month to fly hot air balloons?
There is no hard and fast answer to this question. The quick answer is this oft-quoted: It depends! In many countries around the world, balloon flights happen every day when conditions are favorable to the sport. In Dubai where the temperature can shoot up to 35.5 degrees, they do it year-round and over their dessert sand dunes! In some African countries where the average temperature during summer is at 25 degrees, they do it for tourism purposes almost every day of the year.
Is it safe to fly a balloon during summer months when the temperature is very hot and humid?
Generally, ballooning is seldom done at extreme temperatures – too hot or too cold. The reason is that it takes more time and fuel to lift the balloon when the temperature is too high. Remember, balloon pilots need hot air to declare a lift off. The cooler it is outside the balloon, the lesser resources it takes for the balloon to fly. Conversely, the hotter it is outside the balloon, the more heat one needs to lift the balloon. So, all that a pilot needs to do is to pump more heat to make a lift off.
This is the reason why, in almost all countries around the world, balloon flights happen early in the morning (before sunrise) and late in the afternoon (at sunset) when weather conditions are most favorable – relatively cool temperature and light wind. This is the time when the wind is at its calmest. Here in the Philippines, we do fly them at 5:30 in the morning and then again, at 5:00 in the afternoon.
Between the months of February and April, the average daytime temperature difference or variance is only 2-3 degrees. It means that April is hotter only by a small margin. Pilots who have been invited to participate this year have been officially informed about the temperature here in April at 34 degrees on the average (as compared to February at 31 degrees). Nobody is complaining because ballooning is done early morning and late afternoon when temperature is generally more comfortable for the pilots.
What are the factors that make ballooning much safer to fly?
As in other aviation – related sports, you need light wind (low speed), good visibility, and no chance of rain or thunderstorm. As today’s weather conditions are generally unpredictable due to climate change, flying these huge animals is based on LUCK! One needs a good horoscope or tarot reader to be able to decide whether or not to fly a balloon. During commercial flights where tourists are prone to pay just to experience flying in one with the pilot, it takes much courage and guts to say NO to an intrepid passenger!
What are the factors that make ballooning dangerous to fly?
The following are the things that a balloon pilot should be aware of: high wind warnings, gusty or breezy wind, thunderstorms, lightning, chance of storm brewing and small craft warning, and of course, extreme temperatures. WIND IS MOST CRITICAL!
In the past, accidents do occur. These are mainly due to such incidents like human error, power line entanglement, fire, mechanical trouble, lightning, among others.
What triggers a balloon to lift off?
When the balloon is heated, it takes off coz hot air is lighter than air at ambient temperature. The more heat is pumped in, the higher and faster it goes upward.
Why do balloon pilots generally refuse to fly at mid-day?
The reason is because the heating effect of the sun on the ground produces warm air that spiral upward. At this point, it becomes more difficult for the pilot to control his flight maneuvers, and so, not much FUN! Upper winds are generally faster that the wind on the ground.
What if a balloon passenger needs to go to the bathroom?
Since balloon flights take about an hour or so, pre-flight planning is very important. Warning: there are no bathrooms aboard the balloon!
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