One little ride that I have always wanted to go on and hope to at some point in the very near future is on a hot air balloon. I know we’ve all wondered what that ride would be like, sitting in a basket moving with the wind, while a balloon whisks us into the open sky.

 

Some of you have probably experienced this little adventure, and for those who are afraid of heights, I hear hot air balloons are quite safe and on of the oldest successful human-carrying flight technologies out there.

 The first successful manned hot air balloon flight performed on November 21, 1783 (my birthday, not the 1783 part of course haha) in Annonay, France by Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rosier and Francois Laurent d’Arlandes.

 

So as we now know, hot air balloon flights have been around for centuries. Now as with all adventures there is always a risk so for those interested in hot air balloon flights including myself we should take some initiative of research to minimize the most risk.

 The pilot steering the balloon is crucial in this aspect. Statistics have shown that pilots with 600-800 hours of flight experience and more are more likely to be involved in an accident as opposed to an incident that could have been avoided with the necessary experience.

 

So let’s try to search for a pilot with more experience on hand preferably, 1,000 plus hours to be safe. Another crucial aspect when it comes to safety is the size of the hot air balloon. Some risky locations take upwards of 16 or 32 passengers per ride!

 That’s surely a lot of added poundage for these balloons and more likely for incidents to occur. So size does matter and in the case of hot air balloons, smaller is better.

 

Nonetheless, I want for all of us to try hot air ballooning at least once in our lives, because it is a truly memorable experience we can all share and some may absolutely adore. I am definitely ready to try some awesome hot air ballooning in the near future; so, who’s coming with me?