Hot Air Ballooning in Virginia

eenusa

We recently went hot air ballooning in Charlottesville, Virginia.



It was a participatory experience, with the passengers serving as ground crew.



As the envelope was being inflated with cool air, we took turns going inside for a photo-op.



You definitely don't want to be inside the envelope once they start to heat the cool air inside it.



After we lifted off, a member of the balloon company captured this photo.



As we floated over Charlottesville neighborhoods, our pilot commented that they had been unable
to fly for a week due to high winds and that we were seeing the best of this year's foliage colors.

There were only two other balloons flying in our airspace.



Thumbs up for a great hot air ballooning adventure.

Actually, this photo op has an ulterior motive - we're all sitting on the bag into which the canopy has been packed
so that our combined weight will compress it before it is tied down to the trailer for transport.



I have a lot more photographs from our adventure - both from what goes into preparing to fly and scenery from the air.
If you're interested, you're welcome to browse my gallery at:

http://eenusa.smugmug.com/gallery/3855870/1/223216624

D_C_NC

You look like you definately enjoyed the adventure. Photo documentation is great. It is so cool is it not as the lack of sound makes the earth seem as it is moving rather than you. I use to go Balloning a lot when I was younger in the Love Valley area of NC. Thanks for sharing....

eenusa

Thanks for looking at my journey.

Yes; the sensation of floating through the calm sky is quite the experience. No sound except the occasional whoosh as the burners warm the air inside the envelope and the earth below stretching all the way to the horizon. Very serene.

I did my first ballooning experience in Turkey's Capadoccia region in October of this year (photos being processed, but will be a while before they are online). Now, with this ballooning experience in Virginia, I'm completely hooked.

indulgentsoul

Hi eenusa...

some brillaint photos in there .......how did u manage to get ur friend Jack standing at the right spot while you were up in the ballon ?
looking at ur snaps i feel like going balloning myself.........sounds exciting.


Regards
Nick

eenusa

indulgentsoul wrote:

Hi eenusa...

some brillaint photos in there .......how did u manage to get ur friend Jack standing at the right spot while you were up in the ballon ?
looking at ur snaps i feel like going balloning myself.........sounds exciting.


Regards
Nick

Glad you enjoyed the photos.

Jack works for Behr Balloons, the company we went ballooning with. Since the balloon goes where the wind sends it, someone has to follow the balloon to the eventual landing site. He was that person (he and our pilot were in contact via radio). Along the way, he apparently stopped to take photos of us.

Skippy

eenusa wrote:

We recently went hot air ballooning in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It was a participatory experience, with the passengers serving as ground crew.
As the envelope was being inflated with cool air, we took turns going inside for a photo-op.
You definitely don't want to be inside the envelope once they start to heat the cool air inside it.
After we lifted off, a member of the balloon company captured this photo.
As we floated over Charlottesville neighborhoods, our pilot commented that they had been unable
to fly for a week due to high winds and that we were seeing the best of this year's foliage colors.
There were only two other balloons flying in our airspace.
Thumbs up for a great hot air ballooning adventure.
Actually, this photo op has an ulterior motive - we're all sitting on the bag into which the canopy has been packed
so that our combined weight will compress it before it is tied down to the trailer for transport.
I have a lot more photographs from our adventure - both from what goes into preparing to fly and scenery from the air.
If you're interested, you're welcome to browse my gallery at:

http://eenusa.smugmug.com/gallery/3855870/1/223216624

Hi Eenusa,
Hotair Ballooning is an awesome experience.
I have done it only once in not exactly ideal weather conditions.

The scariest part for us was the landing, it was really really rough.
Not unlike being in a car accident I tell you.
We hit the ground hard and fast and did one of those bounce drag stops, where you hit the ground about 7 times before and get dragged along the ground before the balloon comes to a halt.

We were not expecting that, cause most times you see those almost perfect landings where the balloon comes down and the people just step out

Isn't it a wonderful feeling being in the sky, almost no sound at all,
except for the occassional burst of gas being blown into the balloon.

The view from up there is amazing, you can see a whole 360deg.

The beautiful Spring Foliage you guys saw would have been so beautiful.
I would have loved to have seen what you saw

Thanks for sharing your great adventure
Great series of photos ..... Skippy
.

nicoleshilliday

Isn't Hot Air Ballooning fun !!! We did it on our honeymoon in Sedona, AZ. Looks like you had some great company and great scenery.

thanks for sharing. enjoyed!!!

eenusa

nicoleshilliday wrote:

Isn't Hot Air Ballooning fun !!! We did it on our honeymoon in Sedona, AZ. Looks like you had some great company and great scenery.

thanks for sharing. enjoyed!!!

Nicole, we spent a week in Sedona in December 2002 - didn't do the ballooning though, so I guess that's one more reason to go back.