Ballooning - The Process

I haven’t posted a bunch of photos at the same time before so we’ll see how this works.

I’ve always been something of an armchair pilot. For years I logged countless hours on flight simulators and even built scenery and buildings for them. I also became a regular at hot air balloon events when my kids were young. Every Saturday morning we’d head to the balloon rallies in Boise, Idaho, watch the launches, then go out for breakfast together. During the week I’d often ride my bike past the launch field on my way to work just to catch a glimpse of the balloons lifting off.

Then life brought a wonderful surprise. My son married the daughter of a man who made his living as a hot air balloon pilot. I didn’t discover that until they’d been married for a little while, but from that moment on I was welcomed into the close-knit ballooning family—and what a special family it is.

The Photos

The first photo is of my granddaughter. The second shows my grandkids with their other grandfather, a truly great guy who is no longer with us. This page is dedicated to him.

The remaining photos walk through a typical balloon launch and recovery:

The balloon is first pulled from the bag (shown in the previous photo), attached to the basket, and carefully unrolled on the ground. Two large fans then begin inflating it with cold air. Before the flight, small helium balloons are released so the pilots can read the wind at different altitudes. Once the envelope is fully inflated but still lying on its side, the pilot does a thorough pre-flight inspection. (Yes, these are officially considered aircraft, and the FAA is present at major events. The rules are a little different from airplane or helicopter flying.)

Next, the pilot lights the burners and applies heat. A large propane tank rides in the basket to fuel the powerful flame. As the air inside the balloon heats up, it slowly rotates into its majestic upright position. Passengers climb aboard, and with a few more bursts of heat, the balloon lifts gracefully off the ground.

During the flight, the pilot adds heat to climb or slow a descent. Some pilots enjoy a “dip and dash,” briefly touching the basket into a lake or pond before climbing away again (unfortunately I don’t have a photo of that).

When the flight ends, the chase crew—who has been following in vehicles the entire time—helps retrieve the balloon. The process is essentially reversed: the balloon is deflated, packed back into its bag, and everything is loaded into the trailer.

All of these photos were taken at the Freedom Festival in Provo, Utah, on July 4, 2015, starting very early in the morning.