1. Why do you fly so early in the morning?
Hot air balloons need stable and consistent winds to operate effectively and the hours just following sunrise are the best for finding these winds. Since hot air balloons move with the prevailing air currents, the weather is very important in deciding whether or not to fly.
Our pilots choose a launch site and use the winds to fly towards a suitable landing site.
2. What is the hot air balloon made of?
The first couple of panels of the hot air balloon are made of Nomex; which is what race car drivers wear; its extremely fire retardant.
The colourful envelope is made of rip-stop nylon, the same type of cloth that parachutes are made of. It is very tightly woven and is coated with a material that makes it very air tight.
The basket has at it’s core an aluminium or steel framework with steel cables running underneath and above into the Balloon via 24 flying wires – thus dispersing the basket load into the Balloon.
Hot air balloons range in size from about 47,000 cubic feet for a 1 or two passenger “cloud hopper” anywhere up to 400,000 to 500,000 cubic feet balloons capable of carrying a pilot + 20 to 25 passengers.
3. Why is the basket made of wicker?
The wicker basket has proven to be very strong for its weight and is flexible.
The wicker is woven around a steel or aluminium frame, which helps to support the upright posts upon which the burner is mounted. The top rim of the basket and the uprights are padded and covered in suede or leather.
4. How is the hot air balloon inflated?
When the time comes to put the hot air balloon up, the envelope is removed from the bag and laid out in a long line. The burners are attached to the uprights, and the basket is attached to the cables on the bottom of the envelope. An engine driven fan is used to inflate the envelope with cold air.
When partially inflated, the air is heated by a burner and the envelope rises above the basket. With further heating, there is sufficient ‘lift’ for the hot air balloon to fly.
5. What kind of fuel is used for the burners?
To heat the air, the burners are fuelled by propane gas, much the same as you probably use in your backyard barbecue grill. The burners do not run continuously; they are only used intermittently to heat the air to maintain the required lift.
6. How tall is a hot air balloon?
Depending on the weight capacity, hot air balloons may be as tall as 100 feet.
7. How are hot air balloon pilots licensed?
Hot air balloons are registered like any other aircraft and are subject to regular airworthiness checks.
C.A.S.A. (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) will not allow a hot air balloon to be certified as airworthy unless these inspections and checks are done by authorized maintenance personnel and certified by them.
All hot air balloon pilots are licensed by the C.A.S.A. and have to pass regular flight checks.
8. How do you steer a hot air balloon?
The hot air balloon goes wherever the wind takes it. However, pilots can seek higher or lower altitudes to find wind currents of various direction.
We refer to it as the truest form of sailing.
9. How Safe is a hot air balloons?
Ballooning is considered one of the safest forms of flying – especially since the advent (in the last 10-20 years) of vast improvements in equipment, training and regulating.
Pilots and Ground Crew are vastly skilled and experienced.
10. How high does the hot air balloon fly?
Generally between 500ft up to 2000ft above sea level, though on occasions we may go as high as 3000ft.
11. Why is Champagne served after the flight?
It is a very special feeling to have had your first balloon flight, and we celebrate this with a champagne toast – a tradition that goes back to the very first flight in the Champagne region in France, late 1700’s.
It is said that Peasant French Farmers frightened by these ‘UFO’s’ would attack the helpless pilots believing them Aliens. The Pilots began taking Bottles of Champagne with them to prove they were indeed friendly Earthlings and thus the Champagne tradition was born.
12. Can you fly in the evenings?
Weather conditions in Australia means that balloon flights are nearly always in the morning.
13. Can I bring my binoculars on the hot air balloon?
Yes, you can bring you own binoculars on the balloon ride to see at a further distance.
14. If I book 11 people, will we all be in the same balloon?
Yes you will all be in the same hot air balloon if you all book on the one ticket or you advise us within 24 hours notice which tickets want to be together.
15. If I book 10 people, will we all be in the same balloon?
Yes you will all be in the same hot air balloon if you all book on the one ticket or you advise us within 24 hours notice which tickets want to be together.
16. Do I have to wear shoes on the hot air balloon?
Yes, shoes are required for the safety of all our passengers and staff. We recommend wearing flat enclosed shoes for your morning balloon ride.
17. We want to book Hot Air ballooning with some friends, they are staying at a different hotel, can we all get picked up at different hotels?
Yes, we can you pick everyone up from different Hotels. If you are booking online please ensure your Hotels are in the pick up list and if you have multi-pick ups please advise our reservation team of your booking number and the pick up locations and we can assist.
You can contact our reservations anytime between 8am and 8pm daily, either on our website chat, by replying to your confirmation email or by calling us.
