First Hot Air Balloon Ride

It's an incredible journey, this going up in a hot air balloon. You start in the cold dusk of the morning when the sun's rays are a promise.

You look at a basket and think "how are six adults going to fit in that little space?" while a giant fan throws air into yards and yards of nylon draped limply across a gravel parking lot. The balloon grows upright. Burners flame. Pulses quicken. Then you clamber in -almost a tumble -- get your footing, hear the burners and lift gently into the morning.

The magical drift of the balloon, the yapping of dogs below, the kiss of first sunlight coming across the mountains -- these are things that I heard and felt and saw today on my first hot air balloon ride.

The hot air that lifts the balloon comes from two propane burners that spout flame and heat into the tear drop shaped balloon. The pilot opens the burners for lift and carefully monitors the winds and altitude during the flight which is largely dictated by the wind and weather of the day.

We lifted off on the east side of the Tucson Mountains and flew above Rattlesnake Pass out into the Avra Valley. Our chase team was in contact with the pilot during the flight and met us as we landed in a field out near the Marana Municipal Airport, northeast of Tucson and west of Interstate 10.

We glided in for a landing, bumped a bit and then crawled out of the basket one by one. The team smooshed the balloon into a long swath of fabric and folded the 300 plus pounds of nylon into a stuff sack. The big sack was stashed into a trailer, followed by the basket, and we were off to a nearby park for a picnic breakfast.

Dan Ewer and his crew from Tucson's Foolish Pleasures Hot Air Balloon Rides were outstanding. They are professional, friendly, and obviously enthusiastic about introducing their passengers to the wonders of floating through the air with the greatest of ease.

Would I go again? Yes, in a heart beat. And, oh, did I tell you that I'm terrified of heights but had heard that a hot air balloon experience negates the "fall through the air" fear? For me, it worked. No fear, just the simple joy of seeing the world with new eyes.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler