Hot air Balloon Questions

Bosco

1. Did anyone have the hot air balloon ride canceled due to weather or other situations?
2. Did anyone find motion sickness to be a problem?
3. Was this a highlight of the trip?

British

When we took this tour, the ride was cancelled two days running because of unfavorable weather conditions. But we still got the champagne breakfast in the Bush. When we took the Tanzania Zanzibar tour, I specifically asked about chance of cancellations and the pilot told me that the balloon rides in Tanzania are hardly ever cancelled in comparison to the ones in Kenya.
I can’t see anyone getting motion sickness on a balloon ride, it’s so gentle and peaceful.
It was not the highlight for our trips, there were too many to compare. But it was still wonderful.

Sealord

Our Kenya balloon ride was cancelled twice also due to excessive wind. They did refund that portion of the trip. I have done balloon rides before, and as said there is virtually no sense of motion because you are floating on the breeze ... until you land. I was a Navy carrier pilot so I do recognize that there are some similarities between a carrier landing and a balloon landing unless the wind is very gentle.

joycesw

We took this trip in mid-October, and, yes, it was a highlight! The weather was very cooperative! This was our third balloon ride (Napa, Australia..) and it was phenomenal. The weather was perfect, and the prep for takeoff was quite unusual. You begin the ride, in the basket that is on its side. Hence, you are on your back in the seat. As the balloon is inflated, the basket rights itself, and you are vertical. Very unusual, but great fun! there was no kind of motion to induce illness, so that was not an issue. We saw many animals and since I have a super zoom camera, I got some incredible shots close and far away...the shadows of the balloons crossing the land make for some great photos...and, of course, then there is the landing among the animals to enjoy your mimosas and chef-created breakfast. A not to be missed experience!
Our next balloon experience was in Udaipur, India. The baskets were quite different...much shorter which I didn't notice until we were lifting off. However, I adapted quickly. While we did not have the same experience, it was also very special. WE were among the first groups to go on the ride from Udaipur, and it was something new to the population. As we flew over homes people came out on their roofs and on streets to wave and cheer us on. By the time we were landing, an entire village came out to see us...on foot, bicycles and scooters! We were an unusual sight, and the reception by the locals was very moving! Whenever the hot air balloon experience is available, take it!!

AlanS

K&T June 2015.

1. Flew as scheduled. It is all a function of wind. Balloons fly best in light and stable winds of 4-6 miles per hour. Maximum safe winds are 8-10 mph, both pretty slow. Too much wind makes it harder to lift off and land smoothly (wind really doesn't affect flying much). That is why they fly balloons very early in the morning when the winds are normally very light.

2. Absolutely no motion sickness with anyone in either of our two balloons- there is almost no sensation of moving other than horizontally- you smoothly and quietly drift over the landscape. Unlike aircraft that are easily and rapidly affected by winds or pilot controls, you will sense almost no motion in the balloon. As far as pilot inputs- he uses a very, very sensitive variometer, a rate-of-climb indicator also called a vertical speed indicator and his own senses, to tell when the balloon is going up or down. He has to almost anticipate the motion of the balloon to counteract climb and descent which happen nearly imperceptibly. Most non-pilots can't tell if they are going up or down except for the pilot turning on the propane burners every so often.

If you have visual acuity issues and are affected by (car, bicycle, boat, etc.) motion, especially in the periphery it is possible but unlikely to have the same problems in a balloon.

3. A big YES!

KathrynH

We flew in the balloon in Kenya in early January 2017. Day of flight was swapped from scheduled one due to concerns about wind. Even so, the winds were powerful and the pilots had some difficulty with keeping on their planned course. The jeeps, tour directors, and caterers for the champagne breakfast had to dash around in pursuit of us to find a spot for the fancy spread. We heard that we missed seeing a gathering of a thousand wildebeest that the pilot had wanted to show us. He apologized that we could not get the basket over the hill to see the sight. We still had fun.

I'm not a pilot. Balloon flying over Kenya is definitely safer than balloon flying over the Valley of the Kings in Luxor (Egypt) where so many other balloon rides ended up in farmers' fields (or elsewhere). Tauck had an excellent balloon pilot for that trip so we had no worries. Of course, the wind was perhaps not as strong as it was in Kenya.

AlanS

One thing to remember about balloons- you go where the wind takes you! The pilot can change altitude in hopes that the wind will be blowing in a (slightly) different direction. But, he has no idea which direction until he gets to that altitude- any difference in direction will be slight however. It is not like a blimp that has motors and propellors.

Sealord

The first time I went ballooning, two couples were sharing the ride, so one couple would ride and the other couple would chase the balloon with the truck and trailer that belonged to the pilot. Then he landed half way through the day, and the couples would switch, so the couple that was chasing would ride, and vice versa. We rode first so we were chasing later in the day when the wind picked up. We chased for a long time while the pilot was hoping for less wind and a place to land. We got thirsty so we made a quick stop at a convenience store to get a drink,, and when we came out the balloon was gone! He had ‘landed’ just when we went to get the drinks. Fortunately, he had flares, and smokes to set off so we were able to find the corn field where he ‘landed’. They always carry champagne for the farmer to compensate for damaged crops. The only reason he ‘landed’ there was that he was running out of fuel, and the passengers said it was a pretty ‘exciting’ experience, but no one got hurt.