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The Himalayas,
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Ballooning
Since ancient times, human beings had nurtured the desire to fly although
they did not have the technology to build a machine that could help
them fulfil their desire. As time went by, new technologies developed.
By the arrival of the 18th century, people started making big balloons
filled with steam, which, being lighter than normal air, took them
into greater heights. However, nobody dared to fly on these cumbersome
devices in the initial days.
Hot air ballooning as an adventure sport started in the year 1783,
when two French brothers, Joseph Michel Montgolfier and Jacques
Etienne Montgolfier, created and set aloft a 17.37-m high 'fire
balloon' from the courtyard of the Versailles palace. This massive
balloon did not carry human passengers but a sheep, a rooster and
a duck. The balloon landed safely at a distance of 3.2 km from the
Versailles palace after a flight that lasted eight minutes. In the
same year, a daring person by the name of Jean Francois Pilatre
de Rozier along with his companion Marquis d'Arlandes decided to
travel in a hot air balloon. It became the first journey made by
man through air, which was powered by steam/hot air. This historic
event occurred in the beautiful city of Paris and the success of
this flight gave birth to the sport of hot air ballooning.
Hot air balloons created during the period were generally known
as Montgolfier balloons. They were also referred to as 'fire balloons'
because they carried a brazier containing burning coals, which produced
steam/hot air. However, these balloons were dangerous because the
brazier could alight the fabric of the balloon. Apart from the constant
hazard of fire, hot air balloons also faced some other problems.
They would come down to the ground once the steam/hot air filled
within them cooled down. Moreover, they could only move in the direction
of the wind and not against it. Hot air balloons used today for
flying are a highly refined version of the Montgolfier balloons
that flew in the 18th century.
In India, hot air ballooning as an adventure sport is quite new.
The Balloon Club of India, which was established in 1970 in New
Delhi, is the premiere organization pertaining to this adventure
sport in India. The sport is rapidly gaining popularity among the
adventure seekers.
TYPE
Hot air ballooning is an air-based adventure sports.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The is no special or prescribed physical requirement for a person
interested in taking up the sport of hot air ballooning. However,
expectant mothers and people suffering from high blood pressure
and heart problems must stay away from it. If you are afraid of
heights, then hot air ballooning is not for you. In short, you must
be fit physically as well as mentally to enjoy the thrills of hot
air ballooning.
NECESSARY EQUIPMENTS
The main equipment required for hot air ballooning is the balloon,
which is made from a special fire-resistant material known as the
rip-stop nylon, load tape, steel wire ropes, basket/gondola, an
altimeter, a compass, cylinders of propane or butane gas, burners,
ropes. The basket/gondola, which is suspended below the balloon,
is made from resilient wicker and enforced with a mesh of steel
wire ropes.
As hot air ballooning is still in its infancy in India, you will
find it extremely difficult to obtain equipment from the local markets.
However, if you are an ardent fan of hot air ballooning, then you
will have to import the necessary equipment needed for this sport
from abroad.
MAJOR DESTINATIONS
An interesting aspect about hot air ballooning is that you can indulge
in this activity with the minimum of special arrangements. You only
have to search for a clear stretch of land from where you can easily
take off in the hot air balloon. This area should preferably be
outside the city or town, so that you do not have any problems with
high-rise buildings and electric wires.
Delhi is the main center for hot air ballooning in India. The Balloon
Club of India carries out its activities from the Safdarjung Airport
in Delhi. Every year, this club organizes a 'Balloon Mela' or balloon
fair in the month of November. A number of competitions and events
are held during this fair. The three major events of this fair are
the hare and hound race, the spot-landing race and the cross-country
event.
Hare and Hound Race: As the name suggests, this event involves
chasing. This event starts with a single balloon taking off. This
balloon acts as the hare and floats in the air for a short while before
other balloons are allowed to take off. The balloons that follow the
leading balloon are the hounds. The winner is the one who lands his
balloon closest to the hare.
Spot-Landing Race: The spot-landing race is a popular event
of the 'Balloon Mela' and participants attempt to land their balloons
on a predetermined target area marked on the ground.
Cross-Country Event: The most popular event of the balloon
fair is the cross-country race. Winning this race is not only a matter
of luck, but also involves the testing of skills. Performances are
judged individually and points awarded based on technical finesse
in steering the balloon in flight.
The 'Balloon Mela' is a colorful event for the people who come to
witness it. The entire skyline around the venue is dotted with balloons
of all shapes and sizes. Children usually enjoy watching balloons
made in the shape of soft drink cans or dinosaurs. People who are
afraid of a full-fledged flight but still want to get into a hot air
balloon can enjoy the thrills of going up in the air on a balloon
tethered to the ground.
Apart from Delhi, you can enjoy hot air ballooning amidst the verdant
settings of Rishikesh, Haridwar and the valley of Dehradun.
BEST TIME
The best time for hot air ballooning is from October to March when
the temperature becomes cooler. The cold climate makes the hot air
inside the balloon lighter and enables it to rise and stay up for
a longer period.
THE PROCESS
Made of 1,000 square yards of a special fire-resistant material called
rip-stop nylon, an average balloon is 50 feet wide, 70 feet high and
57,000 cubic feet in volume. Larger versions are also available. The
head end is called the crown or apex, which has an opening in the
rip-stop balloon. Horizontal and vertical load tapes help to reinforce
the balloon. Suspended from its mouth (lower end) by steel wire ropes
is a basket called gondola, which is made of resilient wicker and
strengthened by a cross-weave of metal ropes. The basket, despite
its looks, is reassuringly solid and once the balloon is airborne,
the sensation is similar to standing on a floating balcony. While
the average basket can carry two or three persons, bigger balloons
can accommodate up to ten persons. The gondola carries a simple instrument
panel consisting of a compass and an altimeter to guide the crew.
Cylinders of propane or butane fire the burners located at the mouth
of the balloon.
The entire process of launching a hot air balloon in the air is
simple. The process begins with the selection of a clear stretch
of land, from where you can launch the balloon easily. The basket
or gondola, which is suspended below the hot air balloon, is firstly
placed on one of its sides, on the ground. The basket is then attached
to the balloon with the help of specially designed steel wire ropes.
After attaching the balloon to the basket, the pilot and the navigator
check its fabric and make sure that it is not damaged or torn. Meanwhile,
the basket is tethered to the ground with ropes, which are tied
around metal rods partially dug into the ground. It is important
to anchor the balloon to the ground or else it would fly away, as
soon as you finish filling it with hot air.
After the basket is securely attached with the balloon, a burner
is mounted on the basket. Propane or butane gas cylinders are attached
to the burner and the mouth of the balloon is opened wide. The burner
is made in such a way that the nozzles from which the jet of flame
will come out can be tilted to the required angle. A fan attached
to the burner is turned on which pushes air into the balloon. Burner
nozzles are then adjusted to an angle from where they can easily
heat the air going inside the balloon. Slowly the burner is turned
on and the jet of flame leaping up from the burner nozzles starts
to heat the air going into the balloon. Within a few minutes, the
balloon is inflated and it rises up towards the sky as if a giant
who is waking up from his slumber. As soon as the balloon attains
an upright position, the basket attached to it is also lifted up
to an upright position. However, the balloon cannot fly away on
its own as it is securely tethered to the ground.
After making sure of the prevailing weather conditions and the
wind direction, the flying crew, usually comprising of a pilot and
a navigator, check the balloon for the final time, for any physical
and technical snags. With the hot air balloon ready for take off,
passengers are taken aboard and into the basket. Some hot air balloons
can hold as many as 10 people on board. The flight commences as
soon as the balloon is released from the tethering that binds it
to the ground. Once the balloon rises into the sky, there is little
control over its flight and direction. It is carried along the direction
of the flowing wind. The only control that the pilot has over the
balloon is by the means of heating the air for rising further up
or releasing (deflating) the air from the balloon in small amounts
to help it descend. Hot air balloons can fly at a height of 100
to 800 meters (328-2,624 ft) above the ground.
Standing in a swaying but secure basket high above the ground and
suspended under a colorful canopy filled with hot air provide an exhilarating
experience. As the giant hot air balloon slowly drifts through the
sky, you can have a bird's eye view of your surroundings. You can
also enjoy the panoramic view of plains, farms, forests, and cityscape,
and survey it from your vantage position.
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