Clothing advice Ballooning.
What clothing do you wear while ballooning. Especially put on comfortable clothes when you go ballooning!
Keep in mind that a balloon flight is an outdoor activity and you never know where you will end up, so don't put on your newest clothes, it can get "dirty". Do not put on flammable clothing such as Nylon, because of the hot air balloon burner. In terms of footwear, we want to give advice to put on sturdy waterproof shoes and absolutely no high-heeled shoes because of the landing and landing area.
During the voyage a hat or cap is not a superfluous luxury due to the heat of the burners. after the balloon flight it can be nice to have a jacket or a nice sweater.
If you are making a spring or autumn balloon flight, dress warmly
Ballooning and the weather:
Ballooning entirely depends on the weather, the most important spoilers are for us; too much wind, poor visibility, low clouds, or rain (with possible thunderstorms) Should the balloon flight not take place on the planned day, we will make a new appointment for your balloon flight.
To make a balloon flight, the weather situation must meet the following conditions:
- Ground wind speed less than 9kn
- Wind at 500 ft (= 150 meters) less than 18kn
- Visibility more than 1500 meters
- Cloud base higher than 1000 ft (= 300 meters)
- No showers in a radius of 15 km due to turbulence
- No thunderstorms due to heavy turbulence
- No continuous rain
Preparation
The continuation of the balloon flight depends on the weather conditions. Too much wind, rain and the chance of a thunderstorm do not contribute to a safe balloon flight. Our pilots decide well in advance whether a trip can go ahead. For this we use current weather maps, forecasts and we can call the meteorologists of the national weather agency.
If the weather conditions are favorable, the flight will be registered with the air traffic control and you can definitely look forward to your (first) balloon flight. The exact place of departure depends on the wind direction and speed and any restrictions that may be imposed on us by air traffic control. There must of course be good landing possibilities at the end of the voyage
The balloon flight itself
we meet on a previously agreed catering occasion, collected. Where you can meet the balloon pilot and balloon ground crew while enjoying a drink. From there a large 4wd car is driven to the ascent field. The trailer is unpacked and the pilot will build the balloon with you. The fan is started and the balloon is filled with cold air. he burners then switch on and in no time the balloon stands upright. Hard to imagine that the balloon was still in the trailer half an hour ago. You then climb into the basket, the pilot makes the final checks, the balloon is heated even more and the balloon comes off the ground almost unnoticed.
Then you can enjoy the breathtaking view for about an hour. On the horizon you can see the sun slowly sinking while the cows are grazing peacefully in a meadow. The pilot will tell you exactly about which small village you have just sailed.
After about an hour, the pilot will look for a suitable place for landing. retrieve vehicle is informed and the pilot carefully lands the balloon. After landing everything is neatly packed in the trailer.
After the trip
After the cruise you will be baptized with champagne. Such a special experience should of course not go unnoticed. The pilot will of course tell you the story of the first balloon flight. You will then be brought back to the catering facility. You will be issued a signed balloon certificate while enjoying a few drinks and a delicious snack.
You can sit back and relax for a while before you return home ..