Up, Up and Away!

As we went into ‘blacktop town’ last night with Zia for her birthday, (er … I mean, North Conway) … we had a very pleasant surprise! Directly in front of us hovering over Route 16 was a gorgeous hot air balloon sporting all the colors of the rainbow! And then there was another, and another!! Good thing I wasn’t driving or we would have been off the road. As we got to the village green, there were nearly a dozen balloons, all in various stages of filling themselves with hot air, and some of them in the process of going aloft. It was the beginning of the Hot Air Balloon Fest taking place this weekend, and it was a truly magnificent sight! These balloons are owned and operated by local enthusiasts, and will be available for short excursions over the Mount Washington Valley this weekend, or for tethered rides for the more cautious.

Ballooning is really an awesome treat from any angle. Dana and I have been on lengthy hot air balloon adventures twice in our lives, and it is an amazing feeling. Looking up from below, it always takes my breath away, they are so beautiful! But from above looking down, they are surprisingly very quiet and peaceful (except when you fire up the burner to get more altitude). Apart from this occasional disturbance (which you are all to happy to hear when the basket starts brushing the tops of the trees!) … it is perfectly silent. Also, since you are travelling the exact speed of the wind, your hair doesn’t even ruffle! That was something I didn’t know until I experienced it. In addition to sharing this mode of transportation with my parents, sister, husband, nieces and nephews back in the late 1970’s, my husband and I renewed our wedding vows in 1983 in a hot air balloon, and took off for a lengthy jaunt with our wedding party! The wind took us in a far and unexpected direction, creating a challenge for the chase vehicle below. We all had to cross fields, mud, a stream and hop barbed wire fences, a bit of a challenge in wedding attire and after sufficiently flowing Moet Chandon!

Here are a few facts you may not have known about balloons:
· They were discovered in France in 1783 after it was discovered that a fabric bag filled with hot air would rise.
· Initially Balloons without any Passengers were sent up. Then, animals of all sorts were used for experimenting like a sheep, rooster, and duck, to be sent high up.
· The first manned balloon was piloted by two men, who travelled 5.5 miles over Paris. The first attempt by man to fly!
· Balloons were used in the Civil War to get enough altitude to discover the enemy’s position.
· Balloons have been important in science as they have helped us study the weather and the atmosphere.
· Balloon pilots need a commercial pilot's license (fixed-wing). They must have at least 35 hours of flight instruction, attend ground school for basic aviation training, pass a written test for hot-air balloons and have a flight check from a Federal Aviation Administration official.
· Hot air balloons don't fly in the rain because balloon heat can cause water to boil atop the balloon, and boiling water destroys the fabric.
· Area balloon operators can carry from two to 10 passengers at a time, depending on balloon size.

There have, at times, been balloons flying over The Lodge ... a truly amazing sight. But then, no matter how you get here, it's always worth the trip!