this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
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Those $23,000 balloons will be certificated aircraft, and will need a licensed pilot, even though they might otherwise qualify as ultralights.
Most ultralight cloudhoppers are homebuilt envelopes with commercial burners and fuel systems. Material cost in the neighborhood of $5000.
My used, complete, certificated system was $10,000, including envelope, basket, burners, tanks, fan, trailer, instruments, and a bunch of accessories.
I’m so afraid of heights that my palms are sweating reading that, but that’s an objectively cool hobby
In regular balloons, the sides of the basket are about waist-high. You're well contained. I get pretty nervous on a ladder or apartment balcony, but I've never felt any height-related anxiety in a balloon.
You don't actually have to fly to enjoy the sport. Crewing is fun by itself. Commercial operators pay pretty well. Private pilots will usually buy you dinner after a flight.
what does a crew do exactly? for that matter, what does the work of a pilot look like? i have been reading your comments, and i can see that planning is certainly a part of it.
Well, you can show up with zero knowledge of ballooning, and the pilot will be grateful for your help. Ballooning is hands-on, blue-collar flying; there is a fair bit of manual labor involved.
At the other end of the spectrum, experienced crew might be charged with pretty much the entire operation of the balloon until it leaves the ground, and as soon as it touches down again, as well as driving/navigating the chase vehicle, landowner relations, weather observation. They can also participate (under pilot or repairman supervision) in inspections, maintenance, minor and major repairs, and all sorts of other ancillary tasks.
hot air balloons isn't something i had given much thought to before. thank you for your responses here!
If you're near Akron, Ohio, message me. I can't promise a flight, but I can get you up close and personal.
Anywhere else, Google "hot air balloon repair station". Those guys work on every balloon within a hundred miles of them, and can point you in the right direction.
I appreciate the inclusion, but I would probably be considered phobic, if it came up enough to impact my life more. I rejected a window cubicle because the view was stressful and I avoid glass elevators, but that’s really it. Planes are totally fine, though I try not to dwell on actually being very high in the air.
You're describing one of my pilots. Seriously. Guy won't climb past the third rung on a ladder, but flies a balloon.
I recognize the anxiety you're describing, and I can't promise that you won't experience it on a balloon flight but... I crew on about 100 flights a year, 6 passengers per flight, most first-time flyers. When I say it's a different experience, I'm not talking about mine. I'm basing that on the more-than-a-few conversations I've had with people who have described themselves as afraid of heights.
I guess what I'm saying is, if you're interested in balloons, the community has room for you.