Just Not That

If there is one thing that is one everybody’s must-do list (or bucket list if you must), it is to experience the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology – hot air ballooning.

There are two operators in the Western Cape – Wineland Ballooning in Paarl (summer months) and Oudtshoorn Ballooning.

When we first started discussing doing a ballooning trip, we had a few friends showing interest, but the high costs reduced the group. The reasons for the high costs are that the balloon and basket are imported from Europe and only lasts for a limited number of flights (about 300). A much higher internal temperature is required to fly in South Africa compared to colder countries, as it is the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the balloon that determines the lift and the higher internal temperature adds to the wear and tear. The basket can also take a hammering if it is dragged on landing.

Ballooning is very weather dependent – no flight in the event of rain, strong wind or fog. As Oudtshoorn is situated in the Klein Karoo we thought not much chance of any of that happening.

As luck would have it, our trip coincided with the first big rains in seven years! No flight on our scheduled day (Sunday) due to rain and again no flight on Monday morning due to fog. What a disappointment. Since we were in Oudtshoorn (and were really enjoying our stay) we decided to extend the long weekend by another day in order to have another chance at flying. This paid off as we could then fly on Tuesday morning.

Before sunrise we met the ballooning operator and his support crew at a sports field in Oudtshoorn. We had coffee and tea while the crew were preparing the balloon for flight. This entails unpacking the balloon (envelope) from its surprisingly small bag, laying it out on the ground and connecting it to the basket and burner. A fan is then used to blow air into the envelope. When the envelope is partially inflated with the cold air the burner flame is aimed into the mouth heating the air inside.

When the balloon is fully inflated the passengers climb into the basket. The lift-off is so smooth one can hardly tell the exact moment when you become airborne. The flight is extremely quiet except for the occasional noise when the propane burners are firing and there is basically no wind as the balloon moves with the wind. It is quite a scary thought that the only way to steer a balloon is by ascending or descending into wind currents going into different directions.

Unfortunately there were some clouds on the horizon that spoilt the sunrise (or so we were told). As we left Oudtshoorn behind we could see some buck and rabbits running on the ground below us.

About an hour after take-off we had a surprisingly smooth landing next to the R62 and then enjoyed the traditional glass of sparkling wine while the retrieve crew were packing and loading the balloon. Legend has it that the tradition of having champagne originated as early French aeronauts carried champagne to appease frightened spectators at the landing site. In our case we certainly did not have any frightened spectators.

We drove back to Oudtshoorn, dropped everything off and then had a buffet breakfast at Kleinplaas restaurant.

Besides the two operators in the Western Cape mentioned earlier, there are also balloon trips in the Magaliesberg (near Johannesburg), Mpumalanga, the Drakensberg and Kwazulu Natal.