Hot Air Balloons

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BALLOON RIDE INFORMATION - CLICK HERE

HOT AIR BALLOON LAUNCH WINDOW SCHEDULE:

Friday, May 27, 2011 - 6-8 PM
Saturday, May 28. 2011 - 6-8 PM
Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 6-8 PM
Monday, May 30, 2011 - 6-8 PM

(Note: there may be hot-air balloon competitive flights on several mornings and while the event will not be open for morning competitions the hot air balloons will be visible from any locations in relatively close proximity to Heritage Park)

Balloons are visibile on site only during above windows.  The balloons, due to winds, can only inflate and fly during early morning or evening hours.  They do not fly during the day.

Please note: All flights subject to change due to weather, winds, fog, etc.

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES AVAILABLE!!!!


(This is an independent business that supports the event but is not managed by Freedom Weekend Aloft, Inc.)

HOW TO PURCHASE A HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT

Have you always longed to take a hot air balloon flight?  Maybe you simply wanted the experience of flight in a tethered balloon ride!  You can fulfill your dream at Greenville Hospital System Freedom Weekend Aloft Presented by BI-LO in Simpsonville, SC.

Hot air balloon flights will be sold on the launch field from the Balloon Rides tent.  Flights are $175.00 per person and include approximately a one-hour flight with a traditional champagne celebration afterwards.  Reservations are being sold for sunrise and sunset flights and payment is required at time of booking.  Cash and credit cards will be accepted.

To purchase a hot air balloon flight in advance, you may call Connie Lambert with SkyScapes of America, LLC at 864-221-0552. 

TETHERED RIDES - provided by independent balloon pilots...Tethered balloon rides will be available at individual pilot's discretion during tethering hours of 6:30 PM until dusk PM Friday, Saturday Sunday and Monday on Balloon Launch Field during Freedom Weekend Aloft May 28-31, 2010.  Cost is $10.00 per adult and $5.00 per child 12 years and under.   Height and weight restrictions may apply.

TETHER RIDES GUIDELINES

THE SALE OF TETHER RIDE TICKETS WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL WINDS ARE CALM AND THERE IS NO THREAT OF STORMS IN THE AREA.

v     Rides will last several minutes.  When a balloon is hot enough, it will rise to the ends of the tether ropes.  As it cools, it will descend back to the ground.

v     One line will be formed for passengers for all tether balloons.  We ask that you demonstrate great patience while waiting to board a balloon.  Balloons cannot be rushed and all rides will be on a first come, first serve basis.

v     Passengers must be 3.5 feet tall to ride in a balloon.

v     Passengers will sign a Waiver when purchasing a tether ticket.

v     Children MUST stand on the floor of the basket – they CANNOT be held by a parent.  This is a safety issue.

v     You CANNOT ride if you are pregnant.

v     If you cannot climb in and out of the basket under your own power, you will not be able to ride.

v     Listen to instructions from your Pilot and Crew.  For your safety, take your time getting in and out of the basket and do not cross tether ropes at any time.

v     Upon exiting the basket, quickly move off of the launch field so that the next set of passengers can take their ride. 

BALLOONIST PRAYER

The Winds have welcomed you with softness. 

The Sun has blessed you with his warm hands. 

You have flown so high and so well,

that God has joined you in your laughter,

and He has set you gently back again

into the loving arms of Mother Earth. 

BALLOONING FAQ's

1. Why do flights take place so early in the morning or late in the evening?

Balloons need stable calm winds to operate effectively and the hours just after sunrise and before sunset are the best for these conditions. Since balloons move with the air, the weather is very important in deciding whether or not to fly. The pilot chooses a launch site to use the wind currents to fly towards a suitable landing site.

 2. What kind of cloth is the balloon made of?

The colorful balloon or envelope (as we call it) is usually made of nylon or polyester, the same type of cloth that parachutes are made of. It is very tightly woven and is coated with a material that makes it very air tight. The nylon is only used to keep the hot air in the balloon. The basket load is transferred by steel or Kevlar cables to a series of vertical load tapes which carry the load. Balloons range in size from about 54,000 cubic feet for a one- or two-person balloon to over 300,000 cubic feet for a balloon capable of carrying a pilot plus twelve passengers.

 3. Why is the basket made of wicker?

The wicker basket has proven to be very strong for its weight and is flexible. The wicker is sometimes woven around a steel or aluminum frame, which helps to support the upright posts upon which the burner is mounted. The top rim of the basket and the uprights are usually padded and covered in suede or leather.

 4. How is the balloon inflated?

When the time comes to put the balloon up, the envelope is removed from the bag and laid out in a long line. The burners are attached to the uprights, and the basket is attached to the cables on the bottom of the envelope. An engine driven fan is used to inflate the envelope with cold air. When partially inflated, the air is heated by the burner and the envelope rises above the basket. With further heating, there is sufficient 'lift' for the balloon to fly.

 5. What kind of fuel is used for the burners?

To heat the air, the burners are fueled by propane gas, much the same as you probably use in your backyard barbecue grill. The burners do not run continuously; they are only used intermittently to heat the air to maintain the required lift.

 6. How tall are balloons?

Depending on the size and weight capacity, balloons may be eight to ten stories tall.

You should wear whatever you feel comfortable in since the temperature will not be much different in the air. There is really no need to dress up. You should wear the type of clothing that you would expect to wear if you are going for a walk the day of the flight. A light jacket is sometimes comfortable in the fall or early spring. Pants and layered clothing as well as covered shoes with flat soles. The majority of top clothing should be made of cotton rather than man-made fibers such as nylon. Tall passengers may find a hat useful because of the radiant heat from the burners.

 8. Can I take a camera?

Yes, there is no problem in taking either a still or video camera with you during the flight. A hot air balloon makes a perfect camera platform and there is always plenty to photograph prior to, during and after to the flight. We do recommend, however, that you have a suitable soft case with you in which to stow the camera during the landing phase of the flight.

 9. How long does it all take?

From start to finish, your adventure will last about 3 hours. The inflation and preparation of the balloon normally takes about 30 minutes but the flight itself normally lasts about one hour. After the flight, the pack up and first flight ceremonies take another hour. Of course travel to and from the launch field usually takes another 30 minutes. 

10. Where will we land?

Good question! The simple answer is that nobody knows, exactly! The pilot will have done flight planning before the launch to ensure that the forecast wind direction does not take the balloon towards an unsuitable area. The pilot will use the different air currents at different altitudes to steer the balloon toward a good landing place. 

 11. How does the chase crew know where we are?

Radios or cell phones are used to stay in contact with the chase crew as well as with Air Traffic Control and other aircraft flying in the vicinity.

 12.  How far will we fly

Again...it depends on the wind speed. Hot Air Balloons travel with the wind and an hour flight can carry it up to 15 miles, sometimes more, sometimes less. The balloon also flies at different altitudes. Although the balloon is at the mercy of the wind when it comes to direction, the vertical control of a balloon can be very precise. It is not unusual for pilots to be able to brush the bottom of the basket across the tops of trees, or inches from the ground A leaf picked from a treetop is a very worthwhile souvenir of the flight!

13. How high do balloons fly?

Most balloonists enjoy low-level flight. The typical balloon flight would be anywhere from tree level to about 3,000 feet above the ground.

14. What if I'm afraid of heights?

Flying in a balloon basket is not like standing on a roof or a high ladder. You don't get that vertigo feeling. It feels more like the ground is unfolding beneath you, and because you are moving with the wind, there is no wind blowing or sensation of moving. The basket does not rock or sway, so don’t worry about falling out.

 15. I sometimes get airsick in airplanes. Is a balloon the same?

No. The turbulence, which usually causes motion sickness is completely absent in a balloon ride. The flight of a balloon is almost too smooth to describe.

16. How do we get back to the launch field?

The balloon is followed by a chase vehicle and the crew. They are in constant contact with the balloon pilot and should be at the landing site at the same time as the balloon. Once the balloon is packed away (and the ceremonies are complete) the chase vehicle will take you back.

 17. How are balloon pilots licensed?

Balloons are registered like any other aircraft and are subject to regular airworthiness checks. The FAA will not allow a balloon to be certified as airworthy unless these inspections and checks are done by authorized maintenance personnel and certified by them. All pilots are licensed by the FAA and have to pass regular flight checks.

 18. Who controls ballooning and ensures safety standards?

The Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA) controls ballooning with the same strict regulations that apply to airplanes.

 19. Who can fly a balloon?

The Federal Aviation Administration issues a Balloon Pilot Certificate to candidates who pass an FAA written examination, obtain a prescribed number of hours in a balloon, make a solo flight to altitude, pass a flight test, and submit a medical statement.

 20. How do you steer a balloon?

The balloon goes wherever the wind takes it. However, pilots can seek higher or lower altitudes to find wind currents of various direction. We refer to it as the truest form of sailing.

 21. What instruments do balloons use?

An altimeter to indicate altitude, a variometer showing its rate of climb or decent, a compass to show directions, and a temperature gage to show how hot the fabric is at the top of the balloon. Each propane tank has a fuel gauge, and the burner has a fuel pressure gauge.

Competition Descriptions

Freedom Weekend Aloft offers the participating pilots an opportunity to win money or prizes. This is done by various competitive flying tasks.  One of the most popular competitions is known as the “Hare and Hound” race.  It is not actually a race at all as all the balloons are flying at the same time in the same wind conditions.  However, they are racing against the clock as they only have a specific time period to complete the task.  A “Hare and Hound” competition starts with one hot air balloon (the Hare) lifting off ahead of the rest. The “Hare” balloon will fly for about fifteen minutes when the rest of the balloons (the Hounds) will lift off.  The object is for the Hounds to follow the same path as the Hare as accurately as possible.  The Hare balloon will change altitudes looking for different wind currents as if to elude the Hound balloons.  Most people do not know there are many different layers of wind currents in which to steer a hot air balloon.  After a period of time the Hare balloon will find a suitable landing area and set down.  Someone flying in the Hare balloon will get out of the basket and spread out a large “X” on the ground.  The Hounds will navigate those different wind currents in hopes of finding the right one that will take them directly over the X on the ground.  As they float across the X the pilot drops a beanbag marker trying to hit the center of the X.  After all the balloons have floated across the X and pilots have dropped their beanbags, the competition is over.  Measurements are taken for all the beanbags to the center of the X with the closets being the winner.

Another popular competition flight is a “fly in task”. The pilots are told to take their balloons out of the park a distance from one mile up to five miles and fly back to the launch field at Heritage Park.  A large X at the center of the launch field is the target the pilots and their balloon are trying to reach.  The pilots are allowed to pick any launch site outside Heritage Park as long as they are the required distance away from the park.  After choosing a suitable launch site, the pilots inflate their balloons, take off and navigate the various wind currents in hopes of reaching the launch field.  As they float across the launch field, a beanbag marker is dropped as close to the center of the X as possible.  The distance from the center of the X to the beanbags is measured and the closest is the winner.  This is very similar to the “Pole or Key Grab” competition.  A pole extending approximately 25 feet in the air is placed at the center of the launch field.  At the top of the pole is a ring the pilot must grab while flying the balloon as they float by.  The pilot who grabs the ring and takes it away is the winner.

Event Hours - Subject to Change

Friday, May 27 - 3 PM - 11 PM
Saturday, May 28 - 12 Noon - 11 PM
Sunday, May 29 - 12 Noon - 11 PM
Monday, May 30 - 12 Noon - 8 PM