No crafting for me today as we finally managed to book a balloon flight that wasn't cancelled. It was a Christmas present to my husband from his son and we have been booking dates ever since - only for the wind to be too high for the flight to go ahead at the last minute.
We were really surprised when last night - at 11.00pm - we heard the flight was on at 6.00am this morning and that the launch site had been changed due to the wind direction! That meant an hour's drive to get there and about three hours sleep for me by the time I got myself organised and worked out how to get to the new launch site.
It was quite an interesting experience but, if I'm honest, I'm not sure I would rush to do it again - certainly not if it meant all the booking and re-booking we have had to do this year. I don't want to sound ungrateful but it has taken up so much time waiting to see if the flight was going to take place or not and not planning anything else for that time - just in case. Some of the people on our flight had been trying to get their booking for over a year though so I guess our eight months wasn't bad after all. lol
In the end we were away from home for just over four hours and in the air for about 45minutes which passed very quickly. They took some photographs with a camera that swung outside the balloon on a boom - here we all are!
Franco and I are the two in the front left hand corner of the basket.
It was very misty as you can see and I was a lot less nervous than I thought I would be as there was very little sensation of moving. I wrapped up in several jumpers but it was really warm in the basket because of the flames over our heads so I felt very overdressed especially as the pilot was in a short sleeved shirt. lol. They were a really lovely group of people and we had a lot of laughs
en-route.
Getting in and out of the basket was fun - I'm glad there aren't any photographs of that! I was tipped unceremoniously out of the basket which was laid on its side after we landed - that was easier than climbing in before we set off though I can tell you.
Once we were down in a farmer's field - with a bit of bump or two.................. the younger members of the group were comandeered to roll on the balloon to get all the air out and to help pack it away while I watched with a glass of Bucks Fizz - that was a good bit. lol. We then had to wait for the recovery vehicle to come and find us to take up back to our cars. It took us about 15 minutes to get back by road.
I haven't been very energetic since we got home though - getting up at 4.15 on a Sunday is not going to be a habit - bad enough having to rise at 5.30 three days a week to go to work. lol.
I'd be interested to know if any of you have been up in a balloon and how you enjoyed it?
9 comments:
Hi, I'm so glad you finally made it! Sounds like it was worth the wait. We are still trying to do ours! Coming up for a year now, I think it takes the excitement out of it when it keeps getting cancelled, just want to get it over with now! Which is a shame, we are booked in again for a couple of weeks time and are trying an evening flight for the first time, thinking we may have better luck! So lovely to read your experience of it, as I am a bit nervous! Glad you had a good time x
Wendy
wow,how brave are you,glad you finaly got there,looks like you had a great time sue xx
Wow! You are brave!! I'd NEVER try that!! Ruth x
I've always wanted to go up in a balloon, maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage :-)
I love your car boot finds by the way - inspired me to have a look at things in a different way and I picked up 4 pieces myself this morning. Haven't done anything withthem yet ......
What a fantastic photo Yvonne, but such a shame it took so much planning and re-planning. Looks amazing though. Lee xx
Yvonne glad you made it but now you have made me very jealous as ballooning is on my to do list before I am 60. Alison xxx
Oh wow! How cool is that, looks like you had a great time xxx
looks like great fun.
kathleen mc x
That's on my Bucket list & one day hope to have a ride in one. Hope mine doesn't take so much planning & being rescheduled. That would sure take thefun out of it.
Janie
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