Here are some frequently asked questions that may answer yours.
What do I wear and what should I bring?
Do we need to book beforehand?
How do you know how many passengers a balloon can take?
Where do you fly to? / How do you steer a hot air balloon?
Why do balloons only fly early in the morning?
How safe is Hot Air Ballooning?
What is the balloon made out of?
How do you inflate a hot air balloon?
How long is the flight?
Your flight will generally last about an hour to an hour and a half depending on prevailing winds and landing availability.
How much does it cost to fly?
Discover Ballooning charges from only R2100 per passenger. Children under 12 fly at half price. Value for money in terms of what your ballooning experience includes and the beautifully scenic area in which we fly, you will not find better.
Where do we fly from?
Discover Ballooning has flights daily from Hartbeespoort Dam. We launch from Jasmyn (The Windmill), and most of our flights go directly over Hartbeespoort Dam.
We are able to launch from anywhere in the country provided the area is suitable for flying and we can get permission from the local authorities so please contact us for any special requests.
Who Can Fly?
There are no age restrictions as to who can fly, however, passengers must be at least 1.2m tall (tall enough to see over the edge of the basket), climb in and out of the basket unaided and be able to stand for the duration of the flight. We recommend that pregnant woman do not fly. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Passengers with health considerations accept the responsibility to consult a doctor before embarking on a balloon flight. If you have any questions or concerns, please discuss these with us before booking.
What do I wear and what should I bring?
You should wear whatever you feel most comfortable in. It is advisable to dress in layers as it can get quite chilly on the launch site but once up in the air you will be surprised at how warm it is, especially under the burners. Casual clothing and flat shoes are ideal, and natural fibres are preferable to synthetic fabrics. Do not wear nylon. You may want to wear a hat to shield your head from the heat of the burners. Gloves, scarves and beanies are recommended during winter. Dont forget to bring your camera and binoculars, and ensure that you have a means to attach them to yourself.
Do we need to book beforehand?
Yes. You will need to phone and book beforehand so that we can check availability. Balloons are limited to the number of passengers and weight they can carry. Please be prepared to provide your weight when booking for this reason.
How do you know how many passengers a balloon can take?
The number of passengers a balloon can carry depends on the size / cubic capacity of the envelope, which in turn determines the size of the basket underneath. It also largely depends on the weight of the passengers flying, air temperature and altitude.
Where do you fly to? / How do you steer a hot air balloon?
No two flights are the same. We fly wherever the wind decides to take us that morning. The wind blows in different directions at different altitudes, so to some extent the pilot can search for different wind currents by going up and down. Larger balloons have turning vents which allows the balloon to turn on its own axis.
How high do you fly?
We have a ceiling of 7500ft above sea level at Hartbeespoort Dam; that is about 3500ft above the ground. Any good flight will include a bit of low level flying, skimming the treetops, and some high altitude flying for you to get a good birds eye view of the surrounding area, Brits, Krugersdorp, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Why do balloons only fly early in the morning?
The first hours of daylight are the best time to fly as the air is stable which means very gentle surface winds and no thermals. As the day progresses, the winds and thermals get stronger. It is possible to fly just before sunset but flights are often much shorter, and flights all too often are cancelled or postponed due to weather.
How safe is Hot Air Ballooning?
Ballooning is actually the safest aviation sport around.
What is the balloon made out of?
There are three main components to a hot air balloon.
The basket is woven out of wicker. It is exceptionally strong and is able to absorb the shock during bumpier landings. It is built with steps (square holes in the sides of the basket) to be able to climb in and out of the basket easily and has rope handles to enable the crew to load and offload the basket during transportation of the balloon.
The envelope is the large colourful part of the balloon that most people associate with hot air balloons. It is made from anti-porous treated rip-stop nylon with load bearing webbing tape.
The burners burn the propane gas which heats the air inside the envelope to cause lift. The burner is attached to the basket and the envelope by wires, support poles and carabiners. There are hoses which feed propane into the burners from the cylinders.
How do you inflate a hot air balloon?
The envelope of the balloon is stored in a canvas bag. It is unrolled and spread out on the ground. The crew then attaches the envelope to the wicker basket and burner frame. Petrol fuelled fans are used for cold inflation, which is the process of blowing air into the envelope to partially inflate the balloon. This allows enough space at the mouth of the balloon to use the burners to heat the air inside the envelope. After enough air in the envelope has been heated, it will begin to rise above the basket.
From our guest book ...
I am afraid of heights and dreaded the flight.... It was a wonderful experience that I can recommend to anyone
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