Yesterday, after being delayed a time or two (weather)....I did my first ever balloon ride (it'll also be my last). So as the trip unfolded:
This was set to be a 7 PM lift-off on the other side of Frankfurt (to the east). If you were to describe the 'boonies' of Germany....I'd select this town. It was about 10 miles east of Hanau.
We set out in a van (pulling the balloon trailer) at 5:30....'Huns' and 'Larry' as our 'guides'. There were four of us passengers (my wife and I, with two ladies).
We drove to some farmers field about three miles way, and began to assemble the 'unit'. I will just say that it's not rocket-science, and pretty simple. The key component....this wicker-made basket, which must have weighed near 600 pounds.
Come 7 PM.....the first problem came up. Since this was the highest temperature day of the year so far (40.5 C, or 105 F)....it was too hot to take-off.....so we lingered, and lingered, and lingered. Around 9 PM, it finally reached a decent temperature, and the fire was set up. We probably lifted off around 9:20 PM.
It was a fine trip....we probably covered about 25 km over the next hour.....mostly in a 'L-shape' because of the light wind.
Then, it came time to land. 'Huns' had given some direction on this, and this approaching site...seemed to me to have a negative. It was a farmer's field (newly harvested) with a telephone pole situation about 10 meters to the right. We delayed for about 30 seconds this site, and then aimed at the next field....also newly harvested.
I'd say that final 90 seconds was something you probably would prefer not to repeat in life.
As we hit the ground....he had selected a stalk-rich field (newly harvested), with the rows going horizontal to our path. For some reason, I was on the end that would hit first, and it tipped immediately on the side. This grip situation he had advised us to take....frankly.....didn't work.
That balloon slide with the drag...probably about 200 feet.....bumping over each row (pretty dry dirt). I had both my wife and one of the other ladies laying on top of my legs. I was wearing shorts, and this wicker-stuff was scrapping the hell out of my knees.
It did finally come to a resting spot, and I felt some relief. I put my hand out on the dirt, then coming to realize about a foot away....was a pile of deer crap. So I took stock of the situation, and went to the other direction for the full exit.
We spent about an hour....putting the piece and parts back into the trailer.....bringing out wine with Snickers bars for some sugar-action. On hydration issues....yeah, I was in need of water in a severe way. That bottle I brought with me....gone in eight gulps.
It was an odd location....farmers field....fairly dry dirt (it hasn't really rained hard in several months), with a 20-house village over to the end of the site. It was a bowl-like field. Clear, with the temperature finally getting down to 28 C (82 F). We stood there for a good 30 minutes....a bit chatty, and finally got into the truck.
Getting to the car....around 11:40 PM. Yeah, it was completely dark by then. Hour's drive to reach home. Probably didn't get to sleep until 1:20 AM.
My general take....maybe it's worth doing once in your life....but don't do it on a 40 C day, and you need to take stock on how it'll land. It would have been nice to land on just plain regular grass....not some tilled farm situation.
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