Just in time for The Great Forest Park Balloon Race (September 19-20), Keith Fear, owner and chief pilot of Balloons Over The Rainbow, gave us step by step instructions on how to fly a hot air balloon.  Check out the Gallery tab for pictures of our adventure from beginning to end! 

Step 1: Research the weather as soon as possible.  Fear says even if the forecast doesn't predict rain for the immediate area, a thunderstorm a hundred miles away can impact the air movement where you are flying. 

Step 2: Send a Pi-Ball (pilot balloon: black helium filled balloon) in the air and take a compass reading of the direction the balloon travels, look at some maps and try to get an idea of where your flight will take you

Step 3:  Find a launch location large enough to accommodate the entire height of the balloon when the balloon is stretched out and lying on its side.

Step 4: Assemble the basket by attaching vertical bars to the basket and mounting the burner to the top of the bars.

Step 5: Test the propane lines to make sure the lines are free and clear for the ride by igniting the burners

Step 6: Attach the balloon to the basket, and stretch it across the grass to begin filling 

Step 7: Find two lovely ladies (such as Margo and Audrey) to hold open the mouth of the balloon and start filling it with good old fashioned air, by way of a large fan 

Step 8: Start heating up the air inside of the balloon and watch it rise

Step 9: When the balloon has risen and the basket is upright, you are ready to launch

Step 10: Make sure your chase crew (consisting of a driver and a navigator) is ready to follow you on the ground as you float into the air for your ride.  

Step 11:  Remember it is the air that steers you, the only way to control the direction of the balloon is to understand wind patterns and currents.  Fear says think the hills and valleys are to air what the banks and water are for a river, you use the air current moving through the hills and altitude to steer your balloon - but you can't overpower Mother Nature and her chosen wind direction.  The burners inside the balloon control your altitude, so when you are ready to land, lay off the burners

Step 12:  Your chase crew, if they as good as the crew from Balloons Over The Rainbow, should have already made it to the field where you are landing and spoken with the landowners to ensure you have permission to land there before you arrive there.  You are working with Mother Nature so it is kind of hard to call ahead.  Fear said that the tradition of champagne and ballooning started for this very reason: making peace with landowners.

Step 13:  Drop a line to the chase crew members who are helping you land.  They will assist in getting to a spot in the field where your balloon has enough room to deflate, and preferably get you close to a road so you don't have to haul the balloon and gear a million miles to re-load.  Even though the crew members are helping with the landing, you will still need to use the burners to keep yourself off the ground until you are ready for the basket to rest.

Step 14: Deflate the balloon; there are several fun ways to do it.  The crew can use a twisted metal bar that moves the air out called a milking bar, or you can roll on the balloon like Audrey, Margo, and I did.

Step 15: Standing two-feet apart, everyone lifts part of the balloon and begins packing it back inside a huge bag.

Step 16: Load everything back into the vehicle and celebrate the ride with the crew, champagne, and some good stories about the history of ballooning.

Balloons Over The Rainbow will be participating in The Great Forest Park Balloon Race - the Glow is Friday night and the Balloon Race Saturday.  Both events are free and open to the public and take place in Forest Park.  Balloons Over The Rainbow has participated in the race the last 19 years, but they are also available for private and group balloon rides.

You can see video from ToastedRav's awesome ride with Fear and his crew by clicking on the ToastedRav Video tab!