First, we missed the sunrise; we drove around for over an hour trying to find a "safe' launch place. Four other balloons were already in the air! We stayed in the air enjoying a one hour drift over a gun range (rat-tat-tat) and prison landing in a field just southwest of Anthem. We did see three wild burros as we were descending; I think we let out of their areas when we literally blew through a barb wire fence during the landing! the "crash" landing was exactly that... a crash landing. We skimmed the top of some small trees skidded and hopped at least six times finally hitting a large berm, popping over it and landing when the basket tipped over!!!
This wonderful excitement was followed by an elegant breakfast of Cook's sparking something a.k.a. champagne, with hard boiled eggs, cold individual rolls in a package, orange juice. Oh, we did have white table clothes...it was not exactly "tre-elegante"!
Overall, I rate it an E for effort and "F" for the experience. A supposedly, four hour elegant event that turned into watching them work/drive for two hours; one hour in the air and another hour experiencing a dusty mediocre breakfast; McDonald's would have been more elegant!!!
Ответ от хоста
Jun 2016
As I have explained in a previous post, a sunrise balloon flight does not mean you will see the sunrise from the flight. You will NEVER see the sunrise from one of our flights. It simply means the tour begins in the very early morning.
Choosing a launch site in a major metropolitan area is the single most important part of your ballooning experience. It takes time and patience. We must choose a launch site where the winds are headed toward open and abundant landing sites. The winds are often variable and usually change when the sun comes up. If we were to launch pre-dawn the winds could and probably will change significantly and lead us to undesirable areas for landing. I have been doing this for over 30 years and there is no short cut to proper pre-flight planning. This is a part of the ballooning experience.
We are operating an aircraft with no engine, no steering wheel, no propeller and no brakes. We are at the mercy of the winds to get to a good and safe landing. We take our time to find the right launch site to ensure the safety of all.
On your flight the winds unexpectedly increased on landing but I prepared everyone in advance on how to position themselves for upmost safety. After we came to a complete stop we encountered another gust which laid the basket over on its side. From a pilot's perspective, this flight was an absolute total success. We had a scenic flight over some beautiful desert but more importantly executed a safe landing in high winds with not so much as a broken fingernail. I have a 100% perfect safety record over my 31 years as a commercial hot air balloon pilot. Nothing is more important to me.
I suppose some would even criticize Captain Sullenberger who landed his USAirways jet safely in the Hudson River for getting their shoes wet...and then there was that horrible airplane food!