Statesville, NC (8/1/2016) - The organization of National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc. is deeply saddened to learn of a 16 person fatal hot air balloon accident in Lockhart, Texas.
 
"We extend our hearts, thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of all people involved," said Pressly Mattox, Chairman of Carolina BalloonFest (CBF).  "We are members of a small hot air balloon community and this is a difficult time for our ballooning family.”
 
National Balloon Rally Charities will not comment about the specifics of the accident since it is currently under a National Transportation and Safety Board investigation. Nothing is more important than the safety of our pilots and passengers during the weekend of Carolina BalloonFest. We anticipate learning from this investigation and will certainly use any forthcoming information to uphold and continue our impressive safety record.
 
"As a member of Balloon Federation of America, we intend to continue monitoring news and official reports. We are committed to ongoing, continuous improvement and seek ways to improve safety during our hot air balloon festival,” said Mattox.

Pressly Mattox
Chairman, National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc.
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If you see a pilot looking at their iPad or phone, chances are they are looking at a weather app. Balloonists pay a lot of attention to weather. Walk by a crowd of them at Carolina BalloonFest, and if they are not talking about it then it has been discussed in the last few minutes. We understand it is a great mystery to people and we want to try to help. So....I got a little help from a special guest to give you a little weather and ballooning lesson.

Duncan Dunavent is a special member of our local ballooning community and most weekends you can find him helping crew hot air balloons. He has also attended the Great Eastern Balloon Camp for several summers, as well as a weather camp. Duncan is 14 and a student at the South Iredell IB School. If you see Duncan around the festival this weekend and have ballooning questions, I am sure he will be happy to help answer them. But in the meantime, here's some thoughts on the weather from Duncan!

Weather For Ballooning 

Most people love to see hot air balloons at the festival and will come at any part of the day expecting to see them. However if you get there at 2:00, there will be no balloons taking off to fly. Did you ever wonder why?

Balloons only fly in this part of the country during the early morning, right after sunrise, and just about 2 hours before sunset. During the rest of the day the sun causes the atmosphere to become unstable. The winds will also probably be too high and unstable and the balloons need calm winds.

At Carolina BalloonFest, our Balloonmeister Sam Parks has the final say as to whether it is safe for balloons to fly. Even though the wind may be calm on the BalloonFest field, Sam and his team are watching how they look higher up and all around the area. It may be calm at 500 feet, but breezy at 3,000.

The balloons also cannot fly with rain around the area. Though it may be sunny on the BalloonFest field, it might be raining close by. The FAA will not allow a balloon to take off with a thunderstorm or rain within 10 miles of the field. Most pilots prefer that a thunderstorm be at least 75-100 miles away and not moving towards them.

Under FAA regulations (not just for BalloonFest, but across the entire USA) balloons must have a minimum of 3 miles visibility. This means if it is too foggy, they also cannot fly.

While the Balloonmeister has the overall say as to whether balloons can fly at the festival, most pilots have their own personal limits. Even if the Balloonmeister opens the field and allows balloons to fly, it is always the pilot's final decision as to whether they will fly their balloon.

The Balloonmeister and his team of experts spend a lot of their time at the festival tracking the weather. If the weather is looking iffy at the pilot's briefing (a meeting where they talk about flying conditions), then they put things on hold and continue to look at the weather before they make a final decision. Watch the flagpole. If the yellow flag is up, there is a delay as they watch conditions. If the green flag goes up, it means pilots are allowed to fly. If the pink flag goes up, the pilots gather for another meeting. If the flag is red, the balloons will not be able to fly.

If the pilots cannot fly, they try to see if there is anything else they can do that day. If the winds on the ground are low and stable, they may be able to tether the balloons. If it is night, may be able to do a balloon glow. 

Pilots love to fly their balloons, so they are often the most disappointed when conditions don't allow for it to happen. You can be assured of this...if it is safe to fly, they will be ready to launch!

Yes, that could be you in the basket! Carolina BalloonFest is a great place to take your first balloon ride...or your second....or your tenth! Being up in the air with the crowds below, and other balloons around you.....it is quite amazing.  Each year folks come to Statesville and check that experience off their bucket list. Many people have gotten engaged at Carolina BalloonFest, and a few have gotten married. The couple in the picture were married last year, surrounded by family and friends and, well, a very big crowd of strangers. After they were pronounced man and wife, they took off for what I am sure was quite a memorable flight.

Balloon rides at Carolina BalloonFest are $250 per person. You can find booking information online at the Carolina BalloonFest website. If a pilot is booking rides and has passenger space available, you will find contact information for them on our pilot page.  Book a Ride  Scroll down the page and you will be able to see a picture of their balloons.

Why are balloon rides so expensive? Let's look at what it takes. All pilots who offer them have to be commercial pilots. That means they have paid for training and testing that goes beyond being a private pilot (which in itself is quite the accomplishment)....and continue to be tested throughout their career. They never stop learning.

Then there is the cost of the hot air balloon itself. Hot air balloons are expensive. We usually tell people to think of the cost of one on the same level as a car. Like a car, you can get them used, or new, or very, very upgraded and specialized.

Also like a car balloons have to be inspected and maintained. To transport their balloon, the pilot needs a chase vehicle. They have to have room to transport their balloon, crew, and passengers. The balloon flies on propane, the chase vehicle needs gasoline. Both the balloon and the vehicle need insurance. Then there are the electronics... those things the pilot uses to help fly the balloon, and those the pilot and chase crew use to stay in communication.

There also is the people factor....a pilot needs a good chase crew to help them set the balloon up, launch, follow them (wherever they go), and be there to help them take the balloon down. It's a big investment of time for a lot of people....not just the pilot.

Other things impact the cost, too, but that gives you an idea. Ballooning is an expensive sport....no one gets rich doing it!

How long is a ride? Usually around 45 minutes, but that can vary greatly. The weather matters, of course. What's going on with the winds? What time did you launch? There actually is a limited window of flyable time....pilots can fly in this area morning and night, but there are usually only a couple of flyable hours. And where can they land? Pilots spend most of their flight looking for good landing spots. For example, they want a place that is power-line free, they want to stay away from livestock, they want to land in a place where their chase vehicle can have access, and they want to land in a place where the landowner is friendly. Pilots love to fly....but they also want a safe landing. That is their priority on any flight.

Communicate with your pilot as to any plans you have for the flight, such as if you are planning to propose. They need to be aware of what is going to happen during the flight in advance, so they are not distracted as they are flying. (They're good secret keepers...honest!) They'll ask you questions, like about your weight, not to be nosy but because there are weight limits they must adhere to for the balloon. Be honest with them....it's really for a purpose and not for random curiosity. Tell them about any health issues, so you can discuss whether it is a good idea for you to fly, or so they can make necessary accommodations. You can even tell them if you are scared to death of taking the flight.  They want it to be a good experience for you and often can talk you through those fears.

Most of our pilots offering rides have full baskets for the weekend before BalloonFest gets here, so make plans now if that is something that you want to do. I took my first ride at Carolina BalloonFest years ago, and I loved every second of it. I hope the same for you. So go ahead....give it a try. Wave at the crowd as you descend up in the air. And don't forget your camera...this will be the photo op of a lifetime!  Book a Ride