Cairns Hot Air Ballooning

The hot air balloon is said to be the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, the first flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurentd’ Arlandes in a hot air balloon created by the Montgolfier brothers. Balloons have come a long way since then, and ours carried 20 people.

I’ve often seen the balloons floating silently over Canberra and wondered what it would be like to be aloft in one. We decided to share the Cairns hot air ballooning experience with my parents. So we booked a flight over the Atherton Tablelands. Initially, I was a little concerned that it might be too adventurous for my parents, who are in their 70s. However, they had no problems even when the basket was put on its side as part of the disembarkment procedure!

The coach pick-up from the hotel was at 5 am, so we all had an early start to be ready. The balloons lift off from Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands, about an hour’s drive from Cairns.

The unique flying conditions at Mareeba provide 98% tour reliability. This statistic is impressive and unmatched worldwide within the Ballooning industry.

Launching

On arrival at the launch site in the half-light, six balloons were slowly being inflated, already looming like skyscrapers on their sides. Blue fiery gas blasts lit up the morning sky, and it felt like we were at Cape Canaveral.

Before we knew it, we were climbing into the basket, going over final safety checks. Learning how to brace-crouch in case of a mishap. As the horizon turned to gold, we began our ascent. Kept warm by the regular blasts of propane gas above our heads. Soon we were at 4,000 feet, and although we couldn’t feel the breeze, we were moving across the ground at 35 knots. Our pilot pointed out coffee plantations and other exciting locations, but the joy was simply in the flight.

Landing

The 30-minute flight soon ended, and as we descended through the light mist. We could see kangaroos bounding away beneath us. The balloon was off-course, but the pilot made a great landing. We did prepare in crouch mode as the basket tipped on its side. The basket anchors the ‘envelope’ or balloon whilst deflated and prevents the wind from dragging it along the ground.

Raging Thunder has Australia’s largest hot air balloons, and the highly trained crew makes the balloon flight a thoroughly enjoyable experience. After we’d come down to earth, a short 10-minute coach ride took us to the Mareeba Heritage Centre, where we enjoyed champagne, fresh juices, eggs & bacon, and tropical fruits.

Our tour also included return transfers back to our Cairns accommodation. Cairns hot air ballooning is a costly experience ($190 a head) but something one should do at least once in a lifetime! Many accommodation places have links with the balloon operators. They will help book the flight and even pick you up from where you are staying.

How they work

Raging Thunder

A hot air balloon consists of a bag called the envelope capable of containing heated air. Suspended beneath is the gondola or wicker basket. (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule). This carries the passengers and a source of heat.

The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant since it has a lower density than the relatively cold air outside. The envelope is open at the bottom. Since the air near the bottom of the envelope is at the same pressure as the surrounding air.

The balloon envelope is a nylon fabric. Fire-resistant material like a firemen’s suit, such as Nomex, is at the mouth of the balloon (closest to the burner flame).