My First Hot Air Balloon Ride
By Roscoe Barnes III
#VisitNatchez
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Sarah Sookraj and Roscoe Barnes III. Walt Rudy, the pilot, in
back.
Photo by Sarah Sookraj
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"Captain Kirk ain’t got nothing on me!"
That’s what I said Wednesday (Oct. 13, 2021) following my first hot air
balloon flight. Of course, I was thinking of William Shatner, who took flight into
space on the same day on the Blue
Origin Rocket. At 90, he boldly went where no man his age had
ever gone before. It was quite an accomplishment.
And so was my flight over parts of Louisiana. It was
interesting, exciting, breathtaking, beautiful, and at the same time, surprisingly
serene. It was far better than I imagined, and I would gladly do it again.
I took the flight with my colleague, Sarah Sookraj. Walt Rudy,
who hails from Ohio, piloted the balloon.
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Sarah Sookraj, Katie Ernst and Roscoe Barnes III Photo by Sarah Sookraj
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Ready for launch
We launched around 4:30 p.m. from Syrah Resources in
Vidalia, La., just across the Mississippi River, only a few miles from Natchez.
For me, it was interesting to see how well organized the flights were. You had
the pilot, who carried the balloon, the basket, and all the gear inside his van
that was decorated with balloon images. When he pulled into the open field to prepare for launch, he
was joined by “the crew,” which consisted of several people who eagerly
assisted him in getting everything out of his van and onto the field. The crew,
I learned, is essential to ballooning.
According to my colleague, Katie Ernst, who has a wealth
of experience in this area, the crew helps to open the “envelope” – name given
to the balloon. They also help to get the balloon up. They serve as a spotter
for the balloon once it’s in flight, and they drive a “chase” vehicle to ensure
they’re on site when the balloon lands. Their help is especially needed for
landing because the balloon bounces when it touches the ground. The crew helps
by jumping on the basket to hold it down.
Once the balloon was taken from the van and spread out on
the ground, within minutes, the pilot and crew used large fans and fire to inflate
the balloon. It was like watching an emaciated, lifeless form of a snakeskin stretched
out over a dry field, suddenly come to life.
Walt, being the professional that he is, provided safety
tips before the flight. He cautioned us to follow his directives at all times
and to only get in and out of the basket when he instructed us to do so. He also
pointed out the things we could hold on to for safety. He advised us to look
out for power lines, which he said could be dangerous.
He explained how the balloon would begin a little rocky during
takeoff, and he was right. I hopped inside the basket and before I knew it, the
basket nearly turned on its side as the wind began pulling it across the field.
The crew, consisting of several women and men, jumped on the outside of the
basket to hold it down. It was like watching a wrestling match on the WWE. Thankfully, the crew won.
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Walt Rudy, the pilot, is briefing Sarah Sookraj and Roscoe
Barnes III. Photo by Katie Ernst
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Ears popping
Once everything settled, and Sarah and I both were inside, we slowly ascended, floating,
it seemed, with movement that was hardly noticeable. We grinned and waved to the people below as we climbed higher and higher, eventually reaching 4,000 feet.
When we reached a certain altitude, I felt my ears
popping. Walt said that was normal.
I looked at Sarah, and she was all smiles.
I pulled out my phone to shoot video and take photos, but
I was so afraid of dropping it, my hands began shaking. I also wanted to look out
over the basket but remembered my glasses. My Trifocals. Didn’t want to drop them.
“I better hold on to these,” I thought as I gripped my
glasses with trembling hands and took a look down below.
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The Launch
Photo by Katie Ernst |
“Wow!” I said. “Can’t believe this. It is beautiful! What
an experience!”
As I basked in the sun light and the panoramic beauty of
Vidalia below, I checked on my colleague.
“How are you, Sarah?” I asked.
“Fine. It’s beautiful!”
Throughout the trip, I felt the heat above from the “hot
air” -- the propane flame shooting out of the burners -- bearing down on the back of my head. A few times I checked to see if my hair
was singed. Whenever Walt released the propane, a process called "burning," it made a loud "whoosh" sound. It was like having Darth Vader breathing down your neck. It was hot, but still kind of cool.
Every once in a while, we felt a nice breeze.
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View of Louisiana and Mississippi
Photo by Sarah Sookraj |
‘Everything … so small’
As we passed over communities and viewed the vehicles and
streets below us, Sarah joked about the size of everything.
“Everything seems so small,” she said.
While sailing over a forest, Sarah spotted wildlife
below.
“Look!” she said. “Do you see the deer?”
A few deer were making their way through a thick patch of
woods. The top of their heads and light brown shoulders stood out in the dark
green environment.
At one point I asked Sarah what she thought of the ride. “I
love it,” she said. “It’s so smooth, you won’t believe it.”
We came over a small lake and Walt brought us down near
the surface of the water. “Do you see any gators?” he asked. “I’m sure there
are some down there.”
As we came up from the water, I was struck by the speed
of the balloon. I saw us moving toward a few trees and wondered if we had
enough time to sail over them without striking them. But Walt assured us we had
nothing to worry about. And within seconds, we were high above the trees.
Even though I have issues with motion sickness, it did
not bother me on the flight. In fact, I sensed very little movement. Everything
was calm and peaceful.
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The Landing in Lake Concordia
Photo by Katie Ernst
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The landing
Just before we landed, we crossed over Lake Concordia,
where a few people ran outside of their homes to see the balloon. They waved at
us, and we waved back.
Walt yelled out to them, “Hello, Louisiana! Hello!”
A few minutes later, we sailed over some power lines and
prepared to land in an open field. It appeared to be a corn field.
“Now when I tell you to brace for landing, I want you to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart," said Walt. "Then you should bend your knees and hold on." He reminded us that the landing could
be a little bumpy as the basket has no wheels.
As we came near the ground, we braced for impact. The
basket touched the ground, then lifted a few inches, before coming down again.
“You OK, Sarah?” I called. “Yes. I’m fine.”
We held on with knees bent.
The basket bounced. It dragged a few feet across the
field and leaned nearly on its side before coming to a full stop. It was around
5:30 p.m. – a one-hour flight.
When we climbed out of the basket, Walt and the crew
members asked what I thought of the flight. I told them I loved it so much I want
to come back next year and join a crew.
“This is now off my bucket list,” I joked. “Can I get a
balloon tattoo?
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Mission Accomplished! Photo by Katie Ernst
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Overview of Flight
Location for lift-off: Syrah Resources, Vidalia, La.
Altitude: 4,000 feet
Distance: 14 miles
Speed: 18 mph
Weather: Sunny with light breeze, temps in 80s
Landing: In a field past Lake Concordia
Length of flight: 1 hour
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Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., is the Cultural Heritage
and Tourism Manager at Visit Natchez.
