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When and Where We Fly
SAFETY FIRST
The most important consideration in ballooning is safety. That is why the balloon is inspected at a licensed facility every year. That is why the pilot has a bi-annual flight review. That is why we use checklists and follow strict procedures. We even need to know how much our passengers weigh, so we don't overheat the balloon.
Being safe allows us to enjoy the pleasure of floating on air!
WEATHER
We will not fly when it is windy, when it is raining or foggy, or when there are thunderstorms anywhere in the vicinity. We usually fly at sunrise because that is when the air is most calm and there is little traffic on the roads (making it easier for the crew in the van to get to the landing site).
The pilot makes the decision about weather because nice weather is not always good ballooning weather. On the other hand, the weather may not be so good where we live, but be good for ballooning around the launch site.
Sometimes we can tell a week in advance that a particular date will not work. Sometimes we don't know if the weather will be good until the night before. The final decision to fly (or not) is made by the pilot at the launch site shortly before the planned flight time.
We will fly Monday through Friday any time of the year, weather permitting.
In the winter it is sometimes possible to fly later in the day, but that is unusual. The best weather for ballooning is usually from May to October.
THE DECISION TO FLY
We monitor the weather every day because it is constantly changing. We will get a briefing from Flight Services the night before the flight and will call it off if necessary. We will get another briefing the morning of the flight. When we get to the launch site we will release a helium balloon to find out the wind direction and speed. That is when we make the final decision to fly or not.
LOCATION
We fly in the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York State, launching from Columbia County airport in Ghent (north of Hudson), NY. You can see from the picture at the right that the scenery is spectacular!
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