Sunday 14 August, 2022: As the dawn began to break casting its golden glow across the field at the Ashton Court Estate, the energy also rose as the rapidly increasing crowd and the pilots with their ground crews eagerly awaited launch time. Large fans were placed in front of lengthy heaps of what looked like coloured plastic tarps patiently held open at one end by a person as they slowly and gently filled with air. At the other end, another helper held a long cable attached to the balloon to stabilise it. Fragile looking baskets were tipped on their sides a little way from the fans as they were connected to the envelope. One by one, the 60+ brightly coloured balloons slowly morphed into a more familiar shape standing fat and tall, shoulder to shoulder many sporting logos or designs that only became recognisable when the balloon completely filled. An announcer increased the excitement by drawing our attention to the tall Bristol sign where “Smokey Dave” would either give the go-ahead to fly from the Flight Committee, or stop the proceedings right there and then. An expectant hush fell over the crowd until bright green “go” smoke drifted upwards on the still air. Perfect conditions: no red smoke today.
With no additional fanfare, one balloon from the middle of the pack simply rose quietly and gracefully into the air until it paused for a few minutes at about 100 feet as though waiting for the others to catch up. We cheered and stared up into the air trying to catch the quiet drama on our cell phones. Accompanied by inspiring music over the public address system, the balloons all began lifting into the air in ones, twos, and any number of multiples, slowly drifting away towards the Severn River somewhere off behind the wooded hillside. Soon all were away dotting the sky like enormous coloured bubbles.
The atmosphere of the event was lighthearted and fun-one team in the University of the West (UWE) balloon stayed low traversing the entire field spraying other ground crews with a large water soaker as it went, a skeleton dangling from a safety line. Another crowd favourite, especially with the younger ones, was the Shawn the Sheep balloon that grinned down from its familiar cute black face. The largest balloons lifted huge baskets that could hold a dozen or two people it seemed, while the smallest carried one solitary pilot. It was a surprisingly breathtaking spectacle. But why so compelling and appealing, enough to draw hundreds if not thousands to the park, many of whom left home in the dark way before 6am?
Perhaps with all the advances of modern air travel including greater speeds, power, technological options and distractions for passengers (as well as greater numbers of people crammed onto each plane) and the associated noise, the hot air balloon is a throwback to a simpler age when it wasn’t the destination that counted, but rather how you got there. Quietly drifting at the whim of the wind emitting only an occasional whoosh of burning propane into the vast envelope to stay aloft, the hot air balloon surely must be an antidote to the stresses of our modern fast-paced way of life. Watching them launch en masse so close together and slowly drifting off, there seemed to be a strong camaraderie among those flying; a bond perhaps forged by participating in an age-old tradition that has changed little from a time when air travel was far from the norm and the chances of survival often negligible to say the least.
Hot air balloons have actually been around for longer than you may think. The Chinese first utilised hot air for balloons in the 13th Century, although it’s not known if the balloons carried anyone into the air. However, in 1783 in France, following a pair of successful test flights in a balloon designed by the Montgolfier brothers that carried small farmyard animals as test pilots, the first manned flight took to the skies in the same balloon this time piloted by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes. They covered several miles and were in the air for about 25 minutes. Both humans and farm animals survived their respective flights, although I’m not so sure the animals were willing volunteers. The challenge then as now was to find a material strong enough to hold the hot air and the passengers while still being light enough to fly. Another challenge was how to add more hot air during flight. Today, there are many synthetic materials available and safe, reliable burners usually run off propane making flights longer and the balloons much more entertaining to look at. Despite the changes to materials, the peace and serenity of a hot air balloon ride has changed little in the 239 years since the first manned flight making them popular even in today’s high-tech and fast paced world. Also, as a slow moving and quiet mode of transport, hot air balloons have a variety of uses including rides for tourists, platforms for parachute jumps, wildlife photography, and more.
The spectacle of any hot air balloon at an event is hugely popular with the public, and any time several balloons congregate the number of attendees increases dramatically. Today, there are hot air balloon festivals around the world attended by thousands of people in places such as Colorado and Santa Fe, USA; Canberra, Australia; Switzerland; Japan; Spain; Italy; and Taiwan to name but a few.
The annual Bristol International Hot Air Balloon Festival was first launched back in 1979 when a small number of balloonists organised the event which boasted 27 balloons. It has grown over the years to one of the biggest gatherings in the world with recent visitors to the 4-day event numbering around 500,000 and with as many as 100 participating balloons. With music, rides and other air spectacles such as powered paragliders, and a vibrant fair, the fiesta is a hugely popular event and brings millions of pounds in revenue to the city every year.
I have to admit that before I saw one up close, I was a little indifferent about ballooning. Yet, judging by the multitude of people sitting near me gaping and pointing (as I was) this past launch day, and my own quite strong emotional reaction to the communal launch, I now believe that most of us are definitely intrigued by these grand, silent, ecologically friendly balloons as they drift above and wonder what it’s like to stand in one of the baskets looking down on the world as it drifts timelessly by.
If you’d like to get involved, visit, or just find out more, here is the official website for next year’s fiesta:
See you there-perhaps even riding in one next time!
