The Palm Beach Post - South Florida
Early to bed my adventure began with a 5 a.m. wake up call, which was no problem since I was too excited to sleep. The phone rang right on time. It was the pilot, Barry Rowars, a balloonist who's been flying since 1978, letting us know that the weather conditions were right and all systems were go my husband, Paul and I had more than an hour from Jupiter to the meeting site at a Dunkin Donuts' parking lot, near Palmetto Park and Powerline road in Boca Raton.
We arrived at 6:15 a.m. and walked about in the early dawn light, introducing ourselves to the balloon pilot. Every weekend, as many as 10 pilots with their balloons, volunteer ground crew members who assist with the balloons, and the passengers meet to go flying. "It's the closest you'll ever get to flying on a cloud," says pilot Wayne Hodnett, 50, owner of Hod-Air Excursions in Pembroke Pines. We had met with Hodnett a few days earlier to make the final arrangements. The trip is about an hour long and costs $150.00 per person to reserve a spot on a balloon, reservations are required. "My oldest customer was 88 years old." Hodnett says. "My customers include all ages. But people over 50, who seem to have an adventuresome spirit, purchase rides to celebrate special events together or as a gift for a birthday or anniversary.
To get a private balloon license from the FAA requires 10 hours of instruction, and a commercial license requires 35 flight hours. Many of our crew members were pilots in training, donating their services in exchange for lessons.
With a few more blasts of hot air, the baskets sat upright-ready for us to climb in. Climbing into a chest-high basket, which holds four to five people, was a challenge for my 5 foot-3-inch frame. So I forgot about making a graceful entrance, placed my foot in the toe hold, swung my left leg over and climbed in. Fortunately, I wore Bermuda shorts (slacks or jeans work too), a good suggestion for prospective flyers.
Up and Away
The only word I can use to describe our ascent is "gentle".
One minute, I was earthbound; the next minute, I was looking at tree tops. There was no burst of adrenaline. Only a sense of wonder and beauty as we slowly lifted into the sky.
"I think of balloons as gentle giants serving as ambassadors wherever we go," Rowars says. This philosophy was evident as we soared 1,000 feet above Boca Raton neighborhoods in the early morning hours. People raced out of their homes to wave. We could even see a young father holding his 15-month-old baby up to their second story window to watch two balloons drift by.
Taking a hot-air balloon ride is something I have always wanted to do. A kindred spirit.
I was surprised that it didn't take a lot of space to land. According to Rowars, a good pilot can nail a landing on targets smaller than 10 square feet. This skill is often part of ballooning competition feats. Getting out the basket was the same as getting in. I found the toe-hold, swung my leg over the top of the basket and climbed out. Easy.
Within minutes, the chase van appeared with the crew, who had followed our trip through town visually and by a two-way radio. Together, we helped deflate the balloon and roll it into the wicker basket. Amazingly, every thing was dismantled and loaded into the van in 10 minutes.