Who are the Montgolfiers? There are many unique communities of different ages and professions in the world. The Hot air balloon community is the only people that can boast with pride that they “touched” the clouds, floated in a gondola at the height of a bird’s flight and touched the tops of trees with a basket. There are so many stories being told, both ridiculous and extreme that a “normal” person simply cannot believe them but if they do, they will I am sure rush without hesitation to register with a team of balloonists so as to experience these events for themselves.
Who are the Montgolfiers? The history began in 1782 when the brothers Jean-Etienne and Joseph-Michel Montgolfier who were fond of aeronautics, invented the aerostatic creation. The first solid balloon rose up in air to a height of 300 meters and stayed there for 10 minutes. And in Versailles on the 19th of September 1783 the aircraft rose up to the skies with its first passengers – a sheep, a chicken and a duck. And since that day, mankind gained the most romantic invention ever. Flying up in the clouds people feel differently, they get a sense of freedom and feel completely liberated from within. During many a flight some people take the trip to propose marriage, some to celebrate a birthday or simply to forget their problems and get immersed in the joy of actually floating in silence high up in the clouds.
The hot air balloon with its adjustable gas torch that fills the balloon with hot air, reminds one of a flying fire-spitting dragon with a large belly. Should you hear some funny sounds one day suddenly coming from above, you may be lucky enough to spot a Balloon up in the sky that will at first appear as a pretty flying dragon vomiting flames from his fat belly. Of course we are talking metaphorically and the dragon will not have three heads but the humans in the basket will be waving hands, making all sorts of noises or simply admiring the landscape with open mouths. Some baskets will hold up to 20 people and during their moment of exhilaration they appear to forget that they were born to walk on land and never fly.
In Russia for example, when a balloon finally lands, flight beginners undergo a unique ceremony of initiation into the Air brotherhood, by setting their hair on fire and extinguishing it immediately by pouring Champagne over their head, then get their bottom whipped with a broom made from wild flowers. Finally, they will be given an official certificate granting them the title of Lord of the manor into which they landed in. Wow!!! How good can it get?
Well! Interested? Then let’s fly. Why not register with your local ballooning club in your country be it Russia, Ukraine, New Zealand, Holland or the UK…
