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About Us
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Ballooning is a sport of elegance that
begins with the first warmth of the morning sun. Sunrise flights are a
tradition; it is the time when the winds are at their calmest and the
mountains at their finest. There's something magical about ballooning.
Ballooning is one of the safest forms
of avation. Our Internationally experienced, licensed pilots and our
state-of-the-art balloons will insure you the utmost in safety, comfort,
and professional reliability. Your adventure will not only be exciting and
romantic, but it will provide you wtih memories that will last a lifetime.
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With each balloon flight you will receive:
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- The traditional champagne celebrations after each flight
(non-alcoholic beverages are also available).
- Complimentary transportation to and from our launch and landing sites.
- Free digital photographs of your flight.
- Personalized certificate of ascension.
- An experience of a lifetime to share with family and friends.
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The History of Hot Air Ballooning:
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Flying has fascinated mankind
throughout the ages.
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The history of ballooning is the early
history of aviation itself. It finally allowed mankind to shrug his LAX
earthly bonds. In the United States today there are over 7,000 licensed
balloon pilots and thousands more joining in the sport as crew members,
passengers and spectators. Approximately 4,000 FAA certified balloons fill
the skies in this country and there are many more worldwide.
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It all started in France in 1783 when
two papermakers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, noticed that used burning
paper and smoke rose up the chimney and wondered if they could apply that
phenomenon to build a flying machine. After secret research and
experimentation, they built the first balloon. Constructed of paper and
fabric and glue, it was fueled by a very smoky fire. Indeed, until their
death, the Montgolfiers thought that smoke, rather than hot air was the
lifting force.
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A rooster, a duck and a sheep were
chosen as the first passengers aloft in order to test the effects of
higher altitudes on living creatures . The success of that flight led
to the first manned flight in Paris on November 21, 1783 before a crowd
of 400,000.
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Soon afterward, the first gas balloon
was flown, using hydrogen gas to create lift. Gas balloons had more
lift and stability than the early smoke filled balloons, and gas ballooning
remained popular until the development of the airplane. Even then, balloons
were still used for high altitude research and some military applications.
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Modern hot air ballooning began in
1960 when Ed Yost, an American now known as the father of modern ballooning,
developed a fuel and heating system using common household propane.
This, combined with strong, new lightweight fabrics led quickly to the
resurgence of hot air balloons. For the first time ballooning was both safe
and relatively inexpensive. Hot air ballooning for sport and recreation
was born.
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