oh no you had to weigh the balloon down. i work on a hot air balloon crew, its the procedure for every landing, not just a crash landing, and the cost of the balloon is a lot more than a few scrapes from thorns. dont ride something like this if you cant handle consequences.
I was joking about the shirt being my favorite. It was just a T-shirt. My mother passed away in 1989. My wife did kiss my boo-boo. Thank you for your concern.
I'm a student pilot who has been around balloons since i was eight years old.
This is a quick landing, probably chosen because the pilot was running low on fuel, heading into a red zone, or knew there were no landing spots beyond that.
And I sincerely doubt there's a scar on your chest.
You signed a waiver for a reason. This was an unusual landing, but not a crash.
Quick landing yes. We did in fact crash into the trees though. Opinions opinions.
Of course I signed the waiver- that's why I held no animosity against the balloon company. That's why I didn't take any legal action against the company. (even though believe it or not, I was approached by a lawyer through youtube) I realize that it was an 'at-your-own-risk' activity. And yes, here is a small scar there. I treasure it like any other scar of adventure.
Only sad people with empty lives try spend hours editing footage to make it seem more dramatic. Who are you trying to impress? The denizens of youtube? Pathetic.
Not trying to impress anyone. I'm not sad at all. And I don't feel my life is empty. Thank you for defining it for me though. Now I understand the definition of a sad empty life: Army Veteran, Married 18+ years, 5 great kids (1 adopted), take road trips every summer, have a B.A. from an accredited university, working on a Master's Degree...I'm very thankful for my "sad...empty life". Be thankful that you are not me! Enjoy your life and have a great day!! :-)
For those of you interested in seeing the true devestation of an ACTUAL crash you can watch the following videos, if I can get past "comment pending approval" that is. watch?v=EgP2UoO3a14&feature=related or watch?v=_1Fqvecc-8k&NR=1 This video is as annoying as researching cancer and finding videos with people who have cold's. Don't call it something it's not just for attention. People have actually been hurt this way.. this was merely a quick landing.
@BlatantlyBritt You are upset clearly because you must have been looking for gore. This is correctly labled. We did in fact crash. I do have a scar on my chest. I posted this for friends and family to see what happened to us. I didn't anticipate so many views.
Not to be rude, evidently this wasn't the best ballooning experience you guys could of had. The pilot would have been protecting his passengers.
Landing in lemon trees is idiotic, so no one would have chosen to land there unless it was the only option. "Weighing down" the basket is essential in a normal flight, and the effort that goes into crewing a balloon is immense. Let alone in times like that.
Balloon Flight is the most amazing experience in the world. Each adventure is different...
@blindkilla2 That's interesting that you say "fake". It wasn't staged. The danger that we were in wasn't as evident to us when it was happening, but in hindsight it could have been deadly. We were stuck in that basket for around 15 minutes till the ground crew got there to try and secure the basket & put tarps down on the lemon trees to lower the balloon. The lemon grove wasn't trimmed or pruned. We were swinging around those thick branches...I wouldn't call the scar on my chest fake.
@denismoloney27 It was the end of the ride. We missed the first landing spot...then the second...then the third...we were almost to the ocean and he had to land us, so he felt like he had no choice but to land in a lemon orchard.
Almost all pilots are trained with the idea that it is much easier to replace a balloon than a person (and any of their insurance companies would agree.) He took the best opportunity he had in front of him. It would have been much better to choose a bad landing spot while you still have fuel, than to let gravity and the wind determine one when you are out of it. This was a good job in a difficult situation and I encourage everyone to NOT be discouraged from ballooning by this video!
Having been around ballons for over 20 years I can tell you that although this is far from ideal, the pilot made the correct decision to best protect the passengers. The goal is to land with ample fuel remaining, however, multiple aborted landings definitely burns through fuel. Fuel consumption is based on many things, such as the number/weight of passengers, the type of flying (i.e. level flight uses less fuel than changing elevations), the age of the balloon, the temperature, etc.
@Balloonatic84 Was it smooth? Did we crash into the lemon trees? Just because we didn't die or slam into the ground doesn't mean it wasn't a crash. Webster defines crash as this: to fall, land, or hit with destructive force. So I don't need to justify anything. A fact is a fact. The force was destructive enough to break apart numerous branches, damage the basket, cut me up, ripped my shirt, left a scar on my chest. I don't know, maybe I'm completely crazy for using a term like "crash".
@quincy555 That's interesting that you say "fake". It wasn't staged. The danger that we were in wasn't as evident to us when it was happening, but in hindsight it could have been deadly. We were stuck in that basket for around 15 minutes till the ground crew got there to try and secure the basket & put tarps down on the lemon trees to lower the balloon. The lemon grove wasn't trimmed or pruned. We were swinging around those thick branches...I wouldn't call the scar on my chest fake.
I just went on a hot air balloon ride. So I decided to get on YouTube to check out other peoples experience. HOLY CRAP!! I saw your video and I cant imagine what you thought. The picture of the mans face before you got on and when you crashed says it all. Good job for keeping the video running. It would have been helpful for the FAA and the Coroner. Keep up the good work!
They just let the various drifts of wind carry the balloon.
If they need to go a certain direction, they check the drafts/air currents below them and lower the balloon to the draft going that particular direction.
@familyruncorn I fly a paraglider and we have a lot of control, but are still at the mercy of wind/turbulence/thermals to a degree. But that sounds like being almost powerless! Scary.
I've got to say I don't understand choosing that landing spot at all unless fuel was very low or you were headed out to sea or something. Looks like a lot of damage to the trees too. As a pilot myself, I'm a little embarrassed by this.
Ah, thanks for that info. I rode in one on October 30, in Egypt, and if you see the videoclip, you'll notice that we almost landed in a corn field too, and people were not ecstatic about that, but eventually we went up again.
So did the guy who owned the trees get paid for the damage? I havn't seen ballons paying for the damage they cause. That's why they're not popular around here.
I have no hard feelings and I wouldn't know what to sue them for...plus we signed the waiver...AND they gave me a free T-Shirt to replace mine since it got ripped. :)
Actually the scratch across my chest has turned into a nice scar. I guess I could sue them for reconstructive chest surgery. How many millions would it take to fix a 1 1/2" scar?
I can tell just by looking at you that your an underwear model. That scar is going to cost you millions in lost revenue:) But seriously, the pilot should have had you in what I call a Safari landing position. Facing opposite the direction of travel, head below the edge of the basket, back up against the padding in the basket, all body parts in the basket, and hanging on to the rope handles with both hands. You would not have a torn shirt or a scratch.
Did the pilot tell you why he chose to land in the trees instead of flying on to an open field? Were you getting low on fuel, how long was the flight?
There were 3 attempts to land before the lemon trees. The first one, we were moving very fast and didn't lower close to the ground till the end of the dirt field (you can see that in the video around 1:45 ). We were still about 25 feet off the ground when he took us back up.
Then we almost landed in a small patch of dirt, but there was a steep ditch next to it & power lines close by. Then he almost took us down in an intersection but the ground crew hadn't caught up to us yet, so up we went again. Then we had "very little fuel" left according to the pilot & he must not have had a choice. The actual flight was around 30 - 45 min.
Oh that is really nice... He must be a nice person :) Im glad you werent seriously hurt... but crash-landing in a thorny orchard had to be a bit uncomfortable :) Hope it didnt ruin you from ever doing it again :)
Bungie jumping is fun.. Scuba is my favorite of all adventures... not as much of an adrenalin rush as sky diving or bungie jumping... but scuba diving on an abundant-with-life reef is the BEST!
oh no you had to weigh the balloon down. i work on a hot air balloon crew, its the procedure for every landing, not just a crash landing, and the cost of the balloon is a lot more than a few scrapes from thorns. dont ride something like this if you cant handle consequences.
MrFathalpert 2 weeks ago
@MrFathalpert
Thank you for your advice. So I'm sure you'll approve of the fact that I haven't ever done it again. Have a pleasant day!
familyruncorn 2 weeks ago
Would you have worn your favorite shirt if you were white water rafting? Mountain climbing? Ballooning is fairly safe but it IS an extreme sport.
I hope you got your mother to kiss your scratch for you.
vossboss11 3 months ago
@vossboss11
I was joking about the shirt being my favorite. It was just a T-shirt. My mother passed away in 1989. My wife did kiss my boo-boo. Thank you for your concern.
familyruncorn 2 weeks ago
This isn't a crash.
I'm a student pilot who has been around balloons since i was eight years old.
This is a quick landing, probably chosen because the pilot was running low on fuel, heading into a red zone, or knew there were no landing spots beyond that.
And I sincerely doubt there's a scar on your chest.
You signed a waiver for a reason. This was an unusual landing, but not a crash.
FreeFlyingRachel 5 months ago
@FreeFlyingRachel
Quick landing yes. We did in fact crash into the trees though. Opinions opinions.
Of course I signed the waiver- that's why I held no animosity against the balloon company. That's why I didn't take any legal action against the company. (even though believe it or not, I was approached by a lawyer through youtube) I realize that it was an 'at-your-own-risk' activity. And yes, here is a small scar there. I treasure it like any other scar of adventure.
familyruncorn 2 weeks ago
Always seemed like a dangerous recreation to me. Ridiculous really, so much can go wrong. These people are lucky not to have hit power lines.
GhastlyCretin85 7 months ago
FAKE
Only sad people with empty lives try spend hours editing footage to make it seem more dramatic. Who are you trying to impress? The denizens of youtube? Pathetic.
mouse743 8 months ago
@mouse743
Not trying to impress anyone. I'm not sad at all. And I don't feel my life is empty. Thank you for defining it for me though. Now I understand the definition of a sad empty life: Army Veteran, Married 18+ years, 5 great kids (1 adopted), take road trips every summer, have a B.A. from an accredited university, working on a Master's Degree...I'm very thankful for my "sad...empty life". Be thankful that you are not me! Enjoy your life and have a great day!! :-)
familyruncorn 2 weeks ago
@mp3ste What are you talking about? There isn't anything spoken at that mark...
familyruncorn 8 months ago
Bit of a coincidence the other balloon is shaped like a lemon lol
balloonfanatic 8 months ago
For those of you interested in seeing the true devestation of an ACTUAL crash you can watch the following videos, if I can get past "comment pending approval" that is. watch?v=EgP2UoO3a14&feature=related or watch?v=_1Fqvecc-8k&NR=1 This video is as annoying as researching cancer and finding videos with people who have cold's. Don't call it something it's not just for attention. People have actually been hurt this way.. this was merely a quick landing.
BlatantlyBritt 8 months ago
@BlatantlyBritt You are upset clearly because you must have been looking for gore. This is correctly labled. We did in fact crash. I do have a scar on my chest. I posted this for friends and family to see what happened to us. I didn't anticipate so many views.
familyruncorn 8 months ago
Not to be rude, evidently this wasn't the best ballooning experience you guys could of had. The pilot would have been protecting his passengers.
Landing in lemon trees is idiotic, so no one would have chosen to land there unless it was the only option. "Weighing down" the basket is essential in a normal flight, and the effort that goes into crewing a balloon is immense. Let alone in times like that.
Balloon Flight is the most amazing experience in the world. Each adventure is different...
Bustyfrog 8 months ago
Clearly fake
blindkilla2 8 months ago
@blindkilla2 That's interesting that you say "fake". It wasn't staged. The danger that we were in wasn't as evident to us when it was happening, but in hindsight it could have been deadly. We were stuck in that basket for around 15 minutes till the ground crew got there to try and secure the basket & put tarps down on the lemon trees to lower the balloon. The lemon grove wasn't trimmed or pruned. We were swinging around those thick branches...I wouldn't call the scar on my chest fake.
familyruncorn 8 months ago
Far from a real "crash" everyone is smiling ;)
But isn't Ballooning always a more or less controlled crash landing ;)
If there is no wind and no gas there aren't many options but to land where you "can"
SteveClement 9 months ago
@SteveClement We are smiling because we didn't realize how much danger we were actually in.
familyruncorn 8 months ago
why did it go down
denismoloney27 9 months ago
@denismoloney27 It was the end of the ride. We missed the first landing spot...then the second...then the third...we were almost to the ocean and he had to land us, so he felt like he had no choice but to land in a lemon orchard.
familyruncorn 8 months ago
WOW!! I had not seen this video...that's some scary stuff. I guess I will never be taking a romantic balloon trip.
barbwyr 1 year ago
Well, it just goes to show that hot air ballooning is not an exact science. You do take a risk with your life if you decide to go up in one.
MistyOjaiGirl 1 year ago
Almost all pilots are trained with the idea that it is much easier to replace a balloon than a person (and any of their insurance companies would agree.) He took the best opportunity he had in front of him. It would have been much better to choose a bad landing spot while you still have fuel, than to let gravity and the wind determine one when you are out of it. This was a good job in a difficult situation and I encourage everyone to NOT be discouraged from ballooning by this video!
js586 1 year ago
Having been around ballons for over 20 years I can tell you that although this is far from ideal, the pilot made the correct decision to best protect the passengers. The goal is to land with ample fuel remaining, however, multiple aborted landings definitely burns through fuel. Fuel consumption is based on many things, such as the number/weight of passengers, the type of flying (i.e. level flight uses less fuel than changing elevations), the age of the balloon, the temperature, etc.
js586 1 year ago
Can you really justify calling his a "Crash Landing"?
Balloonatic84 1 year ago
@Balloonatic84 Was it smooth? Did we crash into the lemon trees? Just because we didn't die or slam into the ground doesn't mean it wasn't a crash. Webster defines crash as this: to fall, land, or hit with destructive force. So I don't need to justify anything. A fact is a fact. The force was destructive enough to break apart numerous branches, damage the basket, cut me up, ripped my shirt, left a scar on my chest. I don't know, maybe I'm completely crazy for using a term like "crash".
familyruncorn 1 year ago 4
Wow the pilot sucks.
cstalley 1 year ago
Worst Balloon pilot EVER.
audikris 1 year ago
fake
quincy555 1 year ago
@quincy555 That's interesting that you say "fake". It wasn't staged. The danger that we were in wasn't as evident to us when it was happening, but in hindsight it could have been deadly. We were stuck in that basket for around 15 minutes till the ground crew got there to try and secure the basket & put tarps down on the lemon trees to lower the balloon. The lemon grove wasn't trimmed or pruned. We were swinging around those thick branches...I wouldn't call the scar on my chest fake.
familyruncorn 1 year ago
I just went on a hot air balloon ride. So I decided to get on YouTube to check out other peoples experience. HOLY CRAP!! I saw your video and I cant imagine what you thought. The picture of the mans face before you got on and when you crashed says it all. Good job for keeping the video running. It would have been helpful for the FAA and the Coroner. Keep up the good work!
sborn1571 1 year ago
how do you steer it
DingDongSuckers 1 year ago
@DingDongSuckers
They just let the various drifts of wind carry the balloon.
If they need to go a certain direction, they check the drafts/air currents below them and lower the balloon to the draft going that particular direction.
familyruncorn 1 year ago
@familyruncorn I fly a paraglider and we have a lot of control, but are still at the mercy of wind/turbulence/thermals to a degree. But that sounds like being almost powerless! Scary.
lgarvey 1 year ago
Wow! That is crazy! always gotta think it could have been worse.
snakebandit 1 year ago
I've got to say I don't understand choosing that landing spot at all unless fuel was very low or you were headed out to sea or something. Looks like a lot of damage to the trees too. As a pilot myself, I'm a little embarrassed by this.
mandopickerwcu 1 year ago
Where did this happen?
anieb 2 years ago
Near Ventura, CA.
familyruncorn 2 years ago
Ah, thanks for that info. I rode in one on October 30, in Egypt, and if you see the videoclip, you'll notice that we almost landed in a corn field too, and people were not ecstatic about that, but eventually we went up again.
anieb 2 years ago
So did the guy who owned the trees get paid for the damage? I havn't seen ballons paying for the damage they cause. That's why they're not popular around here.
chibago1 2 years ago
I'm really not sure. I think they offered him some refreshments (refreshments were included for those of us who rode the balloon).
familyruncorn 2 years ago
That was a great landing!! I have seen much worse and the pilot did a great job. It was not an ideal spot but worked out to keep you safe
bouchman46 2 years ago
wowzers thats spooky because I'm afraid of heights
techno971 2 years ago
Sue the bastards!
bleekblock 2 years ago
I have no hard feelings and I wouldn't know what to sue them for...plus we signed the waiver...AND they gave me a free T-Shirt to replace mine since it got ripped. :)
familyruncorn 2 years ago
Sue them for what, a torn shirt and a couple scratches?
cptjackzb 2 years ago
Actually the scratch across my chest has turned into a nice scar. I guess I could sue them for reconstructive chest surgery. How many millions would it take to fix a 1 1/2" scar?
familyruncorn 2 years ago
I can tell just by looking at you that your an underwear model. That scar is going to cost you millions in lost revenue:) But seriously, the pilot should have had you in what I call a Safari landing position. Facing opposite the direction of travel, head below the edge of the basket, back up against the padding in the basket, all body parts in the basket, and hanging on to the rope handles with both hands. You would not have a torn shirt or a scratch.
zbjack1 2 years ago
Did the pilot tell you why he chose to land in the trees instead of flying on to an open field? Were you getting low on fuel, how long was the flight?
cptjackzb 2 years ago
There were 3 attempts to land before the lemon trees. The first one, we were moving very fast and didn't lower close to the ground till the end of the dirt field (you can see that in the video around 1:45 ). We were still about 25 feet off the ground when he took us back up.
familyruncorn 2 years ago
Then we almost landed in a small patch of dirt, but there was a steep ditch next to it & power lines close by. Then he almost took us down in an intersection but the ground crew hadn't caught up to us yet, so up we went again. Then we had "very little fuel" left according to the pilot & he must not have had a choice. The actual flight was around 30 - 45 min.
familyruncorn 2 years ago
"Very little fuel" after 30-45 minutes? I hardly believe that. Any balloon using fuel that fast shouldn't be flying.
dave535 2 years ago
30-45 min of the planned flight before the 1st attempt. It probably took another good 20 min before crashing.
familyruncorn 2 years ago
3:46
"In fact, you might want to put the camera away so you can hold on with two hands"
I guess someone didn't want to be on camera!
So this didn't end with the crash huh?
4:37
I guess the pilot's quote was just in case he was being recorded???
This is classic!
wowthemoviefan 2 years ago
I bet the orchard owners were pissed!
themargenaus 2 years ago
The guy was actually really nice about it. He even helped them cover the trees with tarps and lower the balloon.
familyruncorn 2 years ago
Oh that is really nice... He must be a nice person :) Im glad you werent seriously hurt... but crash-landing in a thorny orchard had to be a bit uncomfortable :) Hope it didnt ruin you from ever doing it again :)
themargenaus 2 years ago
No, I don't think we'll do it again. We've still got many other crazy things to try...like skydiving :)
familyruncorn 2 years ago
Bungie jumping is fun.. Scuba is my favorite of all adventures... not as much of an adrenalin rush as sky diving or bungie jumping... but scuba diving on an abundant-with-life reef is the BEST!
themargenaus 2 years ago
Youll probably die, since you had such good luck with the balloon ;)
mooseoftoose 2 years ago
Wow ! that must have been a weird experience, an with the signing thing, that's even funnier ("if I die, it's not their fault" hahaha :) ).
Nice vid, you didn't turn off the camera when the "crash" happened, and thanks for sharing.
clarinetman1664 2 years ago 4
You know what they say, when life gives you lemons...
lharrod 2 years ago 12