The Randomness Of It All

The randomness of it all…. — Kiff Saunders, founder @globalballooningaustralia

Hot air ballooning over Melbourne evidenced to me that there’s something magical about experiencing the world from the sky, leaving me with a long-lasting impression, not only of the city’s skyline but from being “officially lighter than air” for a bit! Climbing several thousand feet, witness to endless horizons & wondrous views amidst peaceful skies was breathtaking; the video speaks a 1m+ words!

It was explained, that balloons are not steered, rather a pilot will climb & descend through various air currents, always anticipating different winds to change the direction of the balloon’s flight path, reliant on the pilot’s intimate knowledge of local geographic effects on the winds. The “randomness” of the direction of the wind at any given time requires on-point intuition from the pilot in order to navigate, to ensure that the hot air balloon rises & floats gently & slowly, oddly, leaving one with no sensation of movement, as you “ease along” with the wind.

The additional “randomness” of flying with complete strangers supplemented the already captivating adventure of experiencing the skies, both literally & metaphorically, from many different perspectives. Conversely, the pilot’s precision in judging the amount of “hot air” to fill the balloon with, as we glided through the sky was impressively measured.

Endearingly, @globalballooningaustralia is a family owned business, founded 30 years ago by Kiff Saunders, on a mission to give every single passenger a “sense of wonder in the skies”. He’s cultivated a world-renowned team of ballooning pilots, reaching the highest standards in safety, innovation & experience. Our particular pilot, Eddie Saunders (son of) gave a fun, interactive, accessible and safe ride: TOP marks! For sure, a market leader in hot air balloon travel, with their entire service, from initial website & email enquiries, to booking, messaging updates via their APP & the actual ride, were seamless! All ground staff were also super friendly! #highlyrecommend