About Michael Gianetti Expertise I am a FAA licensed commercial hot air balloon pilot and hot air balloon pilot instructor. I'm also a certified hot air balloon inspector and repairman, a hot air balloon dealer for new and used balloon systems, and own Colorados oldest and most experienced hot air balloon company. There are many kinds of questions I can answer: what can I expect, how do I dress, how long, how high, how many people, how much, where, etc., etc., etc.? What does it take to get a balloon pilots license? How much does a balloon cost? Is ballooning regulated? How did ballooning get started? What are balloons made of, what kind of fuel do they use, are there different types of balloons, etc., etc., etc.? What kind of weather can balloons fly in? When do balloons fly and why? What about the around the world balloon flights that have been in the news lately? What is a balloon rally? How do balloons race? How do I schedule a balloon ride, get pilot flight instruction, purchase a balloon, get a balloon repaired, etc., etc., etc.?
Expert: Michael Gianetti Date: 5/23/2008 Subject: hot air balloons
Question I resently saw a National Geographic show on TV that showed two people who were floating over the tree tops of a jungle in a hot air balloon. I have never seen the rig they were using with the balloon. They were hanging from the balloon in a bench-like seat and there was a fan strapped on behind the back of the seat that they were using to power themselves around while one of them operated the burner. Could you tell me something about this contraption and is it availabe for purchase or do you suspect that they just rigged this up themsleves, sort of a cross between a hot air balloon and a fan powered parachute with a bench seat instead of a wicker basket?
Wes
Answer Wesley,
Thanks for your inquiry. I have not seen or heard of such a rig as you described. It sounds pretty interesting. I have seen the powered parachutes and I have seen 1-man balloons with a hanging seat instead of a wicker basket; but never seen a balloon with a fan.
Was the balloon a round shaped or a blimp shaped balloon? I have heard of hot air blimps that are powered by a fan and have rudders for navigation like a helium blimp.
Here is a website for a personal hot air blimp. http://www.personalblimp.com/
You can Google "hot air blimp" for more websites.
Thanks!
Michael Gianetti http://www.lifecycleballoons.com
