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Southern African Pyrometallurgy 2006 International Conference

Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, 5-8 March 2006


Hot Air Balloon Safari

Hot Air Balloon Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris provide an opportunity to view the beautiful Magalies River Valley from the sky just after sunrise. The ride is mostly a silent one, punctuated only by the occasional blast of the powerful burners.

The balloons are flown by professional pilots, using immaculately maintained equipment. We will be flying with the longest established (since 1981) balloon airline in southern Africa - one that has five aviation safety awards.

Takeoff will probably be from the sportsfields at Glenburn Lodge, with the alternative being Skeerpoort, depending on the weather or Lanseria Airport air space limitations. (If flying from Skeerpoort, the group will be collected and taken through to the balloon field in Skeerpoort and then returned to Glenburn Lodge for breakfast after the flight.) In the event of bad weather, the trip will be postponed, probably to the next morning.

Depending on final numbers, there might be about six balloons, each carrying between 6 and 18 people at a time. A schedule of passenger details (title, first name, surname, and estimated weights) will be supplied to the operators, to speed up the issue of tickets as well as the Passenger Flight Manifests and the pre-calculation of the load sheets, which are all legally required to be completed prior to the flight. The passenger loadings for the balloons are subject to various factors, such as air temperatures for the particular time of year, maximum altitude of the flight, as well as the weight to be carried.

Each passenger is presumed to be physically fit enough to stand for the duration of the flight (about one hour), and jump unassisted from a height of 60cm (about the height of a chair) to the ground - this would be the feeling of a bumpy landing, should we have one.

Schedule:
5:30am Meet at takeoff area to prepare balloons
6:00am Takeoff
7:00am Landing
7:30am Return to Glenburn Lodge
7:30am Breakfast
8:30am Start of conference session

What to wear:

  • Clothing that is warm but peelable - the early morning can be quite chilly, but warms up as the day progresses
  • Shoes suitable for the country
  • A hat is also recommended

What to bring:

  • Cameras, video cameras, spare film and batteries

Contact details:
Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris
Website: http://www.balloon.co.za
E-mail: hayley@balloon.co.za
Tel: 011-705-3201
Fax: 011-705-3203
Field Operations: 083-379-5296



Copyright © 2005-2006, Rodney Jones, rtjones@global.co.za, Randburg, South Africa (Last updated on 4 March 2006)