One, then two, then three ... While the day has not yet risen, the cars arrive little by little in the parking lot of Vineuil (Loir-et-Cher), near Blois, where we met. you our pilot Mickaël. Coming as a couple, with family or friends, many from the region, early risers do not hide their impatience to watch the sunrise from the sky. “
14 passengers: we are full!
», Launches, after having made the call, this former professor of history converted for fifteen years in ballooning - the art of piloting balloons like hot air balloons and airships.
His two teammates take us by jeep to the take-off site, chosen according to the direction of the wind.
Today, it will be in Saint-Sulpice-de-Pommeray, a fifteen-minute drive away.
The vehicles stop in a field near a few houses.
Immediately, we are all invited to participate in the preparation of the equipment: first the unloading of the basket, then the deployment of the balloon (also called an envelope), a sort of tent canvas XXL version.
At an altitude of 1,200 meters on a sea of clouds
Last preparation step: fill the balloon with air using a fan and then a burner.
Jean-Marc De Jaeger / Le Figaro
The pilot and his team then start two powerful fans to fill the interior of the balloon with cold air.
At the end of fifteen minutes, he is completely inflated.
Last step: like a fire-breathing dragon, the burner, powered by propane bottles, blows hot air to raise the ball.
He begins to rise, tilting the basket right side up.
After 45 minutes of preparation, it's time to start.
One by one, the passengers step over the basket and divide themselves into one of the four compartments.
The team members detach the cables that hold us to the ground.
The ground recedes.
Here we are in the air.
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The ascent is rapid.
After a few minutes, the altimeter already displays 1200 meters, the authorized limit for hot air balloons.
And there, an unreal spectacle is offered to our eyes, that of a sea of clouds which extends to infinity under the flaming light of the sun.
We are not alone in the sky.
In the distance, a cloud of hot air balloons strews the horizon, somewhere above the domain of Chambord.
The calm is absolute.
Only the go-around interrupts this silence at a regular pace.
To share our feelings, we don't speak: we whisper.
And to let us enjoy the 360 ° view, the pilot activates the vents in order to make the hot-air balloon turn on itself.
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Headwinds
A sea of clouds stretches endlessly under the fiery light of the morning sun.
Jean-Marc De Jaeger / Le Figaro
After fifteen minutes, we lose altitude in order to find a layer of wind to move forward, no longer vertically, but horizontally.
With a temperature of 13 ° C that morning, we were afraid to be dressed too lightly with a simple sweater;
finally, it is not cooler at altitude than on the ground.
Even at a height of 400 meters, our passage causes the barking of dogs.
This is due to the ultrasound emitted by the burners to which certain mammals are sensitive.
But the silence remains immaculate.
The wind pushes us over the national forest of Blois but ultimately takes us little further from our starting point.
Enough to tickle our pilot.
Usually, he manages to fly over the Loire and at least one castle.
“
Today, we can say that the wind is not turning in our favor
, he laments.
I would have liked to give you a much better flying experience.
The planned route was to go through Blois and along the Loire to Muides-sur-Loire, but the weather conditions decided otherwise.
»An unexpected consequence of Covid-19?
Airliners, which share meteorological data in real time, are less numerous, making forecasts a little less precise for a year, he tells us.
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Breakfast in the fields
On the contrary, passengers seem delighted by this flight. For many of them, this is their first experience in a hot air balloon. Being a passenger allows you to realize the extreme thoroughness involved in aerostat navigation. Too much wind, and theft is impossible. Not enough wind, and there is a risk of treading water. With no rudder, a hot air balloon does not steer and only moves with the wind, so that at the start of the flight the crew does not know where it will land precisely. Flights always take place during sunrise or sunset, either before and after thermals (vertical currents) form.
Already almost 9 o'clock, it's time to return to dry land. Landing is complicated by the presence of power lines. We have to alternate between ascents and descents in order to modify the trajectory and find a secure site to land. As we approach the ground, we are in a safe position, squatting well. The gondola hits a bit harshly, making us as amused as we are. As before the flight, passengers are invited to help out. Lying on the ground, the balloon quickly empties of its air. Then comes the time to fold up the balloon and strap it on.
A small table is set with coffee and pastries.
The opportunity for customers to talk to each other and ask questions to the pilot.
The jeeps then take us back to the departure point left three and a half hours earlier.
Instead of a "
goodbye
", almost all greet the pilot with a "see you
soon
".
To make people forget the bad conditions of the day, Mickaël invites all passengers to take part in another flight in the weeks to come.
History of tasting a second time at this timeless moment.
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In summary
The hot air balloon can accommodate up to 14 people in addition to the pilot.
The Companions of the Wind
MOST
The participation of passengers in the preparation of the hot air balloon.
The breathtaking view and the unique feeling of floating in the air.
The professionalism and erudition of pilot Mickaël, former history teacher.
THE LESSERS
The unpredictability of flights, dependent on atmospheric conditions.
Les Compagnons du Vent
, 73 ter rue de Nanteuil, 41350 Vineuil.
Phone.
: 06 61 20 33 93. Prices: 195 € per adult, 150 € per child aged 7 to 15, 660 € for the family formula (two adults, two children).
Allow between 3h and 3h30 (including 1 hour flight) for the whole activity.
Flights provided from April to All Saints' Day.