Leaf-Peeping From the Sky

By Jude Mead

One way to see the fall foliage is hot air ballooning, and Spirit Ballooning LLC is ready to guide you above the colorful display of leaves in Norfolk. The locally owned and operated hot air balloon adventure company (spiritballooning.com) is based in North Canaan. Darrel Long, owner and chief pilot, has been a licensed pilot for over 30 years. Long and his son Jordan, also a certified FAA commercial pilot and instructor, have mastered the sport of hot air ballooning. The father and son team fly in and around the Litchfield hills, the Berkshires and Hudson Valley.

Many people wonder how the balloons stay in the air. The physics is relatively simple. Hot air balloons work because hot air rises. By heating the air inside the balloon with the burner, it becomes lighter than the cooler air on the outside and causes the balloon to float upwards. When the air is allowed to cool, the balloon begins to slowly come down.

Ballooning, however, is much more involved than regulating air temperature. Balloons need to be steered using only the wind, which is tricky because winds vary at different altitudes. It takes the skills of a professional pilot to catch different air streams at different heights and use them to change direction. A pilot must also be experienced in landing a hot air balloon. An appropriate landing spot must be identified before starting the landing process. The ideal landing spot should have minimal wind and a large open field. The charm of ballooning is that you can’t always be sure where you will land. Most of the time it is in a neighbor’s field.

The thrill of either seeing a hot air balloon ascent, or taking a ride in one, hasn’t lost its appeal in the two centuries it has been around. Hot air balloon rides also offer breathtaking views and scenic landscapes from a unique perspective.