The history of modern hot air ballooning began in France in 1783. Two brothers, Joseph Michel and Jacques Etienne Montgolfiere, launched the first hot air balloon in September of 1783 with an odd trio of passengers – a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The king and his court turned out to see the spectacle, and they were not disappointed. The balloon rose to more than 1000 feet and then floated down, safely returning its three passengers to the ground.

In 1782 they became interested in understanding why smoke rose and whether it could be used to lift man into the sky. They began experimenting, moving from smaller balloons to larger ones. By the time they lifted the barnyard animals into the sky, they had already successfully launched an unmanned full-size balloon.

After the barnyard trio’s successful flight, the brothers moved on to manned flight. In November 1783, they launched the first manned hot air balloon flight. Pilate de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes were the pilots of the silk-and-paper balloon, and the two stayed aloft for about 25 minutes, ascending approximately 500 feet and traveling about 5 1/2 miles from their origination point in a Paris park.

Legend says the pilots gave champagne after landing to the local farmers to alleviate their fears of the suspicious craft descending from the sky, but he National Balloon Museum in Iowa disputes this story, saying research shows the balloon actually landed in an empty vineyard with no witnesses.

The first manned flight in a hot air balloon was quickly followed by the first gas balloon ride. Just 10 days after the Montgolfier’s balloon carried its two human passengers into the sky, French physicist Jacques Alexander Charles launched the first manned gas balloon flight on December 1. It also started in Paris, but lasted much longer; the balloon stayed aloft 2 1/2 hours and traveled 25 miles.

Ballooning quickly took off from there. French balloonist Jean Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries became the first people to cross the English Channel in a hydrogen balloon. The crossing took two and a half hours, and nearly ended in disaster – the pilots had to toss most of their ballast overboard after the balloon unexpectedly lost gas and almost fell into the channel. Months later, Pilate de Rozier, one of the two pilots in the first manned Montgolfiere, became the first person to die in a balloon accident as he attempted to cross the Channel.

Blanchard later flew the first hot air balloon in North America, in 1793. But it wasn’t until 1830 that Charles Ferson Durant became the first American to pilot a hot air balloon in North America. He lifted off from New York’s Castle Garden to drop leaflets that contained a poem he had written about the joys of flight.

The sport never really took off, however, until 1960, when advances in balloon technology led to a new interest in hot air ballooning. Paul Yost, who became known as the father of modern hot air ballooning, piloted the first flight of a balloon sporting a new envelope and new propane burner system he developed. Suddenly the sport took off. By 1963, sport ballooning had become popular enough that the first U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships were held in Michigan.

The launch site is in the Masai Mara game reserve. Normally the prevailing winds mean the balloon travels in the North Westerly direction although this can be variable. You have no steering on the balloon as it travels free with the wind. Sometimes, however, there are different winds at different heights and the pilots will do their best to take full advantage of this to improve the flight. On average the flight is approximately 1 hour and approximately 20 kilometers although the distance traveled is completely dependent on the wind speed. If on the very rare occasion you head quickly towards Tanzania border you have to land early. If you fly for less than half an hour you are refunded half your money.

Clients should be fit to climb in and out of the basket unaided. They must be able to hold on to rope handles with both hands, bend their knees to a sitting position and be able to hear any instructions given by the pilot. Clients should avoid flying if they suffer from brittle bones, recent bone fracture, back and neck problems or any previous illness or operation that might be aggravated by a bumpy landing. If in doubt they should consult their doctor and they should notify the pilot before takeoff. If clients suffer from any form of fitting, collapse or heart problems, they must notify the pilot before takeoff and make him aware of any medication they carry to be sure to take the medication with them in the balloon.

The hot air ballooning, as beautiful as a butterfly, the gentle giant of the skies, a peaceful but exhilarating means of viewing the countryside, suddenly seems a dangerous way to fly. Yet only a few months ago its safety record seemed impeccable. Now, after four accidents and 17 deaths in quick succession, more than hot air will be needed to restore faith in ballooning as a sport, recreation and tourist delight. Bad luck is not acceptable as an explanation for disasters involving passengers and pilots.

Air ballooning has a long tradition, and it is unthinkable that it should be banned. This would destroy a pleasure and an industry that belong as much as high-powered aircraft to the skies and which are among the least noisome expressions of humankind’s determination to be airborne. The Premier, Mr Bannon, is correct in resisting a ban, as he would be if, following glider or light plane fatalities, it was proposed to ground all such aircraft.

But the disasters since August need to be thoroughly investigated, not only to discover whether there are common factors. It must be determined whether the balloons and balloon operators are satisfactorily vetted for safety. Civil aviation authorities and commercial balloon operators appear to be aware of their responsibilities to learn what they can from the four accidents, but the public – potential passengers and people on the ground need to know that structural and safety requirements and pilot skills are of the highest standard. This should be required of any public operation which takes passengers aboard.

As two of the accidents involved collisions with powerlines it may be that new regulations will have to be framed about where balloons are permitted to fly and the knowledge balloon pilots must demonstrate about whereabouts of powerlines and other potential hazards. Vision and visibility may be factors, too, along with ability to react quickly in emergencies; this latter perhaps involving some pre-flight instructions to passengers.

While the helium-filled Double Eagle had virtually no controls and was at the complete mercy of the winds, the pilots of the Pacific Flyer will be able to maneuver the balloon up and down until it is centered in the core of the jetstream.

Ballooning is an adventure, and it would be a tame world that banned provision or enjoyment of adventurous pursuits. The task of authorities is to set standards and see that they are maintained, so that those who take to the air in balloons are not taking a greater risk than they know about.