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    Hot Air Balloon Ride In Maine – A Great Vacation And Travel Destination

    By Brian on Friday, January 27th, 2012 | No Comments

    By Robert Benjamin

    There are all kinds of vacation activities in Maine, but one of the best and most unique is taking a hot air balloon ride for an aerial tour of the area. The best place to take a hot air balloon ride is in Kennebunkport, Maine. Everything beautiful about New England is so obvious floating among the clouds. If you are afraid of heights then a hot air balloon ride is not for you, but if you don’t mind heights then you will be overcome with the beauty you see from the basket.

    There are several hot air balloon providers that can take you up, but before you book you should talk to past customers or read some reviews. The reason why is that taking a hot air balloon over Maine is such an amazing experience that you don’t want to risk running into any problems. So, if you read reviews about the different operators you will have a better chance of finding the best operator for you.

    Remember that a full afternoon before sunset or else a couple hours at sunrise should be allotted for your balloon ride because there is no exact time for the tour. Balloons go as fast as the wind takes them, or as slow, so you should just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Know, too, that most balloons carry enough fuel to last for a couple of hours. There are several factors like weather, weight, and more that affect the length of the ride. Most balloon rides occur between 500 and 1000 feet off the ground, but sometimes hot air balloons will go even higher!

    Most hot air balloon operators in Maine operate seven days per week, that is depending on the weather. Early reservations are important to make sure you have the day and time you want and weekend flights are the busiest. Weekday flights will give you more flexibility and you may be able to show up last minute and still fly. Remember that it is colder in the balloon than on the ground and a light jacket or sweater should be taken. Several people may go up in the hot air balloon, but generally the limit is four. You will want to talk with the tour operator to find out rates, schedules, and the like.

    Hot air ballooning in Maine is gorgeous and if you go during September and October when the leaves are changing you will have a breathtaking experience like no other. Give hot air balloon rides a chance and you will likely fall in love!

    There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots, and can be found at this url:

    http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

    By Robert W. Benjamin

    Copyright

    Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia Q

    By Brian on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 | No Comments

    As the undoubted highlight of many holidays to Turkey, the sport of hot air ballooning has become synonymous with the region of Cappadocia. If you’re planning a holiday in Cappadocia, looking for inspiration for your next travels, or just curious about how the balloons stay in the air then please enjoy the following “Q&A” guide.

    How does a Hot Air Ballooon work?

    Simply because warm air rises above colder air! The balloon itself is filled with enough hot air to lift the weight of the basket and passengers off the ground and above the surrounding, colder air. It is then continually topped up with hot air by the burner positioned at the opening at its base. It is therefore able to rise as much as the pilot wishes as long as he can continue to produce the required heat. In order to create such large volumes of hot air the burner is fuelled by liquid propane, which is stored in containers in the basket.

    And you can do this while on holiday in Cappadocia?

    No doubt. In fact many people take holidays to Cappadocia specifically for this reason. It’s not unknown to have a wedding celebrated by balloon flight! There are many companies offering flights in the cities of Nevsehir, Kayseri, and Nigde as well as in the surrounding towns.

    What makes Cappadocia so special?

    Firstly, Cappadocia is a uniquely beautiful place. Meaning that as you drift through the sky you can observe a landscape of soft volcanic rock, valleys, pillars, cones and the famous ‘fairy chimneys’ of solidified ash and basalt. Secondly, it also boasts warm, gentle air currents and reliably clement weather that lessens the risk of having to cancel trips at the last minute.

    What does it feel like when you’re in the air?

    Serene. As the balloon is carried by the air currents you will not notice any turbulence at all, in fact the journey is often likened to the smooth ride of an escalator. If it weren’t for the view of the landscape flowing past and around you, you may be forgiven for thinking that you were hanging motionless in the air.

    Where do you land?

    You will gently set down in any one of the large, open fields that populate Cappadocia. Usually to be met by a ground crew who will transport you and all the equipment back to town.

    What should I wear?

    Surprisingly, it is rarely much colder in the air than on the ground, so leather gloves and flying goggles aren’t a necessity. You may wish to bring a light jacket if it would make you more comfortable.

    What time of day do the flights leave?

    Almost always before dawn in order to capitalise on the right conditions for an easy take-off and a gentle landing. It also shows the landscape at its best, with the early morning light softly illuminating the shadows and contrasts of the landscape below. Holidays to Turkey can offer no better opportunity to enjoy the country’s beauty.

    How long does the flight last?

    This is the good part. Most flights last around an hour and a half, allowing plenty of time to drink in the splendour of your surroundings. And, as they start so early, you could be back at your hotel by 8.30am, ready to enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the day to continues to dawn around you.

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    Sky lantern

    By Brian on Monday, January 16th, 2012 | No Comments

    History

    Release of sky lanterns during Loi Kratong festival in Phuket, Thailand

    A modern Kongming Lantern

    According to popular lore, the Kongming Lantern (Chinese: ) was the first hot air balloon, said to be invented by the sage and military strategist Zhuge Liang, whose reverent term of address (i.e. Chinese style name) was Kongming. They were first deployed at the turn of the 3rd century as a type of signaling balloon or, it is claimed, as a type of spy blimp in warfare. Alternatively the name may come from the lantern’s resemblance to the hat Kongming is traditionally shown to be wearing.

    It is likely that this technological discovery is misattributed because of the Chinese historical practice of attributing great discoveries to significant historical figures rather than to the actual inventors. According to the sinologist and historian of science Joseph Needham, the Chinese experimented with mini-hot air balloons from as early as the 3rd century BC, during the Warring States period, which suggests that the attribution of its invention to Kongming is anachronistic and apocryphal.

    Usage in festivals

    Chinese Festivals

    In ancient China, sky lantern were strategically used in wars. However later on, non-military applications were employed as they became popular with children at carnivals. These lanterns were subsequently incorporated into festivals like the Chinese Mid-Autumn and Lantern Festivals. Pingsi in the Taipei County of Taiwan holds an annual Lantern Festival in which sky lanterns are released.

    Thai Festivals

    In Thailand, a multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom fai or khom loi) are launched into the air during the “Yi Peng” festival, which, due to a difference between the old Lanna calendar and the Thai calendar, is held on a full moon of the 2nd month of the Lanna calendarwhere they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the skies. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom.

    The people of Northern Thailand are famous for celebrating their sky lantern festivals. These lanterns are known as khom loi (Thai: ; floating lantern) or khom fai (Thai: ; fire lantern). Northern Thai people use sky lanterns all year round, for celebrations and other special occasions. One festival in particular is the Loy Kratong festival in which lovers and partners gather on the riverbanks to float flowers and candles, launch fireworks and release sky lanterns together. It is considered good luck to release a sky lantern, and many Thais believe they are symbolic of problems and worries floating away. In recent times, Khom loi has become so popular with the Thai people that it has become an integral part of the Loy Krathong festival for Thai people in all parts of the country.

    Dangers

    As sky lanterns contain a flame, there is the danger that they can cause a fire when landing on flammable ground. They can achieve quite a height and launching them in strong winds is not recommended. Malta, Germany and Australia have placed a temporary ban on the Sky Lanterns party products.

    See also

    Fire balloon

    Balloon-carried light effect

    References

    ^ Ancient Chinese Inventions, By Yinke Deng, Pingxing Wang, Contributor Pingxing Wang, Published by , 2005, ISBN 7508508378

    ^ http://www.alp.org.au/media/0809/mscons300.php

    External links

    How to Make Chinese Sky Lanterns

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sky lanterns

    Pingsi Festival Send Lanterns Toward Heaven

    Videos of Sky Lantern Festival

    Categories: Thai culture | Aviation history | Balloons (aircraft) | LampsHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from January 2010 | All articles needing additional references | Articles containing traditional Chinese language text | Articles containing simplified Chinese language text | Articles containing Japanese language text | Articles containing Thai language text | Articles containing Chinese language text

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    FAA Order of Right-Away Challenged by Unmanned Aircraft Or UAVs?

    By Brian on Saturday, January 14th, 2012 | No Comments

    The last thing we need is a robotic aircraft causing a mid air collision with the family flying along in their Cessna Skyhawk.

    Now then, we have to decide which aircraft categories gets the right away, which Aircraft must yield to the other aircraft. In the Federal Air Regulations or FARs, there are various categories of aircraft. There are helicopters, blimps, hot air balloons, ultra-lights, gliders, and powered aircraft. As you can imagine hot air balloons and blimps have the right away, because they do not have the ability to turn as easily and get out of the way. A hot air balloon has the right away over a blimp, and a glider has the right away over a powered aircraft.

    And common sense would dictate that if you’re flying a small single-engine aircraft such as a Cessna 172 Skyhawk you’d better get out of the way of an airliner, even if you might assume you have the right away. Now then, does a robotic aircraft or unmanned aerial system have the right away over a powered aircraft? Remember unmanned aerial system is exactly what it says, it is unmanned.

    There are Unmanned tethered balloons along the border used for surveillance, the US military is building unmanned blimps, in the future police departments will also have these available over their cities, and a blimp has the right away over a powered aircraft. But what happens when two powered aircraft are on a converging trajectory or collision course – one being a robotic aircraft and the other flown by a student pilot on his long cross country trying to get his pilot’s license?

    The reality is that any aircraft, which may be a threat to a collision is something to avoid, so the student pilot will yield to any aircraft that is near it. If the aircraft are approaching each other head-on, something that is merely a fly in your window, or that size, could be a full size aircraft traveling towards you at the same speed or greater in reality.

    Even if you’re only doing 145 knots in the Cessna 172 just cruising along, a UAV might be traveling at 225 knots directly at you, the closing speed would be the sum of those two speeds, and you won’t be able to tell if it is an unmanned vehicle or not, because within 10 to 15 seconds that aircraft will be right in front of you. Therefore, you need to get out of the way, even if the tele-robotically operated (or fully autonomous, AI operated in the future) UAV doesn’t see you in time.

    The question is should a UAV have an avoidance system which takes over from the tele-robotic pilot who’s sitting in a room somewhere flying that aircraft as if it was a video game, and then once the threat is gone, the override will stop, and the unmanned aircraft hands back over controls to the tele-robotic pilot.

    The problem with this for some human pilots is they are putting their trust not in another human controlling that other aircraft, but a system that is built into that UAV, running on software. Perhaps you can see why the debate is all over the news, and the FAA has to deal with how to allow both unmanned and human piloted aircraft in the same airspace. Does this mean humans are already getting pushed aside by robots? Are we already giving our right-a-way to robots? Please consider all this.

    Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes it’s hard to write 20,000 articles; http://www.bloggingcontent.net/

    Note: All of Lance Winslow’s articles are written by him, not by Automated Software, any Computer Program, or Artificially Intelligent Software. None of his articles are outsourced, PLR Content or written by ghost writers.

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