Journalist unexpectedly takes to the skies
American balloonist Bob Romaneschi, spoke to me about the experience of taking passengers up into the sky. Little did I know that I was about to be one of them…
I had been at Innes Common for hours watching people when I spoke to balloon pilot Bob Romaneschi about why he liked taking people into the sky.
His favourite buzz, it turns out, is the gap between people’s expectations and what really happens.
“The most unique thing about taking a balloon ride, it’s different from what you expect, so everybody gets in the basket very nervous, very excited, but there’s no sensation, you don’t feel yourself moving.”
Bob comes from a balloonist family and at this festival is flying a butterfly balloon, Betty Jean.
A colleague asked me the question this morning, ‘would I go up in the balloon?’.
Instinctively I said yes.
Within minutes I was put to the test when Bob invited me into the basket.
Never having felt any sense of fear of heights, I jumped at the opportunity to look down at the world.
I didn’t even have to think about it, I waited for the police officers in the balloon to get out so I could get in.
Not wanting the moment to pass me by, I handed my phone to the officer to take my photo for the right reasons.
Within seconds of leaving the ground, I understand what he had said about the lack of sensation, you can look down but there was still a solid surface beneath you.
There was no physical sense of changing height until you look over the edge, then it hits you.
It felt like no time at all but I couldn’t distinguish anyone’s face in the crowd of people beneath me.
The light-hearted nature of Bob the Balloonist made the experience so much fun.
