“We rarely manage to land the first time”
Dolhaintois, determined not to enter a sterile controversy, “There is always a minority that it will bother”explains that hot air balloon flights follow the legislation of aircraft. The minimum altitude to be observed is 150 meters high. “”But at any time, for reasons of winds on which we totally depend, we must descend to adapt the direction because according to the altitudes, they are not the same. “
And if the takeoff takes place in isolated meadows excluding agglomeration – except exceptional cases with the authorization of the municipality – landing is much more random. “”Here, the campaigns are not large. It is not like in France where there are tens of kilometers of meadows without house … and when you try to land there are low overflights. It is not a question of skills, good or bad pilot, but when you go down to the ground, the wind often changes slightly steering. We find ourselves in a bad axis, so we leave. All the pilots do this. We rarely land the first time. “
More than a million euros invested in the municipal school of Henri-Chapelle: “Energy optimization has become the nerve of war!”
No accident in 600 flights
With seven years of experience behind him, after a year of theoretical and practical training, and control exams every two years, the commercial pilot thus ensures to redouble their prudence and is not stingy in instructions during the security briefings. “”I even even scare a little because I am quite square. In addition to 600 flights, I have never had an accident, nor hanging a power line or a roof. The only injured I had … She twisted her ankle out of the nacelle. “
Certain recent news, two dead during a brutal landing in the Netherlands and eight dead in Brazil following the fire of a ball, can however make a real danger fear. Again, Xavier reassures: “There are tens of thousands of hot air balloons that take off every day around the planet … But when there is an accident, we only talk about that. “