Has a hot air balloon ever been struck by lightning?

1923: Five balloonists participating in the Gordon Bennett Cup, a multi-day race that dates to 1906, were killed when lightning struck their balloons. 1924: Meteorologist C. LeRoy Meisinger and U.S. Army balloonist James T. Neely died after a lightning strike.



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Helicopters, on the other hand, are considered more dangerous than both airplanes and hot air balloons.

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Luckily, no one was hurt. And, fortunately, hot air balloon accidents are rare. Going back to 1964, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has only recorded a total of 775 such accidents in the United States.

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1. 2013 Luxor Hot Air Balloon Crash. The most horrific hot air balloon disaster ever occurred on February 26, 2013, near Luxor, Egypt. Hot air balloon rides are extremely popular among tourists visiting Egypt as the rides provide an aerial view of the magical landscape of the country.

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You should not have recently undergone any surgeries. You should not fly if you have back or leg problems. You cannot fly if you have a cast on. You cannot fly if you are on oxygen.

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Only 7.5% of people on the planet have some anxiety about heights. The good news is that it does not effect you when flying in a hot air balloon, with almost everyone finding hot air ballooning peaceful and relaxing.

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The majority of hot air balloons do not have built-in seating, nor can they allow portable seats for safety reasons. So you, unfortunately, will not be able to sit down during a hot air balloon ride. But railings are available, and your pilot will cover any of your additional safety concerns.

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If a hot air balloon runs out of gas, it'll slowly begin descending. That's because the balloon only generates lift through burning fuel to heat the air in the envelope. The lack of regular heating leads the air inside the balloon to gradually cool, reducing altitude in the process.

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