Hot Air Balloon Safety: 5 Tips for Taking Selfies
It's hard to resist taking a selfie during a gorgeous balloon ride. But, remember - safety first! Here are 5 selfie tips to improve hot air balloon safety.
Keyword(s): hot air balloon safety
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When you go on a hot air balloon ride, you will be blown away by the spectacular views. Knowing this, it’s only natural to want to whip out your camera and take photos from 1,000 feet in the air.
You might even feel so inclined as to take a selfie. For those who don’t know, a selfie is when you take a picture of yourself using your camera or smartphone.
The newest trend in selfies is to put oneself in the most precarious situation possible to get the best selfie.
This tendency to take selfies in dangerous situations has caused 127 deaths globally since 2014. Another analysis from February 2016 showed 16 of the 49 deaths resulted in falling from heights.
We mention these stats not to scare you but to emphasize selfies get more dangerous the higher you get. It’s for this reason we want to talk to you about hot air balloon safety and how to take great hot air balloon selfies while still being safe.
Yes, Hot Air Balloons Are Still Safe
Hot air balloons are one of the safest ways to travel by air. Even if you look up the number of hot air balloon accidents in the US, you will notice that the majority are related to adverse weather.In fact, between 2000 and 2011, there were 78 hot air balloon tour crashes involving 519 occupants. Out of those 518, only 91 sustained serious injuries, and five died.
Many injuries sustained during these tours involved passengers not following the hot air balloon safety instructions.
Hot air ballooning is also regulated by the FAA. Each pilot needs to be licensed, and each balloon needs to be registered as an aircraft.
Governing bodies in each country dictate how frequently hot air balloons need to be inspected. In the U.S., hot air balloons need to be inspected every year or every 100 hours of flight time. In addition to these inspections, a balloon pilot will perform routine checks before and after the flight, just as an airline pilot would.
This includes cleaning the balloon's fabric, checking the burner and gas lines, and making minor repairs to the basket.
What Are Key Hot Air Balloon Safety Tips?
Before you book a hot air balloon tour, you should shop around for different tour operators in your area. You will want to look for an operator that has been in business for many years, has experienced pilots, and has certain certifications.You will also want to check various online review forums to see if customers felt safe during their ride.
Check to see if the tour operator you selected belongs to the Professional Ride Operators sector of the Balloon Federation of America (BFA). This sector was formed to keep passengers safe, and having this certification shows the tour operator takes passenger safety seriously.
When you arrive for your hot air balloon ride and step into the basket, you will immediately notice safety equipment. This is the industry standard and does not mean you will experience an incident.
Your pilot will also explain a few hot air balloon safety rules. For the most part, they will include instructions like don't lean over the railing of the basket and don't jump around in the basket.
The pilot will also instruct you on how to sit in the basket during landing.
5 Tips for Taking Hot Air Balloon Selfies
Now that you've been briefed on hot air balloon safety measures, you are ready to take beautiful photographs and selfies to share with your friends.When taking photos, ask your pilot if you can or cannot do something and ALWAYS listen to your pilot if he tells you to stop doing something.
Don't Lean Over the Sides
Your pilot has already instructed you not to lean over the sides of the basket. This is for your safety, and no photograph is worth leaning over the side for.What your pilot has also told you is sticking your arms outside the basket is OK, but we recommend not holding your phone or camera over the side. No electronic can withstand falling 1,500 feet!
Use a Selfie Stick
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If you use a selfie stick in the basket, be mindful of where you stick it so you don't whack or poke the other passengers. Using a selfie stick will also help you get more of the scenic background in your picture.
Ask Someone Else to Take the Photo
OK, no, this is not technically a selfie anymore, but if you don't have a selfie stick or long arms, asking another passenger to take your photo will likely result in a better photo.When seeking out a fellow passenger to take a photo, look for someone who has a DSLR or other professional-looking camera. There's a higher likelihood that person will know about photography and can frame your photo well.
Find Your Lighting
Mastering lighting in your selfies is not too difficult to master, although being outside does make it a bit difficult.If you are out in broad daylight, there are a couple of ways to frame the photo. The first way is to face the sun at an angle so the shadow from your phone doesn't end up in the picture. The second way is to have the sun directly behind you and block it with your head.
We recommend snapping several selfies to find what lighting works best for you.
Angle the Camera Down
Angling the camera down is the oldest trick in the book to ensure you look good in your selfie. Hold your camera slightly above your head while keeping your head level. This tends to work best if you are framing only yourself into the photo.Another option is to hold your camera farther out while angling it down to capture more scenery in the background.
Hot Air Balloon Safety Selfies!
Taking a hot air balloon ride is something you are sure to remember for years to come and is a wonderful opportunity for selfies. Just remember always to follow the hot air balloon safety tips and have fun with your photographs.To learn more about hot air balloon selfie opportunities, get in touch with us!
