Hot air balloon crash

[lazyitus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-215844...

Grim.

The exact reason why I couldn't go on one. I know it's rare but even so, that is one nasty morning sight seeing end.

[Eric Mc]

Sad - but not the first time it's happened at Luxor.

[singlecoil]

One wonders if the safety standards in Egypt are as high as they are here.

[Eric Mc]

We've had crashes too - and one not that long ago either. However, I would agree that civil aviation in Egypt would not be monitored to the same level as the UK.

In 1999, I flew from Luxor to Aswan in a decidedly ropy old Boeing 737-222 owned by the (now defunct) Phaoroh Airlines.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

singlecoil said:

One wonders if the safety standards in Egypt are as high as they are here.

I wouldn't go in one here. Thousands of feet up in a picnic basket, surrounded by cannisters of gas and a huge flame.....I'll pass if it's all the same to you.

[Jasandjules]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I wouldn't go in one here. Thousands of feet up in a picnic basket, surrounded by cannisters of gas and a huge flame.....I'll pass if it's all the same to you.

Indeed.

And not just that, but without any realistic control either!?!?

[julian64]

Safe as houses. The mechanics of a hot air balloon are very very safe, and would require some substantial idiocy in the mix either deliberate or by omission to make it dangerous.

Its probbaly less dangerous than a BBQ.

[MarkRSi]

Jasandjules said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I wouldn't go in one here. Thousands of feet up in a picnic basket, surrounded by cannisters of gas and a huge flame.....I'll pass if it's all the same to you.

Indeed.

And not just that, but without any realistic control either!?!?

Yet lots of people are happy to travel around at speeds much greater than a hot air balloon, mere feet away from a large tank of flammable liquid and other people with no sense of direction/distance/anything...

[Andy Zarse]

I went to Luxor a few years ago and the rep was feverishly trying to sell the balloon trip to all and sundry. I took one look at the threadbare seams and clunky old gas bottles and decided against their kind offer.

[Eric Mc]

I "did" Egypt in 1999 and Luxor balloon flights were on offer then. Two people from our group availed of the offer but most declined.

[lazyitus]

julian64 said:

Its probbaly less dangerous than a BBQ.

Try telling that to those on that flight who had a burger the night before.

[Kaelic]

Oops off to Egypt on the 15th

Hot air balloon already booked (with Sinbads hot air balloons) and paid for...

To be honest I think it will be a "decide on the day" thing and see what sort of condition the balloon is in, not like I would get a refund

Tragic accident for those killed though

[Rude-boy]

julian64 said:

Its probbaly less dangerous than a BBQ.

Not many people BBQ at ground level + x,000 feet however.

[skyrover]

faulty gas bottle regulator by the sounds of it

[Digga]

Tragic accident.

O/T. About ten years back Mrs Digga & I had the pleasure of being piloted by the lowest flyer at the Montgolfier ballon rally in Annonay. He was from Alsace and was an utter loony:

Day 1, first flight, just as it was grown dark we failled to set the balloon down in the planned field and had to 'hop' over a row of phone/power lines into the next field, where the three of us were decanted into the field with my wife on the bottom of the ruck. Apart from mourning the loss of a very expensive pair of (magled) my wife's sunglasses, we were all fine.

During the next few days he did various stunts including putting the gondola up a street, between apartments - people were waving to us as they breakfasted - but the crowning glory was stopping the traffic on this bridge: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=45.2479... as we headed straight at it down the gorge.

I can see why it might not appeal to a lot of people, but personally found it very amusing.

[Ozzie Osmond]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I wouldn't go in one here. Thousands of feet up in a picnic basket, surrounded by cannisters of gas and a huge flame.....

Then you'll be even more reluctant to go in one of those other things. Tens of thousands of feet up in a thin aluminium tube, surrounded by thousands of gallons of fuel and four red-hot burners....

[anonymous-user]

Ozzie Osmond said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I wouldn't go in one here. Thousands of feet up in a picnic basket, surrounded by cannisters of gas and a huge flame.....

Then you'll be even more reluctant to go in one of those other things. Tens of thousands of feet up in a thin aluminium tube, surrounded by thousands of gallons of fuel and four red-hot burners....

Commercial aviation and airline operations in the UK are much more regulated than ballooning is, god knows what it's like in Egypt. UK Training checking and safety standards in ballooning are vastly inferior to those in any airline.

[mrmr96]

el stovey said:

Commercial aviation and airline operations in the UK are much more regulated than ballooning is, god knows what it's like in Egypt. UK Training checking and safety standards in ballooning are vastly inferior to those in any airline.

I've got professional ballooning buddies who'd disagree with you there.

In what way do you think the "UK Training checking and safety standards in ballooning are vastly inferior to those in any airline"?

[dave_s13]

Jesus, what a decidely horrific way to go, bloody awful.

Just about to book my old man a baloon ride for his 60th birthday too, not in Egypt mind.

[Robatr0n]

Poor buggers.

You'll never catch me in a hot air balloon again. We went in one almost 10 years ago and thanks to an utterly clueless pilot we ended up crash landing and narrowly missing over-head powerlines. Was more than enough to put all of us in the basket off for life!