Thank you for highlighting our amazing sport. As a commercial balloon pilot we share our passion with our passengers often but our competitive side is usually unseen..
My father was a hot air balloon pilot in southern Ontario Canada. Great memories growing up! The festivals were magical ❤ I especially loved being part of the chase crew and chasing after Dad after getting him airbourne. ❤ Thanks for sharing this amazing sport in detail with the world ❤
Ah I am looking forward to watching this. My wife and I saw all these balloons driving back from Budapest to Belgrade. Had to look up what it was when we got home. Incredible to see so many!! 😁
That was such a treat. A real visual spectacle. And interesting facts too. Going to watch it with my husband and Dad too-they’ve always been fascinated with aviation and my husband used to fly planes. Thanks for sharing the experience with us.
I love all of the random adventures you go on and the different places you visit Mike! I didn't even know that hot air balloon competitions were a thing before this video! So cool! And so beautiful too, all of the balloons across the sky!
It's a great surprise to see Downie Live on a Wednesday! I've been to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta so I know what you mean when you say it's surreal being around a lot of them. Your experience was even better because it wasn't overcrowded and you got to be part of a crew.
I love hot air balloons. I never knew of a competition like this. Crazy that it was done in Hungary. The dance at the beginning of the competition was neat. Funny statement about going to fish a balloon.
This seems like the absolutely COOLEST thing to witness. Learning about niche competitive sports is not something I thought I would love so much, but here we are. 😄
Great video, spotlighting this competitive world of ballooning, takes floating around the countryside wondering where your going (what I mostly do), to a whole different level (yeah excuse the pun)
I worked on the ground crew for a hot air balloon ride company for nearly a year. It was kind of a brutal job for me. I don't fall asleep easily and we would usually be notified at 10PM that we would be needed at 5AM the next morning. I hated that, but everything else about the job was pretty fun. Oh, except being the single person on the crown line. When standing up the balloon, you have someone pulling a rope that leads away from the basket and is attached to the top, or crown, of the envelope (balloon). Your job when pulling that line is to not let everything stand up so quickly that it goes past vertical and ends up swaying back and forth a bunch. You want it to stand straight up and sit there. My boss, the aeronaut (pilot), who was the one using the burners during the stand up procedure, thought that meant standing the balloon up really slowly was the best way to do it. That is not actually true. He would stretch it out for at least 5 minutes if not 10 and the whole time I'm trying to hold down all of that force that wants to pull up, my hands being crushed by the rope I've wrapped around them in order to maintain my grip for as long as I needed, all of my muscles burning and starting to give up, unable to maintain the traction I need on the wet, dewey grass. And he would berate me if I couldn't manage to keep it from swaying because I was utterly exhausted by the time he finally got it up. Eventually, the envelope needed to go into the shop for some repairs, which his instructor would do. This instructor could tell by inspecting the envelope that my boss was taking way too long to stand the thing up and chewed him out pretty hard in front of me. I loved it, even if it was a little bit awkward. When my boss would berate me, he would throw all kinds of stupid misoginy into the mix, calling into question my manliness. I felt so justified watching him have to cower in front of his pissed off teacher.
Altitude not elevation, which is for terrestrial features. Great video. I grew up doing ballooning events as a kid in Alberta. We flew our family balloon all over Western Canada and the US
Beautiful to watch. Scary to contemplate... Scary thoughts: Pilot error / pylons and electrical cabling... In-flight devastation, loss of life, traumatised onlookers, grieving families, friends, connections... Take Care. Good Luck. I haven't even ever been in a _plane_ let alone a _balloon_ or an _airship_ !! 🤔🥺 Being on _horses_ is _quite high enough_ off the ground for _me_ ...and horseriding was always _far more enjoyable_ an exercise, in my mind. 💕🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴💕
Hey Mike if you want to learn more about sondes. I'm one of the many sonde hunters down here in the states that tracks sondes released by National Weather Service.
I just checked and there isn't an extra/new video on your nebula channel right now. I already subscribe to nebula because I love the Jet Lag crew. I usually watch your videos early there too. Love the content. Thought you would want to know.
Very interesting to watch. Who knew that hot air balloon was a sport. I will say it is not on my bucket list as it is higher than a coffee table. Thank you, Donnie.
In my small city we have one guy with a balloon. But (of course) he flies in the mornings, so I never see him. But he post beautiful pictures on Facebook, and that is good enough.
Sir downie, how many hours does it take to fall a ballon with styrofoam cup with gps tracker? What is the distance of the balloon release to the place where you find the styrofoam cup? Thank you!
I love Hot air ballooning and if you ever get a chance come to Lancaster Pennsylvania in September and see the the hot air balloons. You can search Lancaster county hot air balloon festival and there you can see when the next hot air balloon festival is like maybe next year is the festival and I want you to see the hot air balloons in the early morning
I see they track down their expensive GPS Wind gauge. But what about all the litter with all the balloons that they’re releasing in the air. I guess those are just scattered around the field somewhere now. 😡
Then explain what it’s called when one of them hoists a trophy above their head and is crowned World Champion for a year? Just a recreational champion?
Reminds me of a much more ordered version of the 1965 movie "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines", a comedy about an air race from London to Paris in 1910. I highly recommend it but beware of the theme song! Once you get it in your head there's no getting it out! IDKWYGNBIKIBTWY.
Thank you for highlighting our amazing sport. As a commercial balloon pilot we share our passion with our passengers often but our competitive side is usually unseen..
It is such a fun sport! Thank you for spreading the good vibes!!
My father was a hot air balloon pilot in southern Ontario Canada. Great memories growing up! The festivals were magical ❤ I especially loved being part of the chase crew and chasing after Dad after getting him airbourne. ❤ Thanks for sharing this amazing sport in detail with the world ❤
This is insane. What a huge spectacle, so beutiful. Thank you for showing us that.
This was super cool to watch. Thanks Mike 🎈
Ah I am looking forward to watching this. My wife and I saw all these balloons driving back from Budapest to Belgrade. Had to look up what it was when we got home. Incredible to see so many!! 😁
I love watching hot air balloons. Brings back chasing bubbles or balloons when you were a kid....pure joy.
Finally you are in my home country Hungary! You should check out Budapest and its trams and trains!
Igen! Yes!
You have the most unique videos. Good on ya!
Thanks! I try to keep them interesting.
How do you come up with your video ideas? You do a lot of great things that’s no one else is really doing combined with great production.
That was such a treat. A real visual spectacle. And interesting facts too. Going to watch it with my husband and Dad too-they’ve always been fascinated with aviation and my husband used to fly planes. Thanks for sharing the experience with us.
So cool that your husband used to fly! Hope they enjoy the video.
Missed opportunity to have 99 red balloons instead of 120.
Really fun video! Quite the sport. Thanks
This was amazing thanks for sharing
I think hot air balloons are magical, so jealous! This would have been spectacular to see in person, thanks for showing us!
Great video! I watched it even earlier on Nebula!
Awesome Josh! Thanks again for the support. It means I get to keep making videos like this. ❤️
again somewhere I could have never imagined I would be, but here I am again with you.
I love all of the random adventures you go on and the different places you visit Mike! I didn't even know that hot air balloon competitions were a thing before this video! So cool! And so beautiful too, all of the balloons across the sky!
So beautiful, I'm surprised that the balloons didn't bump to each other more often.
This was truly an amazing video! The competition looked almost as if they made a version of the Olympics that's themed after Hot Air Balloons!
Interesting but more so, absolutely stunning visually.
Well, this was a simply awesome video!
Thank you for sharing. That was real cool!
This was amazing!!!! what an incredible sight!
Very cool. I went on one for fun with my wife in Langley, BC 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
It's a great surprise to see Downie Live on a Wednesday! I've been to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta so I know what you mean when you say it's surreal being around a lot of them. Your experience was even better because it wasn't overcrowded and you got to be part of a crew.
Thank you for sharing!
Canadian championships held in High River AB every September.
Not since 2019 it’s in saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Qc
I love hot air balloons. I never knew of a competition like this. Crazy that it was done in Hungary. The dance at the beginning of the competition was neat. Funny statement about going to fish a balloon.
This seems like the absolutely COOLEST thing to witness. Learning about niche competitive sports is not something I thought I would love so much, but here we are. 😄
I love Hot Air Balloons! Also, seeing them dot the sky? Wow 🤩
5:05 Yes! Exactly! I do see it.
Great video, spotlighting this competitive world of ballooning, takes floating around the countryside wondering where your going (what I mostly do), to a whole different level (yeah excuse the pun)
I worked on the ground crew for a hot air balloon ride company for nearly a year. It was kind of a brutal job for me. I don't fall asleep easily and we would usually be notified at 10PM that we would be needed at 5AM the next morning. I hated that, but everything else about the job was pretty fun. Oh, except being the single person on the crown line. When standing up the balloon, you have someone pulling a rope that leads away from the basket and is attached to the top, or crown, of the envelope (balloon). Your job when pulling that line is to not let everything stand up so quickly that it goes past vertical and ends up swaying back and forth a bunch. You want it to stand straight up and sit there. My boss, the aeronaut (pilot), who was the one using the burners during the stand up procedure, thought that meant standing the balloon up really slowly was the best way to do it. That is not actually true. He would stretch it out for at least 5 minutes if not 10 and the whole time I'm trying to hold down all of that force that wants to pull up, my hands being crushed by the rope I've wrapped around them in order to maintain my grip for as long as I needed, all of my muscles burning and starting to give up, unable to maintain the traction I need on the wet, dewey grass. And he would berate me if I couldn't manage to keep it from swaying because I was utterly exhausted by the time he finally got it up. Eventually, the envelope needed to go into the shop for some repairs, which his instructor would do. This instructor could tell by inspecting the envelope that my boss was taking way too long to stand the thing up and chewed him out pretty hard in front of me. I loved it, even if it was a little bit awkward. When my boss would berate me, he would throw all kinds of stupid misoginy into the mix, calling into question my manliness. I felt so justified watching him have to cower in front of his pissed off teacher.
Holy yap
That was surprisingly fascinating. 🎈🎈🎈
I started ballooning in 76 and bought my balloon in 78. I crewed in Albuquerque once and flew twice. I called my balloon Northern Lights
Im from ABQ it was a fantastic festival in October
Amazing!!!
Altitude not elevation, which is for terrestrial features. Great video. I grew up doing ballooning events as a kid in Alberta. We flew our family balloon all over Western Canada and the US
I want 7.16 to 7.30 as a screensaver !!! AWESOME !
I've done many dangerous things for work and play but have to admit those aggressive air releases scared me😳
Beautiful to watch.
Scary to contemplate... Scary thoughts:
Pilot error / pylons and electrical cabling... In-flight devastation, loss of life, traumatised onlookers, grieving families, friends, connections...
Take Care. Good Luck.
I haven't even ever been in a _plane_ let alone a _balloon_ or an _airship_ !! 🤔🥺
Being on _horses_ is _quite high enough_ off the ground for _me_ ...and horseriding was always _far more enjoyable_ an exercise, in my mind.
💕🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴💕
high tension electric cables! and bad weather would sacre me a lot in a balloon !
Awesome video...was looking forward to see what this was gonna be following the insta post. Awesome!
A really interesting sport!
wow.
Hot air ballooning was a sport in the 1924 Paris Olympics
I really need a hot air balloon trip, over the pyramids, northern India or the Grand Canyon preferred. Another great video to wake up to.
I live in a town that does hot air balloon classic every end of the july. I've also crew for balloons for the last 12 years
Very interesting
Those definitely looked light alien spacecrafts in mystic fog.
Great video! Really interesting!
I like that there's Electronics in the sport!
Hey Mike if you want to learn more about sondes. I'm one of the many sonde hunters down here in the states that tracks sondes released by National Weather Service.
What sonde models are common over there?
Love the videos
That would be awesome having a few beers and a bbq watching that 💯👌🏽
Sounds like a perfect day!
I've made a lot of videos focusing on ballooning, but I have yet to make one in another country. Hoping to change that next year!
This is a cool video
Next video: Macau
This geocacher approves of your geocaching reference! Another great episode, Mike!
Haha Yes! Thanks!
I just checked and there isn't an extra/new video on your nebula channel right now. I already subscribe to nebula because I love the Jet Lag crew. I usually watch your videos early there too. Love the content. Thought you would want to know.
Thanks Rebecca! Jet Lag is so fun to watch.
Very interesting to watch. Who knew that hot air balloon was a sport. I will say it is not on my bucket list as it is higher than a coffee table. Thank you, Donnie.
Heyy I am one of the dancers! Great to have you here!
Oh cool! Thanks for putting on such a great dance in the opening ceremony
Can we have a Canadian series of jet lag with you as the guest, please
I’d love that!
Next year, you need to go to the European Tram Operators Competition. Tim Traveler did a good job snapshotting this years events.
In my small city we have one guy with a balloon. But (of course) he flies in the mornings, so I never see him. But he post beautiful pictures on Facebook, and that is good enough.
that was awesome!
Thanks! It was pretty crazy.
Sir downie, how many hours does it take to fall a ballon with styrofoam cup with gps tracker? What is the distance of the balloon release to the place where you find the styrofoam cup? Thank you!
Nobody does it like you
That's so cool!
Other than Space X what ways haven't you traveled yet Downie?
Where was this competition held? I am from Hungary and did not hear about this. Would have been good to meet with you!
Thought you might get a ride
when is the bathurst 1000 vid coming out so keen to watch it
Move over badminton
Right?! Tossing bean bags and all! haha
I am lifetime member on Nebula
Glad to have you there, Julian!
nice i love it
This is so new to me , hot air balloon sports lol interesting. Another good video
Glad you liked it!
SO fucking beautiful idea :D
....hear me out....
bottle? OR just over the edge???
I love Hot air ballooning and if you ever get a chance come to Lancaster Pennsylvania in September and see the the hot air balloons. You can search Lancaster county hot air balloon festival and there you can see when the next hot air balloon festival is like maybe next year is the festival and I want you to see the hot air balloons in the early morning
where is the hotel video on nebula?
Really wish you'd go back to doing videos about trains--
--Wait. This IS pretty cool. Carry on! :)
I used to fly my plane alot. That was risky. Ballooning scares the pants off me. I couldnt😬🤭😅
You need to go the Albuquerque for Balloonfest. THAT IS AMAZING
You have an amazing life! Are you sick of hotel rooms yet? They do take their toll. Stay safe, enjoy life.
Awesome
It is a pity they littered all of those balloons.
"They just put the yellow flag up..." Silence 😅
WHAT? i have never heard of it O.o
So they are the same people that’s releasing balloons into the air when they are modern technologies available for weather.
What modern technology can get you an instant reading on the wind direction at your exact location at all elevations?
Why do you have the Brazilian national anthem in the background??? 😂
I guess I’m so early that his next video on Nebula hasn’t been posted yet
I'm uploading it now. Hang tight!
❤👌🏼
I don't get why did you choose the Brazilian anthem at the beginning of the video....
❤
Anyone who doesn't give this video a thumbs up can go fish a balloon!
Hahaha! I see what you did there ;)
If only more people knew how unregulated and how utterly dangerous hot air balloon flying was, there’d be no industry for it
I see they track down their expensive GPS Wind gauge. But what about all the litter with all the balloons that they’re releasing in the air. I guess those are just scattered around the field somewhere now. 😡
this is NOT a sport, its a recreation
I think the competitive aspect makes it a sport.
Doing it for fun without competition would make it recreation.
Ballooning can be done recreationally, commercially and competitively. This in fact is a sport.
Its not for anything competitively. There's rarely anything you can do to control the balloon for fast maneuvers. It's just used for fun or recreation
Then explain what it’s called when one of them hoists a trophy above their head and is crowned World Champion for a year? Just a recreational champion?
That's just for bragging rights as a fun thing to do. Building your own model plane and flying it. You just do it for fun.
Seriously a stupid sport, it be betrer when flying the furthest and land on a designated spot
Harris 2028
Reminds me of a much more ordered version of the 1965 movie "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines", a comedy about an air race from London to Paris in 1910. I highly recommend it but beware of the theme song! Once you get it in your head there's no getting it out! IDKWYGNBIKIBTWY.
Great movie! Watch it once a year at least - when I need perking up. 😉😊