On many weekend mornings, several balloons will launch together across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not unusual to see seven of us out there on a Saturday morning,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
He said ballooning was also attracting a younger generation of pilots.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing at the moment is we\u2019ve got a way younger demographic starting to come through now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a good few circles of younger pilots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anderson has flown balloons for about four years, but his fascination began much earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in Levin and followed them around on my bike every time I saw them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His first experience in the air came early on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got dumped in a basket at the age of 9 for a flight with a complete stranger,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat kind of stuck with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He later stepped away from ballooning while travelling and working, before rediscovering it after moving to Hamilton during Covid-19.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of moved to Hamilton, on accident, over Covid and decided to get back into it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t really stopped since.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flights during Balloons over Waikato usually take place early in the morning when winds are light and stable.<\/p>\n
Pilots typically spend about an hour in the air, although the distance covered can vary widely, due to the wind.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn an average morning we\u2019ll fly for an hour, depending on the winds,\u201d Anderson said, adding that the balloons might fly 20km or just 3km.<\/p>\n
Some pilots also take part in long-distance competitions that push both endurance and planning skills.<\/p>\n
Anderson said he once travelled more than 100km during a single flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a long-distance competition in New Zealand,\u201d he said, adding that he had once done about 116km over a four-hour flight.<\/p>\n
Flying a hot-air balloon requires constant planning because pilots cannot steer directly like a plane.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of our control is vertical,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you go up, you\u2019ll go through several different layers of wind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each layer can push the balloon in a different direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you can go from zero feet to 2000 feet and you might only get a few degrees of steerage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther mornings, the more you go up and down, you can pretty much fly around in circles.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means pilots must think well ahead of where they want to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not as easy as saying I want to turn left,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to turn left, you need to think about which height will take you that way and when to move up or down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re always thinking about 20 minutes ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The structure carrying the basket and passengers is simple but strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese wires attach the frame, and that\u2019s what supports the whole basket while we\u2019re flying,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are four of them that cross over, so you\u2019re essentially hanging from those four wires.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamilton pilot Joshua Anderson. Photo \/ Tom Eley<\/p>\n
Those wires connect to thick fabric straps that support the wicker basket and the balloon envelope above.<\/p>\n
Ballooning itself dates back centuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first part of ballooning in France was essentially a big fire lit under a basket,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
The earliest passengers were animals used to test whether flight was safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first passengers were a sheep, a duck and a chicken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once those animals survived the flight, inventors moved on to human passengers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were like, well they didn\u2019t die, let\u2019s try it with a person,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
Later balloons used gases such as helium or hydrogen, with pilots controlling altitude by releasing sandbags.<\/p>\n
Modern hot-air balloons developed during the early to mid-20th century.<\/p>\n
Despite improvements in materials and equipment, the basic principle has changed little, Anderson said.<\/p>\n
Many balloons still use traditional wicker baskets because they handle landings well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re incredibly absorbing if you have to land hard at all,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
Newer designs also exist.<\/p>\n
Some baskets include doors to help passengers with limited mobility, while others use lightweight frames.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get people who have baskets made of fabric and a frame,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey fold down so you can get a hot air balloon in the back of a small car.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Balloons over Waikato Festival runs from March 21-28.<\/p>\n