To embark on a magical hot air balloon rafting trip is to discover the most beautiful scenery and experience the most different and wonderful gameplay. Participating in a large-scale hot air balloon festival is an exciting event that changes the perspective of the beautiful scene

• Start a magical hot air balloon rafting journey

Traveling is to discover the most beautiful scenery and experience the most different and wonderful ways. Participating in a large-scale hot air balloon festival is an exciting event that changes the perspective of the beautiful scenery. . In many places with the most beautiful scenery in the world, huge groups of hot-air balloons are always dancing in the sky accompanied by beautiful scenery. Hot-air balloons allow more people to see the different and wonderful world from God's perspective.

Taitung Hot Air Balloon Festival opens

Perhaps everyone should have several hot air balloon trips in their lifetime to be successful. A grand hot air balloon festival can turn passers-by into "hot air balloon fans" directly, and ordinary people can immediately become enthusiastic "hot air balloon fans" and cannot extricate themselves. This time, I had fun with the four ways to play hot air balloons - hot air balloon free flight, hot air balloon mapping, hot air balloon WALK-IN (walking into the hot air balloon), and hot air balloon tethered flight experience, which really made me feel the "hot air balloon" experience. "Balloon die-hard fan" crown. Have you never heard of the names of these hot air balloon games? No problem, after reading this article, you will understand what they are. (Actually, there are several extreme ways to play with hot air balloons - hot air round the world travel, hot air balloon bungee jumping or skydiving. Most people can't do these, and they probably can't be tried in Asia)

Minions hot air balloons are so cute

Even if you are often around the world During my travels, I have seen scenes of large-scale hot air balloons flying together. Regular hot air balloons are drop-shaped, but when you take a hot air balloon and fly into the sky with a large number of special-shaped balloons, you will find that it feels like this It's different. It feels like you've entered a magical fairy tale world where light and shadow change, and many scenes are incredible.

Specially shaped hot air balloons filled the venue

• The opening of the 2018 Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Carnival

There were so many beautiful pictures and videos of special shaped hot air balloons taken this time. It makes me feel so happy every time I watch it. I would even laugh in my dreams. Feel. These photos and videos were taken at the Luye High Platform in Taitung County, Taiwan. The recorded content is the situation on the opening ceremony of the "2018 Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Carnival" in Taitung County. This year’s Taitung Hot Air Festival, the number of specially shaped hot air balloons reached 38. The number of shaped balls appearing in the same frame is amazing. The cost of making shaped balls is several times or more than ten times that of ordinary balloons, so the number is rare and one can Seeing so much really makes everyone excited.

The best time to fly a hot air balloon is twice a day, when the sun has just risen or an hour or two before the sun sets, because the wind is usually calmer and the airflow is stable at this time. The skin fabric of the hot air balloon is also minimally damaged. The skin of the hot air balloon is very sensitive to high temperatures and the difference between hot and cold temperatures. Hot air balloons should be flown in the cool mornings or evenings. They must be grounded when encountering rain or cumulonimbus clouds and exposed to the sun. And falling rain will cause the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the ball to be too large, which can easily cause rupture or abnormal stretching and aging of the fabric. Therefore, the Hot Air Balloon Carnival holds large-scale events in the morning and evening. This rule is very easy to understand when explained in this way.

• It is said that a hot air balloon proposal has the highest success rate.

A hot air balloon is an unpowered flying device. It relies on propane or liquefied gas with a high combustion value to lift off and ignite it to create hot air. The hot air is lighter than the cold air of the same volume. The principle of generating buoyancy carries out lift-off. The process of preparing for the launch of a hot air balloon requires teamwork. First, lay the mat to prevent the balloon's skin from being damaged or soiled. Then spread the balloon on the ground, connect it to the hanging basket, and use a large Use a powerful fan blower to blow up the hot air balloon to half its size, and then use a propane burner to inject heat flow to quickly make the balloon stand upright.When the blower blows cold air into the balloon, people can enter the balloon during this process, but they must take off their shoes to avoid cutting the balloon skin. This method of entering the inside of the hot air balloon is called "hot air balloon WALK-IN" "The effect of taking photos in a hot air balloon sphere is very beautiful, and girls generally like it very much. It is said that the success probability of proposing in the hot air is still 99.99%, and there will be a proposal scene in every hot air festival.

Ordinary small hot air balloons can only carry a small number of people. The driver is not included. The passengers can only carry 2 to 3 people. It mainly depends on the weight of the passengers. The space in the pod is small, and many places are occupied by large propane cylinders. Loading passengers too heavy will affect the flight effect, so pilots generally do not let passengers carry backpacks into the cabin. Passengers should try to pack as lightly as possible before entering the hot air balloon. The entry and replacement of people in the hot air balloon needs to be done in batches. One person needs to enter and then come out. Ground staff must be fixed and protected to maintain the basic weight of the pod. Otherwise, the hot air may rise at ejection speed, which may easily lead to dangerous situations.

When the hot air balloon blows fire, because the space is small, the face will be very hot. Girls need to tie their hair up to prevent the loose hair from being burned by the burner. From a safety perspective, it is recommended to wear pure cotton clothing. Get on a hot air balloon. There is condensation inside the hot air balloon. At some times, the condensed water accumulated on the skin of the balloon will fall into the pod, just like rain. The most water will fall out when it just takes off, so it is best to hold it on your hands at that time. Photography equipment must be protected to avoid getting wet.

The invention of the hot air balloon was 120 years earlier than the airplane. Inspired by the phenomenon of shreds of paper rising in the stove, the French Mengfried brothers in the 18th century used paper bags to gather the hot air and make it rise continuously, thereby further re-creating the invention of the hot air balloon. Define the flight principles of hot air balloons and conduct experiments. Subsequently, the two brothers performed public hot air balloon performances for the French royal family and the public, and achieved manned hot air balloon flights. There are currently many types of hot air balloons. Sightseeing hot air balloons have been accepted by the public and are increasingly inseparable from travel and sightseeing. They are relatively cheap and safe manned flight vehicles.

The skin of the hot air balloon is made of high-strength nylon, and the fabric has high strength, tear resistance, and high waterproof properties. The skin of a hot air balloon also has a service life. It is said that after 400 hours of normal use, it must be returned to the factory for a tensile test. Only after it passes the tensile test can it continue to be used. If it fails, it will be scrapped or overhauled.

• There are many ways to play hot air balloons, from entry to advanced

Free flying of a hot air balloon means that after the hot air balloon takes off, the cable is released and the driver flies freely according to the wind direction and lands at the predetermined landing site in the direction of the wind. Tethered flight of a hot air balloon refers to a flight method held by a cable. After the hot air balloon takes off, one or three cables will rise with the hot air balloon. When it reaches a certain height, it will not continue to rise due to the action of the cables. Generally, The tethered flight height specified by regulations is 50 or 60 meters. This tethered flight height is not the height of the pod, but the height of the top of the balloon above the ground. Therefore, the actual height of the pod from the ground will not be too high. The hot air balloon flight area is above the venue. You can move up, down, forward, left, and right. The down time is usually only a few minutes. The fee is relatively cheap. It is an entry-level hot air balloon experience.

After experiencing the hot air balloon WALK-IN and tethered flight, I felt that I was still unsatisfied. As a hot air balloon guest at the opening ceremony, I finally walked into the pod of hot air balloon No. 6. The balloon pilot was the chief executive of Taiwan's famous Skyline Airlines. The member is handsome and experienced. With the rising sun in the morning, I started my fantastic journey of free flying in Luye Gaotai hot air balloon. There are many special-shaped balls around the hot air balloon, especially the eye-catching ones are the Minions (called: Little Soldiers in Taiwan) and the British soldier hot air balloon. They are I have always been flying next to you. Hot air balloon rafting is a sport that is not easy to overtake and grab the lane. It is really good luck to fly with these shaped balloons.

Before each hot air balloon takes off, a black balloon will be released to measure the direction of the wind. In fact, in the modern high-tech world, various weather data can be known in advance. All hot air balloon pilots and passengers will go to the briefing room to listen to the weather briefing. Depending on the wind direction, both the primary and backup landing zones for the thermal swarm are planned. I left all these complicated hot air balloon maps and high-altitude weather information to the pilot brother, and I just took photos at high altitude with peace of mind.

You should pay attention to the cold when flying at high altitude. For every 1000 meters of altitude, the temperature drops by more than 6 degrees, but this time the flight was not too high. After the pilot of our hot air balloon ascended, he found that the wind speed at high altitude was faster than the forecast. He reported the wind speed at high altitude through the intercom system. After that, the hot air group lowered its flight altitude as a whole and used a method close to the ground to directly cut off Luye Plateau. , using the high platform terrain to block strong winds, thereby extending the flight time. Because the landing area is agreed upon, the wind speed determines the flight duration of free flight.

The Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Carnival is in its 8th year this year. It is held every summer in July and August at Luye Highland in Taitung. This is an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Taitung from a unique perspective. Luye Plateau is located in the Taitung Longitudinal Valley. Between Taiwan's Central Mountain Range and Coastal Mountain Range is the Taitung Longitudinal Valley. It has an altitude of 369 meters and is a rare high plateau in Taiwan. Both mountain ranges run from northeast to southwest. The direction effectively reduces the influence of external wind, so that the average wind speed in Luye area is not high. The surrounding area is mainly farmland and forest. The area near Luye high platform has a wide view. From Luye high platform, you can see the vast Beinan Daxi River Valley, and you can also overlook There are suitable flat landing areas in the Huadong Longitudinal Valley and the neat farmland on the Longtian River steps, so Luye is very suitable for hot air balloon activities. Luye Gaotai is also the famous Taiwanese high-altitude paragliding sports base. Before the balloons at the Hot Ball Festival took off, we also saw high-altitude paragliders overlooking the take-off site of the hot-air balloons. I think the scenery from the paragliders will be amazing. It's great.

A group of hot air balloons fly together. The balloons can be very close to each other, and you can take pictures of hot air balloons in a cool way. When the group of hot air balloons flew over the Luye Gaotai Tea Garden, the sprinkler facilities for watering the tea garden started to activate. The water mist and halo made the scene so magical and magnificent, shocking and heart-tugging.

The beautiful time is always short. When landing, you need to grasp the handle inside the hanging basket with both hands, bend your legs, and be prepared for the impact when the hanging basket collides with the ground. Our balloon landed very smoothly. With a slight vertical click, the ground successfully landed and stopped, the hanging basket did not tip over, and the balloon also pointed straight upward. There was a GPS positioning device on the hot air balloon, and the driver informed us of the landing location. Soon the logistics vehicle arrived, and we were surrounded by other hot air balloons. The logistics staff were very well-trained to move the hot air to the road, fixed the cables and let the passengers down, laid out mats to deflate the balloons, and finally disassembled all the equipment and put it on the truck. The whole process took less than 20 minutes. After the flight, I received a hot air balloon ride certificate from the driver. Riding a hot air balloon was very ceremonial.

• If you haven’t seen the hot air balloon mapping show, you haven’t really seen the hot air balloon festival

Speaking of the four ways to play with hot air balloons, in fact, the most shocking and beautiful way to play is to watch the hot air balloon mapping show. The name "mapping" Maybe it's a bit esoteric, and I really can't imagine what it means from the literal meaning. In fact, "light sculpture" is a way to watch hot air balloons after dark at night. By combining the arrangement of hot air balloons, especially the arrangement of shaped balls, using lighting and the fire ejection of the hot air balloon basket itself, and using the method of three-dimensional light painting, The hot air balloon scene at night is beautifully presented. The audience is the largest during the projection mapping performance, and the number of people is getting more and more every year.

Hot air balloon projection mapping performances generally perform a fantasy show of light and fire according to the rhythm of music. Each performance has a different effect. In the final climax, fireworks will be set off behind the hot air balloon to add to the fun.At the end of the projection mapping performance, a grass concert will be held, with stars singing and interacting. All the fire-breathing hot air balloons will serve as a unique set for the concert, so the entire night's projection mapping festival is a comprehensive visual spectacle. and auditory performance, excellent to watch.

Since the skin of the hot air balloon is fragile, the pyrotechnics used for mapping mapping generally use low-altitude fireworks, which are released in a safe area behind the hot air balloon. To capture the hot air balloon and the fireworks in the same frame without the fireworks being blocked by the hot air balloon, you need to reach as high a height as possible. When shooting, the higher you go, the better the fireworks effect will be. However, the hot air balloon will sway due to the wind, so it is very difficult to take pictures of the shaking hot air balloon and the changing fireworks at the same time. The photo below uses a digital mirrorless camera. The shooting parameters are ISO100, exposure 2 seconds, and aperture f/4.5. The photos were processed to a certain extent in the later stage. These parameters are for reference only. Whether the photos are good or not depends on luck and wisdom.

This hot air balloon festival in Taitung will last for 45 days, from June 30 to August 13. The official website of the Taitung Hot Air Balloon Festival has a detailed description of the event schedule. This year’s hot air balloon projection music festival will be held at Taitung City’s Luye Highlands, Zhihang Base, Sanxiantai, Chishang Dapo Pond, Taimari Shuguang Garden, Zhiben Hot Spring, and the Taitung University Main Campus Library. , the projection sculpture performance is the highlight of the hot air balloon festival. If you don’t watch it, your visit to the Taitung Hot Air Balloon Festival will be in vain.

The following is an excerpt from the official website of the Hot Air Balloon Map Sculpture Music Festival Time and Session: (1) 6/30 (Saturday) 19:00 Luye High Platform, Luye Township (2) 7/07 (Saturday) 04:30 Sanxiantai, Chenggong Town (sunrise) Mapping) (3) 7/14 (Sat) 19:00 Taitung City Zhihang Base (4) 7/21 (Sat) 19:00 Chishang Township Chishang Dapo Pond (5) 7/28 (Sat) 19: 00 Taitung University Headquarters Library, Taitung City (6) 8/04 (Saturday) 04:30 Taimali Township-Taimali Shuguang Park (Sunrise Light Sculpture) (7) 8/11 (Saturday) 19:00 Beinan Township Zhiben Hot Spring (8) 8/13 (Monday) 19:00 Luye Township - Luye Highland (Closing)

During the hot air balloon festival, train transportation, hotel accommodation, etc. in the entire Taitung area are very tight, so Be sure to buy round-trip tickets and book hotels in advance. If you can't buy direct train tickets, you can buy them one stop at a time. You will find that Taiwan Railway train tickets will reserve a lot of tickets in the section. The Map Sculpture Festival will be held in multiple areas in Taitung County, so it is very important to book a hotel in a reasonable location according to the announced timetable and location, because during the Map Sculpture Festival, the surrounding roads are closed, and only those with passes can Only vehicles can enter, so traffic jams at the entrance and exit may last for several hours. The hotel will have an advantage if it is located near the Map Sculpture Festival venue. Please be sure to bring your own food and drinks when watching the Map Sculpture Festival, because there is a real possibility of selling out the canteens and small supermarkets, which shows how popular and exciting the Taitung Hot Air Balloon Festival is.

Article author: Qian Wei, China National Geographic certified author, landscape evaluator, Baidu contracted traveler, Fliggy Master, Sohu travel self-media, Letu columnist, Tongcheng Checker, Tuniu big player, Lv Mother expert, smart travel consultant, freelance copywriter, traveler.