Balloon accident in Egypt--19 dead

Old Feb 26th, 2013, 08:58 AM
  #1  
P_M
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 24,943
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Balloon accident in Egypt--19 dead

OMG.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/world/...ntent=My+Yahoo
P_M is online now  
Old Feb 26th, 2013, 09:43 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Such sad news. Prayers for the families and victims.
Axel2DP is offline  
Old Feb 26th, 2013, 10:11 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 20,013
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
One of the reason I Never took a balloon ride when I was there.

How tragic can this be.
Family members reading this, you have a deepest sympathy.
Percy is offline  
Old Feb 26th, 2013, 10:46 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Over the years I've taken 3 different balloon rides and always was given a safety talk on the way to the balloon by our captain and crew, and I've always felt safe.
This is SUCH a sad day for all involved from the passengers, their families and the companies and future tourists that will be affected by this accident.
Casual_Cairo is offline  
Old Feb 27th, 2013, 05:50 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Headline story on all newspapers in Hong Kong this morning, as 9 of the dead were part of a tour group from HK.
rkkwan is offline  
Old Feb 27th, 2013, 11:27 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I backed out of a balloon ride in Luxor just before they were loading people in the balloon. It was pretty windy, there were a bunch of young guys in a dark field putting up mylar balloons and looking at each other deciding whether to go up or not. Everyone looked a bit rag-tag and disorganized (this could have just been the company that I was with--I can't speak for other companies). I decided to sit it out and go back to the boat. So I lost a hundred bucks. I felt very uncomfortable about getting on the balloon--and with all the travel I do, I try always to go with my gut.

Compared to the balloon ride I took in Cappadocia, there simply is no comparison. In Turkey you feel you are taking off from JFK with all the planning, crash drills, and warnings that they might not take off unless conditions are perfect.

But, accidents happen. Balloons have also crashed with fatalities in the US and Canada. You need to control the variables you can and not going up in Luxor because it didn't feel right was the variable I decided to control.

Note: I LOVE Egypt--I am not in any way trying to trash Egyptian tourism. Go and have fun, but skip the balloon ride. They are dealing with a lot of other things right now. Balloon safety is probably not on the top of their priority list. Until two days ago.
BostonHarbor is offline  
Old Mar 1st, 2013, 08:15 PM
  #7  
MD
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We took a balloon flight last April in Luxor. We loved it. There have been various comments about disorganized, unsafe, or pilot error in the media but I have to say - the flight we had in Luxor was pretty much perfect. I was incredibly impressed by the pilot's skill. We came down over a field just down and across the road from the Collossi of Memnon. When we were about 5 feet off the ground, the pilot just held us at that height with short bursts as the breeze carried us over to the rail embankment at the side of the field. Considering how slow the feedback cycle is with a giant hot air balloon, that is an amazing feat of skilled piloting to stay perfectly level.

Once at our landing spot, the balloon was held by ground crew while the pilot released the top vent, and after we got out, they guided the ballon collapse onto a big tarp spread on the ground so there would be no snags or tears. Everybody seemed organized and professional.

Accidents happen. A few years ago, Canada saw two serious balloon accidents in a row, despite first world safety controls. I saw nothing that suggested to me our tour's Luxor crew was lax; in fact, the first morning we tried, they would not launch because visibility was still not up to legal requirements (6km visibility), a haze issue due to a sandstorm a few days before.

So I do feel especially for the people who died. It was horrific and very sad. Not to diminish that, but I also have sympathy for all the people who work in the tourism industry and did not need another blow to scare away their chance to earn a livlihood. It is a marvellous place and people should visit.
MD is offline  
Old Mar 2nd, 2013, 07:43 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 413
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Last time I was in Luxor we used Viking. They were as professional and conscientious as any other crew I've seen in the USA. And as a bonus we had a celebratory musical interlude after we were all on the ground and the balloon was stowed.

I too am sorry for the people who lost their lives in this tragedy and also for the folks who lost, hopefully only temporarily, their livelihood. People will harken back to this event and not take the balloon trips which support a lot of workers.
Favor is offline  
Old Mar 2nd, 2013, 02:11 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here's a follow up story that should give one pause when considering a balloon ride in this region....

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...t-8517919.html
Cateyes555 is offline  
Old Mar 2nd, 2013, 11:31 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The worst part of that article Cateyes555 is talking about ballooning in Turkey. As far as I know, there are still plenty of British pilots flying in Luxor.
Casual_Cairo is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Kathie
Asia
11
Oct 5th, 2014 06:24 PM
habitualsoul
Asia
10
Apr 1st, 2009 06:02 AM
Joyy
Asia
8
Mar 13th, 2008 02:23 PM
BettyInToronto
Asia
16
Nov 12th, 2006 07:14 PM
goingtobeijing
Asia
19
Dec 18th, 2004 10:33 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -