HappyTrvlr

Hot air balloons collide in Turkey; 2 dead - CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/world/...ash/index.html
14 mins ago – The accident, which also injured 23 people, occurred in Turkey's popular tourist destination of Cappadocia, the central Turkish region famous ...

colduphere

From other reports it sounds like one balloon was right above another balloon. Not a good arrangement. When we took our ride there were balloons everywhere.

otherchelebi

My condolences to bereaving families and wishes for fast recovery to the injure.

I generally do not like dangerous undertakings which include anything to do up in the air (except on scheduled flights) and under water (scheduled or not), but I can understand the desire to view and to witness beauty.

sf7307

Friends of ours told us this was an absolute, no questions asked "must-do". I am happy to say my son and daughter-in-law had already decided NOT to do it (the "up-in-the-air" thing).

HappyTrvlr

We had already decided not to do this as well. Hiking in the area will give us our best experience.

xyz99

Ohh, no....I was set on doing this, but I am reconsidering it now.

HappyTrvlr

We were told it was "a must"too but have always turned down balloon rides in the past.

colduphere

Anyone who says a balloon ride is a "must" should stop giving travel advice. It was interesting but certainly not for everyone. I feel sorry for the people who make a living off of this. Our pilot never stopped asking how we were feeling, especially me (yellow/green face apparently).

Finecheapboxofwine

Sad for the tourists and operators. Count me out of the balloon rides, zip-lines, parasailing and the like. I will keep my two feet on the ground while on vacation, thank you.

barefootbeach

We witnessed this sad event this morning during our balloon flight...could hear the frantic instructions from our pilot's communication's device urging the striken balloon to "release your parachute...release your parachute!" We were quite a distance away and saw the balloon deflate and rapidly descend, but our pilot somehow steered us away from the site. We did not see the actual collision, but there were about one hundred balloons in the air, which was an awesome sight until this happened. In Cappadocia, three companies stand out for their safety record and concern and experience of their pilots. The day before, our tour guide says he books flights for his clients based on the pilot. I had chosen Royal Balloon company before I met our tour guide for the day,but when we got there, I was happy to find out that our pilot was the one mentioned by the local tour guide...David. He was excellent, professional and very safety conscious. One advantage we had was that our flight was the longer, 1 1/2 hour "king" version, with only 12 people in the basket, and we took off from an area away from the others and left about 30 minutes after the majority of companies. This allowed us to view the fantastic "fairy chimneys" illuminated with sunlight and when we crested the first hill, we saw the view of all the other balloons in the distance...far away from us. Initially, we just thought the aesthetics were better...later, we realized how much safer this approach also was. We didn't know until after we landed that there had been fatalities and how many had been injured. But, truly, the flight had been magical and simply beautiful...the amazing landscape of Cappadocia was captured uniquely by the Balloon experience. I've been on flights over the Masai Mara, and over the Arizona dessert...but this was in a class by itself. If you choose the best companies, and are willing to pay a premium for that, I wouldn't hesitate to go again.

LucieV

<<<Anyone who says a balloon ride is a "must" should stop giving travel advice.>>>

I would say anyone who says anything is a "must" should stop giving travel advice. Or better yet: those of us who travel should stop heeding such advice. As a friend of mine recently said to me, "Everywhere is not for everyone."

(No, we did not go to Cappadocia on our recent trip to Turkey; but yes, we were strongly considering it. And I was very much considering the balloon ride, not because I love balloon rides but because so many people told me it is a "must"...and I am shamefully easily swayed by such comments.)

In any case, I am sorry to hear this happened. From what I've heard about the numbers of balloons that go up each morning in Cappadocia, as well as the proliferation of balloon companies competing for tourists' money, I can't help thinking this was an accident waiting to happen.

rfbk50

I'm going to Turkey in November and was considering a balloon ride. Just where do you go to get information on "safest" company. I don't know how much I would rely on a tour guide. He might just be referring his cousin.

MarnieWDC

I appreciate knowing this current, awful news, HappyTrvlr.

My travel companion and I had decided not to take the balloon ride in Cappadocia - because we had done them before in other countries. But, I have been having second thoughts reading about the beauty of the experience, etc,.....now I am definitely going back to plan A !

With heartfelt sympathy for the victims of this tragedy.

Patricia_KelleyEarp

We chose butterfly balloons. Mustafa was our pilot. Very safety conscious. One of the most spectacular things I have ever done. We did the ride in February , with a dusting of snow illuminating the landscape. And snow was falling too. Breathtaking

So so so sad. Such an awful tragedy

nextholiday

My thoughts go out to all those who were injured, lost their lives, witnessed this tragedy or part of the company that organise these balloon rides. It is a horribly tragic thing to have happened & devastating for all of those involved.

It is an unfortunate thing to occur, but I don't believe it should put people of an amazing experience. Think about all the other unfortunate things that have occurred in the past too for people - any natural disaster or accident. These things happen as this is life, but should it mean we stop doing everything? It is very, very sad. But I really agree with barefootbeach - this is one of the most amazing places to do a balloon ride & people say it is a "must see" because maybe they are blown away with the beauty that you can see of this stunning, breathtaking landscape!

Please just be smart on your research & try to trust some people who have been doing this for years. I did the balloon ride 2 years ago & yes we were up in the air with 20 or more balloons, but it was breathtaking & I did feel very safe as my pilot also went away from the majority of the balloons.

Nigelp23

sad to see this accident in Turkey but it had been on the cards for long time, unless some dramatic changes take place I daresay there will be more in the not too distant future. condolences to the bereaved, wishing those injured a speedy and successful recovery. Please see below what I wrote about Turkey when addressing the Egyptian balloon accident several weeks ago. I made no claims to be a clairvoyant however I predicted the Serengeti accident and now with impeccable accuracy, and yes sadness not only have predicted the Turkish accident but also the type of accident that it would be. From a professional point of view it was just inevitable.

I acknowledge there are are few highly professional pilots operating in this location however on the whole the Cowboys are the weakest link in the chain. What you read below is an extract from a webpage that that I published a few weeks ago.


Commercial Balloon pilot and former balloon safety officer, speaks out on Turkish balloon accident.



An all too common phenomena in the balloon rides industry
An accident waiting to happen.

What you read below (extract) was published by myself on 4th March 2013 This was in response to the Egyptian balloon disaster. What you may find interesting is that whilst I make no claim for any psychic ability, this is the second balloon accident that I’ve correctly predicted. Not only was the prediction spot-on, the precise nature of the accident was impeccably precise in that it was a midair collision between two balloons, with a top of one passenger balloon colliding with the bottom of another, resulting in rapid deflation and ultimate carnage.

Surely questions must be raised as to why nobody else is sounding the alarm bells? I think that I can tell you why, insatiable appetite for commercial interest at the cost of balloon passengers been placed in body bags.




In May 2010 I forewarned the public to expect a disaster coming out of the Serengeti, sadly we didn’t have to wait long to see news of unnecessary deaths taking place in that area. Strikingly similar to my that prediction, as you read below you will witness indisputable evidence of yet another prediction coming true. Pleasingly the death toll is far lower than I had expected, however with such insane congestion, coupled to questionable aviation standards, I feel that unless both the balloon operators and the Turkish Civil Aviation authority take immediate action, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that as the season progresses further disasters will take place in this region.

What the public and the media may find worryingly curious is that my stance on passenger safety has not been supported by the protective multimillion dollar balloon rides industry. Unfortunately with that in mind I would say that it would not be long before the World Wide Web and TV news channels will be graced with news of 20 to 30 deaths taking place in one single balloon accident. Taking that further, in my professional view, for reasons already outlined, Turkey remains in prime position to deliver this devastating news at the same time do keep an eye on East Africa.
Nigel Pogmore
Hot Air Balloon Safety
www.serengeti-balloon-accident.com

Turkey 2009: UK scientist killed, other passengers paraplegic:

 If you'd asked me prior to the Egyptian accident as to where I would have expected the next accident was going to come from,  I would draw your attention to the fact that I have  for  a long time predicted that Turkey  with an estimated 60 balloons in the sky at any one time, (some reports out today say 127) is in every sense of the term, an accident waiting to happen. There you have some well-respected professional pilots intermingled with what appear to be cowboys.  Having visited Turkey's flying area of Cappadocia  I came away less than impressed  after witnessing foolish antics that are bound to end in tragedy sooner or later.

  Although it was  a bright yet cold winter's morning of December, with only 17 balloons in the sky, I was to be taken on a flight with a pilot that I trusted.  That said it seemed  that some very young pilots as well some not so young, felt that the distinct need to impress everybody else around them. In attempting to do so it appeared the rules regarding minimum aircraft separation let alone common sense, had gone out of the window.

  With multiple  high capacity passenger balloons operating  within talking distance of each other, several balloons conducted  high speed ascents & descents, worryingly all at the same time, apparently oblivious to the close proximity of others  using the same airspace. Even for a seasoned pilot well accustomed to flying in demanding surroundings,  I was pleased to get back on the ground.  The rule is that the upper balloon gives way to the balloon below.

My concern here is that there will be a collision with the balloon positioned lower ascends & one descends from above,  in doing so crashing into each other,   resulting in a top to bottom impact  just as happened in Australia  in 1989 killing all 13 passengers, (it's already happened in Turkey)

 This activity is well supported in today's report (3rd March 2013) in the Independent on Sunday edition where it  states that some British pilots are refusing to work in Turkey/Egypt owing to the dangers, of"been bumped into by young  inexperienced pilots"

In 2009 this is exactly what happened when the UK scientist 53 year old Dr Kevin Beurle was killed. All other passengers I understand suffered back injuries. I have been contacted by a relative of one of the survivors of that accident, who informed me that her father was now quadriplegic.  I find it very strange that in this instance both balloons were from the same company of Kapadokya Balloons , I can only imagine that   Inter-balloon communication was non-existent.



  Deceiving the public of the real risk:

 I was to later learn that Kapadokya Balloons had  plans to set themselves up with a different company name, thereafter running this new identity alongside the original company. The new balloon operation is called Atmosphere Balloons.  Interestingly despite the company having so recently suffered previous fatalities that also injured a reported nine passengers, ironically a senior official   of the two companies, claimed that it was this web site that was ruining the good image of hot air ballooning,  something I very much  doubt that  the general public will find easy to swallow.


Turkey questionable  pilot licence procedure:


 Prior to visiting Turkey,  respected UK pilot Mike Green forwarded me his concerns surrounding the way in which the local pilots procure their licenses.  According to Mike email, a quick trip over the border to Russia only to return just two weeks later was all it took to go from student to commercially licensed pilot, soon after placed in command of balloons carrying up to 32 passengers at a time. With such novices intermingled amongst a few professionals, I feel that it's only a matter of time before we see another catastrophe.

Whilst we all rightfully gasp at  high death toll in Egypt, I would not be surprised to see  shocking headlines any time soon,  telling the world of carnage  with  jaw dropping death totals way above 20, possibly into the 30s. For the above reasons, in my view this area is without doubt an accident waiting to happen.

 Having just read the report by Matthew Bell in the  UK Independent on Sunday, where both myself and British Balloon & Arship club  chairman Phil Dunnington mentioned above, offer contributions, I was shocked to learn that I'm not the only balloon pilot to be  subjected to threats with the use of a revolver. Whilst the threatening of pilots by some air operators is rampant throughout the whole of the aviation industry, and certainly not just commercial ballooning, it appears that the balloon rides industry has a confident liking for firearms in order to assert their dastardly deeds.

lincasanova

I am a balloon "slight crash" survivor on a simple balloon tour in my hometown. The balloon didn't deflate.. but when TRYING to desperately land before heading into a dense forest, the basket was dragged on its side until the whole apparatus stopped. I will NEVER ever get on another ballon ride anywhere, although while we were sailing in the sky it was wonderful.