# Hot air balloon landing



## Cptncor84 (Dec 23, 2019)

I would imagine they have secured permission from various land owners but what happens when they get blown off course....trespassing if they dont land on state land or a road right of way? they are neat to see but was down in Hartland MI the other weekend at my inlaws and seen several floating around and landing in neighboring alfalfa fields at random. I couldn't imagine this is any different than walking onto somebody's property without permission but dont really know what their landing plans are, hoping there are some balloon folks on here.


----------



## fanrwing (Jul 31, 2010)

Went on a hot air balloon ride about 10 years ago. As we were getting ready to land the pilot radioed to the chase vehicle that he was going to try to make a certain house he could see. The chase vehicle went to get permission but went to the wrong house. We came down is some folks yard and they came out quite surprised. While they were still surprised the pilot quickly thanked them and said he was sorry for landing there but that once they started down he couldn't stop the landing. The home owners were ok with it. I think he could have gone back up and landed else where. He did avoid telling them that on the way down we hit their roof, I think damaging some shingles. I went away with the feeling that they land where ever and pack up man leave before the home/land owners realize what has happened. I one landed in my yard I would welcome them, tell them I'm glad the are safe and then ask them to leave my property. When they come back for their balloon they will have to pay an yet to be determined fee.

They really don't have a right to just drop onto people property, sometimes causing damage. It would be one thing if these were just folks out enjoying themselves, but, these are commercial operations that charge their customers a pretty hefty fee and then violate other peoples property.


----------



## don (Jan 20, 2001)

If you land on my property and don't damage my house fanrwing I will tell you I am glad you were unhurt and send you off with my best wishes for a continued safe flight.
That's what we folks up here do, and mostly why we don't live any further down state.

Willfully trespassing on our property is not taken lightly however, neighbors watching out for their neighbors, that's also what we do up here..


----------



## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

Most people are happy to see them land on their property or nearby, it is such an unusual event.


----------



## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Don't really know if it's fact or not, but seems it was past practice for a balloon pilot to carry a bottle of champagne onboard and offer it to any landowner who's property they landed on.


----------



## NovemberWhitetailz (Oct 10, 2008)

fanrwing said:


> I went away with the feeling that *HE LANDS* where ever and pack up man leave before the home/land owners realize what has happened. I one landed in my yard I would welcome them, tell them I'm glad the are safe and then ask them to leave my property. When they come back for their balloon they will have to pay an yet to be determined fee.
> 
> There, fixed it for you. No sense in lumping all pilots in with your 1 bad experience.
> My Uncle and Cousin fly balloons. They use a chase vehicle that when radioed will go to the land owner and ask permission. If no one is home, they move on. Generally they look for Alfalfa fields and CRP as there are many in our area. I do know of one time they had a malfunction and had to land fast to avoid catastrophic failure and ended up in a bean field. They apologized and checks were cut right then to the landowner for damaged caused. For the most part people are happy to oblige and especially if kids live nearby as it is a cool sight to see and hear.


----------



## jd4223 (Feb 12, 2012)

Like BobberBill said. My brother and his wife took a balloon ride and ended up landing in a farmers field while the farmer was on his tractor. Farmer drove his tractor to where the balloon landed and the balloon pilot apologized every which way to Sunday and then offered the farmer a bottle of champagne. The farmer declined the offer and said he wasn't upset with the balloon landing but was more concerned everyone ended up ok because the landing was ruff and the balloon basket ended up on its' side and they were dragged a good distance. After all was said and done,my brother walked away getting a new place to hunt.


----------



## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

When I worked on my uncles farm in Dexter back in the 70's, wasn't unusual to have one or two land every couple weeks in one of the fields. The farmers in the area were pretty cool about it.


----------



## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

They can land here anytime, but I wanna ride !


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## motdean (Oct 23, 2011)

Cptncor84 said:


> I would imagine they have secured permission from various land owners but what happens when they get blown off course....trespassing if they dont land on state land or a road right of way? they are neat to see but was down in Hartland MI the other weekend at my inlaws and seen several floating around and landing in neighboring alfalfa fields at random. I couldn't imagine this is any different than walking onto somebody's property without permission but dont really know what their landing plans are, hoping there are some balloon folks on here.


Which balloon was it, the RE/MAX? We see balloons all the time on a clear evening. They have landed in neighboring properties before, and stopped and asked permission once to land in ours, but the pilot was too high and they kept going.

When they landed on the neighbor's property, they had to wait for the chase vehicle to arrive. The pilot offered to lift our kids a few feet off the ground but the kids were younger and did not care for the noise that it made and politely declined.


----------



## Cptncor84 (Dec 23, 2019)

Never seen a ReMax but have seen several on various calm summer evenings Id say half are coming from that airport off 59 and then there are 3-5 that are over by Milford or West that ways. I dont have a dog in the hunt either way just wondered how and if they asked to touch down, the whole process seems like a giant dice roll once your up and floating.


----------



## motdean (Oct 23, 2011)

Cptncor84 said:


> Never seen a ReMax but have seen several on various calm summer evenings Id say half are coming from that airport off 59 and then there are 3-5 that are over by Milford or West that ways. I dont have a dog in the hunt either way just wondered how and if they asked to touch down, the whole process seems like a giant dice roll once your up and floating.


Yeah, it is an interesting topic. I did a brief search and am not sure myself on the legality.

The ones that you might be seeing could be coming from Captain Phogg up in Fenton.


----------



## Cptncor84 (Dec 23, 2019)

We were close enough just SW of 59/23 to see them to the SE a few miles climbing altitude, Id have to assume they launched from somebody's house


----------



## FishManDan (Mar 24, 2013)

We have had them land out front of our house. They often try to ask but sometimes it like the old saying " better to be on the ground wishing you are in the air than to be in the air wishing you are on the ground" If someone dragged and went over the wind was the issue. Yep they do offer a bottle and ask you to join in on a toast to safe flight. The last time pilot was a bit concerned as it was morning and everyone had sprinklers going so chose the street to keep the balloon dry. Oh he also said that he had launched at three fires school field which is at Latson road just south of I 96


----------

