This re-release of a 1993 video
takes the viewer on a 30 minute exploration to some the most interesting
balloon terrain in the world: Kenya, the Loire Valley in France, Monument
Valley, Arizona, and finally to the Swiss Alps.Produced by Walter & Patricia Arnell
Review by Tom Hamilton
This re-release of a 1993 video
takes the viewer on a 30 minute exploration to some the most interesting
balloon terrain in the world: Kenya, the Loire Valley in France, Monument
Valley, Arizona, and finally to the Swiss Alps.
First stop is with the Bombard Society in the lush Loire Valley in France. The balloon drifts over the villages, pastures and famous chateaus. Occupants in the basket are able to pick leaves or talk with the farmer as the balloon glides down across the field. Maybe spot a young couple along the bank of the river as the balloon floats across the water.
From this rich green pastoral setting the viewer is transported to the desert SouthwestMonument Valley. Here among the silent sentinels, carved over the centuries by the forces of nature, balloons hover silently in the reverent canyons. A symphony of color and movement against the backdrop of towering redrock walls.
From one desert to another. This time it is the plains of Kenya. Winds move the balloon at a much faster pace. The solitude of Monument Valley is gone and you are greeted by rhinos, elephants, giraffes and hippopotami in their natural habitats. Alan Roots' PBS ballooning footage is reprised here. The scene shows how Root exchanges his Kenyan passengers on the run, literally. The balloon moves across the desert at a fast pace as a Range Rover speeds along side. Passengers leap for the basket and are hauled in. Don't let your insurance agent see you trying this maneuver.
The last scene is played out in the Swiss Alpine village of Chateau d'Oex. Here you are told that only the most skilled balloonists are allowed to participate. Flying in the steep snow clad canyons, high in the mountains takes special skills to navigate the balloon. Knowing how to use the valley air currents is paramount.
The video concludes with the thought that the magic of a balloon in flight is like standing on a "balcony in the sky."
If you just like to watch balloons fly where very few have the opportunity, then you would enjoy this video.
Balcony In The Sky, 30 minutes, $29.95, available from Chip Taylor Communications, 15 Spollett Dr, Derry, NH 03038, phone 1-800-876-2447, fax 603-432-2723, e-mail: sales@chiptaylor.com.
