Sometimes the weather looks perfect, yet it’s still unsuitable for flying. When planning a flight, the key factor determining safety is the wind. Since a balloon travels at various altitudes, the pilot considers wind speed not only at ground level but also at higher elevations. In Poland’s climate zone, it sometimes happens that the wind is weak right at ground level, but already 10–20 metres above the ground, it becomes too strong. A balloon is between 20 and 50 metres tall (depending on its size), which means that even while standing on the ground, it can be affected by winds we can’t feel at ground level. And this creates the risk of a dangerous take-off or landing. In such cases, the flight must be cancelled. Another situation that may cause a cancellation is forecasted storms. We know that it often happens that a forecasted storm never occurs or passes far away from our area. However, in such situations, our pilots must cancel the flight, as they cannot take even the slightest risk of flying near a storm.
Another factor that can cause flight cancellation, even in seemingly nice weather, is fog. This applies especially to morning flights during transitional seasons. Sometimes weather forecasts make no mention of reduced visibility, yet local conditions at the launch site — such as nearby bodies of water or rainfall from the previous day — can cause fog formation. In such a situation, the pilot must cancel the flight.
It’s important to remember that all our pilots are passionate about flying and truly love what they do. However, thanks to their extensive experience, each of them is highly aware of the potential risks that can occur when flying in unsuitable conditions. That’s why their decision to cancel a flight may sometimes seem unclear — but we kindly ask for your trust. EVERY CANCELLED FLIGHT IS, ABOVE ALL, A SIGN OF OUR CONCERN FOR YOUR SAFETY.
