Enjoying Kenya safari in a hot air balloon is one of the most thrilling experiences. It gives a bird’s eye view of the wildlife and the vast savannah of the game parks. After about an hour, just about the time of descent of the balloon, along with the exhilaration, some people feel a slight discomfort or stuffiness in the ear. But it almost always goes away on landing. This uneasiness is ear barotrauma. People who suffer from congested nose due to common cold are more likely than others to feel such awkwardness. Detection of ear barotrauma requires a physical examination.

Alan Eustace was Google’s vice president of engineering and search. Before that, he worked on chip design and architecture projects. He is also a skydiver and has completed 500 jumps. Eustace exudes a mild demeanor, but beneath that is an engineer who likes challenges. Hence, his love and passion for space travel led him in 2014 to be the highest skydiver. He ascended via balloon to 136,000 feet and returned with a parachute and a spacesuit. It did not garner the same press attention that, Felix Baumgartner, the former record holder got because Eustace’s motives were not prestige or fame.

The most elegant way to experience a Kenya wildlife safari is in a hot-air balloon. After the balloon wildlife safari over the vast plains and savannahs of Kenya, the crew and the passengers of the hot air balloon flight will toast and enjoy a champagne reception. An elaborate breakfast accompanies the champagne toast at the landing place. There is a reason behind this celebration that dates back to the time when the pioneers and innovators staged the first few hot air balloon flights in the late 1780s. For engagements and weddings, additional accompaniments are provided to make the experience special.

Maasai Mara is Kenya’s most frequented wildlife reserve. And while some animals are easy to spot, other animals like the black rhino are not. With an estimate of 25 black rhinos remaining, poaching has further decimated their population. Also, rhinos mainly tend to live away from the tracks traversed by vehicles. Thus, due to their scarcity and shyness, encountering them is more difficult. Balloon flights offer the opportunity to spot some of the elusive creatures. Although game drives provide a sense of the wonder of the Reserve, it is from above ground that the grandeur of this spectacle truly appreciated.

The fact no one knows is that hot air balloons are not only used for wildlife safaris in Kenya but also as weapons of a duel to settle disputes. However, the critical difference to note is that when using it for safaris, hot air balloons are the safest mode of transportation but when used in battles, it can end up taking people’s lives. As in the famous case of the two Frenchmen who fought themselves to death in the early 19th century, very often, such feud between two people is the result of colossal ego clashes more than anything else.

The international event of the Lorraine Mondial Hot Air Balloon Festival has been gathering in a former NATO airfield in eastern France at the Chambley-Bussieres Aerodrome ever since the establishment in 1989. Hundreds of balloons of different colors, shades and hues soar to new heights at this balloon gathering. For many years, the balloon festival has offered the aligned takeoff of balloons that is already a global premiere. Philippe Buron Pilatre, a descendant of Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier who was an aeronautics pioneer, is the organizer of the event. Philippe who has been piloting since 1979 is also its founder.

A boating stunt saw Sir Richard Branson successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean and beat the world record. When the furor of that feat naturally died down in a few years, Branson tried something more adventurous. He set his sights on a dangerous pursuit of crossing the ocean, this time not on a boat but a hot air balloon, and was determined to win. Three such crossings were previously made but in helium balloons. As planned, Branson and Lindstrand victoriously achieved the ocean-crossing record in a hot air balloon. They cruised for 37 hours in a record-breaking distance of 2,900 miles.

After many years of intense training to be a hot air balloon pilot, Richard Branson went through a harrowing experience during the tail end of the trans-Atlantic ballooning. Despite it, he refused to budge. After arriving home from the hospital, Branson’s restless thoughts soon turned to other conquerable adventures. The great crew of Per Lindstrand and Richard Branson paired up again to cross the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon. In 1991, they traveled from Japan to Canada at a speed of 245 mph covering a distance of 6,700 miles. The pair broke the world record the second time.

A great deal of time of balloon pilots is spent analyzing the conditions of the weather to determine if it is the right moment to soar high. Inevitably, some flights will be rescheduled or canceled on account of the weather. The decision not to fly seems a logical one for the balloon pilots. But for the passengers, it does not sound logical. They do not understand the reason behind the postponement of the flight when no storm or rain seems to be happening. Wind, heat, rain, and storms are the four factors involved when predicting the climate of the day.

The best way to spot wild animals in Kenya is by gliding through the vast game parks in a hot air balloon. Witnessing the feral beasts of the earth against the backdrop of the tranquility of the savannas from the vantage point of view is worth every penny. However, when enjoying safaris in a hot air balloon ride and during the descent of balloon flights for landing, there is a common problem of which people need to be aware. It is the minor unease or clogging in the ears that happens when the eardrum becomes tense. It is called barotrauma.