Hot air balloon flight in Annonay

Tell us about your profession-passion…

I was born in Annonay, and as a kid I only dreamed
What a hot air balloon! I left for the fields to find the pilots who embarked me with them. It was magical. Making my passion my job has never tired me, far from it. With Grégory Béjat, who fell into it when he was little, we created Montgolfières & Cie in 2010 and we offer hot air balloon flights. During 1h or 1h30 of flight we take the time to discuss and people always leave with the banana. The team is united and the atmosphere is good!

The earth seen from the sky, what does it look like?

Here, I like the diversity of the landscapes, there are several floors, with the changing vegetation and all the mountain ranges that can be seen at different distances, which allows for exciting flights.

Where is your ball made?

In Annonay at Ballon Chaize. We are lucky to have the only French balloon factory with highly qualified personnel.

How does a flight with Montgolfières & Cie work?

We make a weather point to check the conditions. If the lights are green, the meeting is fixed around 5:30 am (in summer). After a welcome coffee, croissant and a security point, we can fly away and watch the sunrise.

And for the landing?

He actually decides in the last 15 minutes. Over time, we begin to know the meadows and accessible areas.

You who was ranked 5th French pilot in 2012, can you explain to us what a hot air balloon championship consists of?

The championships are precision tests, you have to analyze the winds, the reliefs and land at a given point, basically we are asked to direct something that is not airship!

Vincent Cachat