From England to Hyderabad: Hot Air Balloon Pilots Test Early-Morning Skies Ahead of Public Rides

As Hyderabad stirred awake to soft winter sunrises, a group of hot air balloon pilots many flying in Hyderabad for the first time floated silently over the city’s western fringes, testing the winds ahead of the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation’s (TTDC) public hot air balloon rides scheduled from January 16 to 18.

Pilots from England gathered at Jalamandali Park in Gandipet for early-morning test flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, joining this correspondent and other international flyers to assess weather patterns, wind direction and landing zones at the isolated locations chosen for public rides.

Two test flights, each involving two hot air balloons, took off around 7 am on both days, with preparations beginning as early as 6 am. Each flight lasted about an hour, during which pilots carefully studied wind behaviour while enjoying sweeping views of Hyderabad’s rapid expansion.

“Rocks and luxury villas standing side by side you can clearly see how Hyderabad is growing,” remarked one of the international pilots mid-flight.

Before the balloons were inflated, a helium balloon fitted with a light was released to check wind direction. Soon after, two hot air balloons each capable of carrying eight passengers, excluding the pilot, rose gracefully into the sky, reaching heights of nearly 4,500 feet before landing near the Osman Sagar in the limits of Kollur Police Station.

Throughout the flight, the balloons were closely monitored by SkyWaltz’s retrieval teams along with Narsingi Police. Once the balloons touched down, ground teams reached the landing spot within half an hour.

Among the pilots was Patrik Simeons, who shared his long-standing passion for ballooning. “I became a hot air balloon pilot at the age of 16. I fly frequently and was in Doha recently. This is my first time in India and Hyderabad. Ballooning is my passion—I do it for fun, not money,” he told Deccan Chronicle. Simeons added that while he owns an ice-cream-shaped balloon, he is currently flying SkyWaltz balloons sourced from Spain and England.

Another balloon manufacturer from Spain with 47 years of experience, said this was his second visit to Hyderabad after nearly a decade. “I have spent my life manufacturing balloons and training pilots. Flying here again is special,” he said.

The sight of colourful balloons drifting overhead drew enthusiastic reactions from locals. Morning walkers paused to wave, labourers stopped work to record videos, and a group of young girls from the NCC community excitedly asked permission to step into a balloon basket for photographs.

However, Wednesday’s celebrations of Bhogi brought reduced visibility due to smoke in the air, making landing slightly chaotic. As a precaution, pilots decided to skip test flights on Thursday.

SkyWaltz officials explained that every minute of flight from take-off to landing is closely tracked. “Air Traffic Control continuously monitors our balloon movements to ensure we do not enter civil aviation or airport airspace,” an official said.

According to Kareem, an internationally certified hot air balloon pilot, nearly 18 balloons will be used during the public rides, particularly in the mornings from January 16. “Passengers will be informed of the take-off location depending on wind direction on the day of the flight,” he said.

As Hyderabad prepares to welcome the balloons officially, these quiet test flights watched by curious locals and guided by seasoned international pilots have already added a touch of magic to the city’s early-morning skies.