Balloon business

Statistics compiled by the insurance industry and National Transportation Safety Board show that the most frequent hazard in ballooning is the landing. Insurance company numbers further point to commercial balloon ride operations as generating a disproportionately high number of claims. It is this increase in claims that is sited as the primary factor in insurance rate increases for commercial ride operations.

In this special report, Balloon Life spoke with insurance company executives, balloon manufacturers and ride operators to get their ideas for safer flights.

Why are there so many claims? Insurance company representatives often blame the pressure to produce income as a leading factor in flights into marginal weather. Those flights can result in hard landings, usually in windy conditions. Pressure to produce income, however, may only be the immediate symptom of an underlying problem.

Finances aside, it is the attitude of the individual balloon business which has a greater impact on safe operations. Risk in any business is ever present. If it weren’t, there wouldn’t be any need for insurance. What makes some operations more prone to situations that could lead to injuries while others are not as prone to these same situations?

Among those people with which Balloon Life spoke, the attitude which seems to have the largest positive impact on safety is professionalism. Maybe a better term would be good business sense. Selling rides to the public, after all, is a business. As one person suggested, treat the balloon ride business—even if it is a mom-and-pop weekend operation—as if you were running a small airline.

Let’s set up a small airline and consider some of the areas where we can enhance operations safety. First item—the equipment. What kind of balloon do you want to fly? Tom Reussé, Insurance Marketing Center, says most balloons are not designed for rough landings with passengers.

When landing with speed, the balloon contacts the ground and bounces a few times. What is going to happen? In an automobile accident, if you are not wearing your seat belt, you become a human missile. The same thing takes place in the balloon basket. People start bouncing around.