This is news that Cappadocia could do without. This region of central Turkey, famous for its troglodyte villages and fairy chimneys, has just been the site of a hot air balloon crash. According to the Nevsehir Governorate, the plane, in which there were twenty-eight passengers and two crew members, hit the ground hard.after the wind picked up unexpectedlyhe said in a statement. As a result of the disaster, two Spanish tourists were killed and three more people were injured.
An investigation has been started to find out the causes and responsibility of the accident. Waiting for its conclusions, regional specialists are in mourning.This accident has saddened us allsaid Dündar Karabenli, manager of the Turkish Tout la Cappadoce travel agency, which provides Figaro that everything is in place to ensure the safety of users. “Turkish Civil Aviation controls and regulates our flights. Twenty-five companies regularly fly 172 balloons in Cappadocia, half of which are permanently located for safety measures.“, he explains. “We apply strict security measures to tourists. pregnant women and children under the age of seven cannot board one of our balloons, and the pilots are very strict in explaining the rules that apply during the flight.he concludes.
Despite the control of Turkish civil aviation and the existence of general rules, several fatal accidents of this type have occurred in the region. In April 2017, a French diplomat was killed and several people were injured when their balloon collided with a power line. A Danish tourist also died two months ago, again due to the wind. In 2013, three Brazilian tourists were killed when a hot air balloon crashed into another basket during takeoff.
A highly regulated practice in France
Every year, 900,000 people from all over the world come to Turkey to take part in hot air ballooning. On-site security is important. a Turkish pilot must have 300 hours of flight time to perform this operation with passengers. For larger nacelles, such as the one that crashed on October 18 (28 people and 2 pilots), the limit rises to a minimum of 750 flight hours. But these trainings are nothing without the respect of the rules by the passengers, which inevitably affect the smooth flow of the flight. According to Dündar Karabenli, some tourists sometimes deviate from the essential rules, for example, to hold the safety handles when disembarking;Pilots provide passengers with safety instructions before each flight. All travelers follow the safety requirements without any problem. But sometimes it happens, even if it remains very rare, that the instructions are not followed to the letter when landinghe laments.
In France, home of the hot air balloon invented by the Montgolfier brothers in the 18th century, safety is also a non-negotiable priority;We benefit from over fifty years of ballooning safety improvements» traces for: Le Figaro Mickaël Dubois, manager of Compagnons du Vent, which organizes hot air balloon flights over the Loire Valley. “Air balloon accidents are extremely rare in France. Our activities are under the control of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC)and companies have the status of an air carrier” he summarizes.
In order to continue its activities, the specialized company is thus subjected to inspection flights every two years, its equipment is checked during the year and the knowledge of the pilots is updated every year based on the manual approved by the civil aviation. They must also have a license and a free balloon licence, which provides 32 hours of flight training and includes about forty take-offs and landings;DGAC has worked hard on human factors management. Pilots, for example, are trained to respond to passenger misbehavior. Security is our daily obsessionMickaël Dubois proudly details.
In addition, regulations were introduced in 2018 by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It regulates the commercial operation of balloons and aerostats in the European Union. This package of measures is welcomed by professionals, despite the administrative restrictions it entails;These regulations have imposed on us such a framework as the regular control of pilot training or the modernization of equipment, but they only structure essential rules. We are very safety conscious in our profession, it is rooted in practiceadds Le Figaro Daniel Favier, President of the National Council of Aviation Professionals and Partners (CNPPA), a national union representing one hundred members throughout France.
Result: Hot air ballooning in France is a relatively accident-free aviation activity. According to Michael Dubois, there is an average accident every ten years.Our accident rate is even lower than microlights. Let’s remind that about 50,000 people ride hot air balloons in France every year. That’s thousands of flight hourshe argues. The last serious accident dates back to 2014. Balloon catches fire after crash landing at Tarn-e-Garonne. One person died and three others received serious burns.
The ultimate pro tip for a hassle-free flight. find out about airline registration before booking. In France, the approval number is given to companies registered in civil aviation and whose activities are of a commercial nature.It is better to contact industry professionals rather than clubs, which are associative structures not affiliated with DGAC. We are fortunate to have a mandate such as civil aviation and binding regulations. It is the guarantor of everyone’s safetyMichael Dubois concludes. Aerostat neophytes, get a little higher, everything is under control.
Source: Le Figaro
