A HOT-AIR balloon flight from the crater of an active volcano and across 50km of open ocean is the biggest challenge Carterton man Rick Walczac has undertaken in over 1000 hours of ballooning.
"It's also the stupidest thing I've ever done," says the man who last year became the first to
fly over Mt Egmont/Taranaki and in April only just missed overflying Mt Cook/Aorangi when the wind changed.
Walczak's new mission is to launch the An Egg a Day is Now OK balloon from the crater of White Island and fly to Whakatane, on the mainland.
The risks are many. Simply launching among the boiling pools, holes of sulphuric acid, steam and natural gas vents of this continuously-active volcano is full of risk. White Island's most recent eruptions were in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2001, so that's a factor too. Eleven men were killed by an eruption in 1914.
Balloons function best in cold conditions. Simply "scrambling" the egg balloon in the thermal area will be a challenge, although Walczak reckons poaching is pretty remote.
"I've done my homework and I've done the flight in my sleep. I'm really looking forward to it," said Walczak.
He will fly alone, partly because of the danger but also because of the huge fuel load, about 500 litres of propane, needed for the long flight.
Once he's aloft there is still considerable risk, especially of a wind shift and the possibility of ditching into the sea. There will be both a boat and helicopter available for rescue, but the canopy of the balloon would be lost.
"That's the worst scenario," said Walczak. "Salt water would kill it. You can't pick it up ? with the water it's too heavy ? and towing it back to shore would wreck it."
He adds that you can't get insurance for stunt flights, so there's a lot at stake.
Late February was chosen because that's when the northerly winds he needs prevail.
"If there's any hint of a southerly we'll have to stop," he said.
The balloon will be carried out by boat before dawn, and Walczak's crew will then have to manhandle it 200 - 300 metres from the landing to a shelf inside the crater and assemble it.
The pilot would fly out in the helicopter which will be used for photography as well as rescue, and expects to lift off around 7am. Flight duration is uncertain ? 15 to 25 or 30 knots of wind bwould be ideal, he said.
"I'm excited," said Walczak. "It's the unknown. Sometimes you can't even see the land from out there."
After the Mt Cook flight the crew described the experience of reaching a New Zealand record balloon speed of 72.8km/h.
"It was shaking and shuddering ? the scariest thing we've ever done," Walczak said then.
White Island could top that.
A HOT-AIR balloon flight from the crater of an active volcano and across 50km of open ocean is the biggest challenge Carterton man Rick Walczac has undertaken in over 1000 hours of ballooning.
"It's also the stupidest thing I've ever done," says the man who last year became the first to
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