IT is not scary, it is so comfortable, feels so safe and is a fascinating experience everyone should try. I talk of a hot air balloon ride - an experience which has the wow factor! It was an early start, getting up at 4.15am to have a cuppa before heading to Tiverton by 5.45am, to help get the balloon ready for our flight. Two of us from the Crediton Courier, Carolyn Southcott and myself, joined others from various publications to enjoy a flight with Aerosaurus prior to the Tiverton Balloon and Music Festival to be held over the weekend of July 11 to 13 when 45 balloons from all over the country will be taking part. Our original date for a flight had been Saturday morning, but that was called off because of the weather. It is rare for a flight not to go ahead. Most of us were at the field on time, no-one wanted to oversleep! Most likely most were too excited to sleep! There were three balloons - the 56,000 cu ft with a two-person basket. The next was 105,000 cu ft, taking four passengers. Ours was the big one, the sort you often see in the mornings or evenings over Crediton, at 317,cu ft, taking up to 16 passengers plus the pilot. Wicker is still used for the baskets because it is the only material that absorbs the impact on landing. For us that impact was very gentle, we were expecting to tip or thud down, but no, just a little bump, up again and then down. The ride was wonderful. The floor of the basket is cushioned, so are the edges, it feels entirely safe to look out, even lean over, wave at people on the ground, watch the rabbits, the cats slinking home, dogs barking at the balloon. Our pilot, Arthur Street, operations director of Aerosaurus, converted from fixed wing aircraft to balloon in 1988, mostly flying in this country, abroad during December, January and February. "We have reported several fires from the air, we have had around a dozen proposals of marriage made on board this year, see loads of wildlife and have even seen both coasts at the same time," he said. We went up to at least 1,600 feet. It was a glorious morning, warm on board the balloon, no breeze because, as Arthur explained, you drift with the breeze. There is no steerage which is why the balloons are not allowed to fly by the coast. It is the different areas of air which move at different speeds and altitudes that move you along in your wonderful, glorious balloon. It is a real "pinch me, am I really doing this?" thing, unbelievably peaceful, cloud watching, fields and woods really like patchwork, seeing how things link together. So fascinating I want to do it all over again. Sue Read