Tourists still flying high over Luxor sights
(4 Apr 2018) LEADIN
Hot air ballooning is still a popular attraction in Luxor, despite an accident earlier this year where one tourist lost his life.
Tourism in Egypt is slowly starting to improve after years of slow down due to instability in the region.
STORYLINE
Arriving at sunrise, these tourists prepare to see Luxor from the sky.
With amazing views of the monuments, the Nile and agricultural fields it's still a popular activity in the area.
It was feared tourists may become afraid to ride in hot air balloons following an incident in January this year where a South African tourist was killed and 12 other people injured.
However, the ballooning activity did not cease and tourists are still very keen to see Luxor from the air.
At dawn, eager tourists watch the balloons being inflated before hopping into the baskets and taking off.
Today the weather is ideal, a slight breeze makes perfect weather to fly and land smoothly.
Dutch tourist Maurice Koopmans just landed from his hot air balloon flight and says: We saw the Nile of course and the perfect division between the green part and between the desert. So it was a really nice view to see the separation between the two.
Thomas Buhan and Helene Geoffroy are from France. They came to Egypt on a diving holiday but did not want to miss the opportunity to see Luxor, especially from a hot air balloon.
We saw a great view of the Valley of the Kings, it was very nice. We would have liked to have flown more over the temples but it was very nice. We had a grand view of all the monuments in the area, says Buhan.
It was also Helene Geoffroy's first balloon flight and she has no regrets over her experience.
In the basket it's very stable, there is hardly any shake. The pilot knows what he is doing and we felt no turbulence at all. I felt very safe, she says.
The recent accident was no deterrent to the couple, with Geoffroy adding: Anyone can have an accident while crossing a road. So I think it's good to try all experiences in life and we are delighted to have done this one.
The tourists and pilot take a group photo and show off the certificate they are given by the balloon company after the flight.
Captain Baha Madbouly is a highly certified pilot here in Luxor. Over the years he has obtained an array of flying certificates from the UK and US including Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), Instrument Flight Rule (IFR), Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and all the hot air balloon certificates that are available, to name a few.
He has trained 12 Egyptian hot air balloon pilots and claims to be the only person in the world to have over 1000 hours of flight with a 600,000 cubic feet balloon, one of the biggest balloon sizes which can carry baskets for 22 people.
He owns Alaska and Magic Horizons balloons and has been operating since 1998 when this activity started in Luxor.
This period is the best one for balloon flying. It starts from October to April, which is the Easter and New Year period. So at the moment ballooning activity is very busy, it's the best period, says Madbouly.
He would be delighted to see some changes in the rules for hot air ballooning to make it a more lucrative activity.
We would like to be able to fly all day like we could a long time ago, especially in winter. And we would like the authorities to be more lenient with cameras because at the moment it is not allowed to take cameras on board. We know this is a security issue but ordinary cameras should be allowed, only camera crews should be disallowed, he adds.
The deadliest balloon accident in the world happened in Luxor on 26 February 2013 when 19 passengers were killed. Hot air balloon flights were halted for 2 months.
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Viaje en Globo en Luxor Egipto, Hot Air Balloons Ride in Luxor Egypt
Viaje en Globo en la compañía Alaska Ballons de Luxor en Egipto. Acá pueden leer el diario de nuestro viaje por Libre en Egipto Nov-Dic.2008 :
Hot Air Balloon Burns Plummets To Ground Kills 19 Tourists
Egyptian authorities have launched an investigation after a hot air balloon crashed 1,000 feet to the ground, killing 19 tourists who had taken a sunrise flight near the ancient city of Luxor.
Witnesses described seeing people leaping out of the balloon as it was on fire. The casualties included British, French, Belgian, Hungarian and Japanese nationals and nine tourists from Hong Kong, the Luxor governor, Ezzat Saad, told reporters.
Yvonne Rennie, from Perth in Scotland, died and her husband Michael was being treated in hospital in Luxor, where he was said to be in a stable condition.
Another Briton, Joe Bampton, 40, and his Hungarian-born girlfriend Suzanna Gyetvai, 34, were among those who died in the crash, in what appears to be the worst hot air balloon disaster on record.
A British tourist and the Egyptian pilot, named locally as Momin Mourad Ali, who survived with 70% burns, were the only people to have survived.
The balloon is believed to have caught fire as it was coming in to land at about 7am on Tuesday. The pilot and a British passenger jumped out, before the ballon ascended swiftly. Flames spread quickly and ignited a gas canister, which exploded.
The balloon then plunged 1,000 feet into into a sugar cane field west of Luxor, which is 320 miles (510km) south of the capital, Cairo.
The tragedy is thought to be the world's worst ballooning accident. It dealt a fresh blow to Egypt's tourism industry, which is reeling after two years of political unrest since protests that led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: We can confirm the tragic deaths of two British nationals and one British resident following a hot air balloon crash in Luxor, Egypt earlier today.
Egyptian police and rescuers inspect the wreckage of a hot air balloon that crashed in Luxor Police and rescuers inspect the wreckage of the balloon. Photograph: Reuters
The next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time. We are providing them with consular assistance. We can also confirm that one other British national was involved and is in a stable condition.
We have had consular officials in Luxor since early this morning who have been focused on providing consular assistance and supporting the Egyptian authorities. Our Ambassador to Egypt has met the injured British national and has offered our assistance.
What happened in Luxor this morning is a terrible tragedy and the thoughts of everyone in Thomas Cook are with our guests, their family and friends, said Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook UK and Continental Europe. He said the firm was providing full support to the victims' families. The UK Foreign Office said it was making urgent inquiries.
Egypt's civil aviation minister, Wael el-Maadawi, suspended hot air balloon flights and flew to Luxor to lead the investigation into the crash.
The Egyptian pilot was also being treated in hospital on Tuesday. Rescue workers gathered the remains (video) of the dead from the field where the charred remnants of the balloon, gas canisters and other pieces of wreckage landed.
A tourist balloon flies over the temple of Medinet Habu near Luxor, Egypt A balloon flies over the Ramesseum temple near Luxor. Photo: Patrick Frilet/Rex Features
Mohamed Youssef, a pilot with Luxor-based Alaska Balloons, said his own balloon was airborne 100 metres from the crash, three or four minutes from landing.
He told the Guardian the fire started when the balloon was 3 metres from the ground and was caused by a leak in one of the four gas cylinders. Once the fire had begun, the pilot and one British passenger leapt to safety. This affected the balance of the balloon, which in turn sent more heat into the balloon's envelope and caused it to rise rapidly into the air, he said.
When the balloon was at about 100 feet, I saw people jumping. I saw about five or six people jumping, he said. Youssef said some of the passengers were killed on contact with land, while others died from burns.
The balloon began to descend again and on reaching the ground there was a pause of around 15 seconds before one of the remaining four cylinders exploded, causing a loud blast.
Hot air balloon crash in Egypt KILLS 18 tourists Hot Air Balloon EXPLODES in Luxor Egypt
Hot air balloon crash in Egypt KILLS 18 tourists Hot Air Balloon EXPLODES in Luxor Egypt
A hot air balloon ride on a lovely Egyptian day -- 86 degrees, sunny, light wind -- turned tragic Tuesday when the balloon exploded and plummeted to the ground, killing 18 people.
It was the deadliest hot air balloon accident in the world in at least 20 years.
Tourists who have taken similar rides over southern Egypt marvel over the vantage point from the air -- a beige desert valley giving way to green farmland.
© NAVTEQ 2012 Terms of Use
Satellite
The 21 people aboard the balloon probably enjoyed a similar landscape before falling 300 meters (almost 1,000 feet) in the city of Luxor, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said.
A gas explosion caused the crash, state-run EgyNews reported.
Passengers in the balloon included 19 foreign tourists: nine from Hong Kong, four from Japan, three from Britain, two from France and one from Hungary, officials said.
An Egyptian pilot and another Egyptian were also on board, Luxor province spokesman Badawi al-Masri said.
Three people -- two Britons and the pilot -- are hospitalized.
Tourists killed in hot air balloon blast
Balloon rides offering panoramic aerial views of the Nile River and the ancient temples of Karnak and Hatshepsut are a popular tourist attraction in Luxor, about a nine-hour drive southeast of Cairo.
You can see Valley of the Kings in the background bordered by farmland, Pauline Liang of Vancouver, Canada, told CNN's iReport last year. Below were banana farms, and behind us was the city of Luxor. There was a great contrast between desert landscape, lush farmland and urban development.
Tuesday's crash prompted Gov. Izzat Saad of Luxor province to ban all hot air balloon flights until further notice.
The last hot air balloon accident in Luxor occurred in 2009, when 16 foreign tourists were injured after a balloon struck a cell phone transmission tower.
Until Tuesday's incident, the deadliest accident in recent memory took place in 1989, when 13 people were killed after two hot air balloons collided in Australia.
Egyptian government spokesman Alaa Hadidi announced that the Cabinet will form a committee from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate the cause of Tuesday's accident, EgyNews said.
BEST WAY TO TRAVEL EGYPT | Nile River Cruise Day 1
What better way to explore Egypt than to take a cruise down the NILE RIVER?! This vlog is day 1 of 5 on our incredible sail boat! We booked this trip with :) And as promised, here's the link to our Q2 Income and Expense Report:
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Ballooning over Luxor
This is a video of me hot air ballooning over Valley of the Kings in Luxor 08.
Tourists still flying high over Luxor sights
(4 Apr 2018) LEADIN
Hot air ballooning is still a popular attraction in Luxor, despite an accident earlier this year where one tourist lost his life.
Tourism in Egypt is slowly starting to improve after years of slow down due to instability in the region.
STORYLINE
Arriving at sunrise, these tourists prepare to see Luxor from the sky.
With amazing views of the monuments, the Nile and agricultural fields it's still a popular activity in the area.
It was feared tourists may become afraid to ride in hot air balloons following an incident in January this year where a South African tourist was killed and 12 other people injured.
However, the ballooning activity did not cease and tourists are still very keen to see Luxor from the air.
At dawn, eager tourists watch the balloons being inflated before hopping into the baskets and taking off.
Today the weather is ideal, a slight breeze makes perfect weather to fly and land smoothly.
Dutch tourist Maurice Koopmans just landed from his hot air balloon flight and says: We saw the Nile of course and the perfect division between the green part and between the desert. So it was a really nice view to see the separation between the two.
Thomas Buhan and Helene Geoffroy are from France. They came to Egypt on a diving holiday but did not want to miss the opportunity to see Luxor, especially from a hot air balloon.
We saw a great view of the Valley of the Kings, it was very nice. We would have liked to have flown more over the temples but it was very nice. We had a grand view of all the monuments in the area, says Buhan.
It was also Helene Geoffroy's first balloon flight and she has no regrets over her experience.
In the basket it's very stable, there is hardly any shake. The pilot knows what he is doing and we felt no turbulence at all. I felt very safe, she says.
The recent accident was no deterrent to the couple, with Geoffroy adding: Anyone can have an accident while crossing a road. So I think it's good to try all experiences in life and we are delighted to have done this one.
The tourists and pilot take a group photo and show off the certificate they are given by the balloon company after the flight.
Captain Baha Madbouly is a highly certified pilot here in Luxor. Over the years he has obtained an array of flying certificates from the UK and US including Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), Instrument Flight Rule (IFR), Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and all the hot air balloon certificates that are available, to name a few.
He has trained 12 Egyptian hot air balloon pilots and claims to be the only person in the world to have over 1000 hours of flight with a 600,000 cubic feet balloon, one of the biggest balloon sizes which can carry baskets for 22 people.
He owns Alaska and Magic Horizons balloons and has been operating since 1998 when this activity started in Luxor.
This period is the best one for balloon flying. It starts from October to April, which is the Easter and New Year period. So at the moment ballooning activity is very busy, it's the best period, says Madbouly.
He would be delighted to see some changes in the rules for hot air ballooning to make it a more lucrative activity.
We would like to be able to fly all day like we could a long time ago, especially in winter. And we would like the authorities to be more lenient with cameras because at the moment it is not allowed to take cameras on board. We know this is a security issue but ordinary cameras should be allowed, only camera crews should be disallowed, he adds.
The deadliest balloon accident in the world happened in Luxor on 26 February 2013 when 19 passengers were killed. Hot air balloon flights were halted for 2 months.
You can license this story through AP Archive:
Find out more about AP Archive:
Luxor, Egypt Hot Air Balloon
Our tour representative will pick you up from your hotel in Luxor at the early morning to the Luxor, Egypt Hot Air BalloonWest Bank to enjoy air balloon riding.
After that you will move to take the motor boat to the west bank, then you will be escorted to your balloon ride at Luxor in the sky of the biggest open-air museum( Luxor ).
The balloon ride takes 45 minutes, before your land again, to catch your pick-up and return to your hotel.
Egypt Adventure Holidays - www.travcotravel.com
Adventure Holidays a subsidiary of Travco Group International - the Middle East's Leading Leisure Group - draws on a rich legacy of successes concluding Travco's Silver Jubilee with the Ministry of Tourism's No. 1 award of distinction for the 11th consecutive year.
Travco's efforts are accentuated through owning and managing a fleet of 20 Nile Cruise Ships, 32 hotels, 2 diving yachts, a fleet of 250 deluxe A/C coaches, a limousine company, and a fleet of 4x4 cars, in addition to having branches all over Egypt delivering premium services to customers worldwide.
Adventure Holidays provides a variety of exclusive adventure safaris across Egypt, from the wild mysterious deserts to the beautiful Red Sea. With extensive experience and knowledge of Egypt's environment, logistics and skill, we create unique, unforgettable nature-based excursions for our clients.
Not only can we show you the popular wonders of ancient Egypt as part of an incredible adventure, but also focus your attention on the beauty of this land and its cultures across the Western Desert, Eastern Desert, Sinai and the Red Sea.
Adventure Holidays presents all of Egypt in a way rarely ever experienced before. You will experience it when you combine safari culture and fishing trips in Lake Nasser, balloon rides over the sand dunes of the oases and over the marvelous temples and tombs of Upper Egypt.
EGYPT TOURISM BALLOON POPS - 19 DEAD Feb. 28, 2013 [extended version]
Feb.28,2013 A balloon operated by the tourism industry in Egypt popped in the air and crashed, leaving 19 dead. That aspect of the industry has been shut down. Condolence and prayers for the bereaved.
(embedded date)
REVELATION: Jan.9,2012 The Lord reveals 3 balloons. On the BALLOON are the names of 3 countries. The first balloon is orange showing EGYPT in red writing. The second is black, showing China in white writing, and the last is green showing Russia in red writing. The balloons are floating in the air and then one by one they POPPED. Interpretation: The Balloons represent the ECONOMIES of these countries. They will pop one one shortly. Unrest is also imminent. K. Venzen
SOME PAST FULFILLLED PREDICTIONS
#2:15.13 METEOR EXPLOSION -- RUSSIA
# 2.5.13 Santa Cruz, Solomon Isl Mega-quake Tsunami
# 1.5.13 Alaska 7.8 Mega Quake USA
# 10.29.12 Sandy Super-storm, New York, New Jersey
# 9.26.12 Scientists Discovery Confirm Weird Mega-quake
# 9.7.12 China Apocalyptic Earthquake 500,000 Bldgs damaged
# 9.7.12 Clock Time of China Apocalyptic Earthquake
# 8.29.12 Louisiana US Hurricane Katrina Revisit by Isaac
# 8.12.12 London Massive Olympic Fire; Worst in 7 years
# 7.13.12 Christian Camp Attack; Rapes, Pillage: Predicted 5 dys before
# 3.11.11 Japan 9.0 Mega-quake: Predicted 12 days bfr
# 3.20.12 Earthquake Magnitude of 7.8 Predicted 2 days bfr:
# 4.11.12 Mega-quake 8.6 Magnitude & death toll: Predicted 2 wks bfr:
# 5.29.12 Italy Deadly Earthquake Date Depicted: 6 dys bfr
HOW TO BE SAVED:
To The Honest Enquirer, PRAY the following prayer or one similar:
LORD JESUS, I BELIEVE THAT YOU DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS. YOU WERE BURIED AND RESURRECTED. I ASK YOUR FORGIVENESS OF ALL MY SINS AND I MAKE A DECISION TO FOLLOW YOUR WORD
BELIEVE that you are forgiven. If you do, you are saved (Born Again). Visit a Bible Church and ask to be BAPTIZED
HOW TO PREPARE FOR CALAMITY
(un-scientific pastoral suggestions)
Egypt - The Land of Ancient Pyramids and Pharaohs (9 days Itinerary) with Tomb of Seti 2
Egypt is safe to travel, but at the same time beware of tourist SCAMS!!!
Below is our Itinerary:
Cairo
Day 1: Reach Cairo and explore the city. Khan-el-khalili Bazaar. Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids in the evening.
Day 2: Pyramids of Giza and other nearby sights
Day 3: Cairo Museum and Islamic Cairo
Take an overnight train or bus to Luxor the same night.
Luxor
Day 4: Reach Luxor early morning and visit Valley of the Kings, Vally of the Queens, Tombs of Nobles Part 1, Hatshepsut etc..
Day 5: Medinet Habu, Tombs of Nobles Part 2, Ramusseum and Temple of Seti.
Day 6: Hot air balloon ride; Luxor temple and Karnak temple (Luxor Museum if possible)
Bus or Taxi to Hurghada the same night. We took a Gobus.
Hughada
Day 7, 8 and 9
Enjoy the red sea with below activities:
Scuba Diving,
Snorkelling
Visit nearby islands
Swimming with Dolphins
Music: bensound.com
Jumping out of a hot air balloon at 6,000 feet!
Hot air Baloon jump over Skydive Arizona. Testing out the GoPro Fusion 360
On the top of Eiffel Tower, Paris
View from top of Eiffel Tower
Egito - Alexandria / My Travel Around the World.wmv
One episode of my good time around the world
TOURISM Tragedy! BALLOON POPS in EGYPT - 19 DEAD Feb. 28, 2013
Feb.28,2013 A balloon operated by the tourism industry in Egypt popped in the air and crashed, leaving 19 dead. That aspect of the industry has been shut down. Condolence and prayers for the bereaved.
[embedded date]
REVELATION: Jan.9,2012 The Lord reveals 3 balloons. On the balloons are the names of 3 countries. The first balloon is orange showing EGYPT in red writing. The second is black, showing China in white writing, and the last is green showing Russia in red writing. The balloons are FLOATING in the air and then one by one they POPPED. Interpretation: The Balloons represent the ECONOMIES of these countries. They will pop one one shortly. Unrest is also imminent. K. Venzen
SOME PAST FULFILLLED PREDICTIONS
#2:15.13 METEOR EXPLOSION -- RUSSIA
# 2.5.13 Santa Cruz, Solomon Isl Mega-quake Tsunami
# 1.5.13 Alaska 7.8 Mega Quake USA
# 10.29.12 Sandy Super-storm, New York, New Jersey
# 9.26.12 Scientists Discovery Confirm Weird Mega-quake
# 9.7.12 China Apocalyptic Earthquake 500,000 Bldgs damaged
# 9.7.12 Clock Time of China Apocalyptic Earthquake
# 8.29.12 Louisiana US Hurricane Katrina Revisit by Isaac
# 8.12.12 London Massive Olympic Fire; Worst in 7 years
# 7.13.12 Christian Camp Attack; Rapes, Pillage: Predicted 5 dys before
# 3.11.11 Japan 9.0 Mega-quake: Predicted 12 days bfr
# 3.20.12 Earthquake Magnitude of 7.8 Predicted 2 days bfr:
# 4.11.12 Mega-quake 8.6 Magnitude & death toll: Predicted 2 wks bfr:
# 5.29.12 Italy Deadly Earthquake Date Depicted: 6 dys bfr
HOW TO BE SAVED:
To The Honest Enquirer, PRAY the following prayer or one similar:
LORD JESUS, I BELIEVE THAT YOU DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS. YOU WERE BURIED AND RESURRECTED. I ASK YOUR FORGIVENESS OF ALL MY SINS AND I MAKE A DECISION TO FOLLOW YOUR WORD
BELIEVE that you are forgiven. If you do, you are saved (Born Again). Visit a Bible Church and ask to be BAPTIZED
HOW TO PREPARE FOR CALAMITY
(un-scientific pastoral suggestions)
Aqua Boa, Amazones, Brazil
Fly Fishing for Peacock Bass
Egypt Vlog - #19 - Luxor Temple, West bank, meeting locals on the ferry
Visiting Luxor Temple, walking around West bank and meeting friendly locals on the ferry across the Nile river
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Flying over Piramids (Giza, Egypt)
BREAKING NEWS NEW VIDEO:DEADLY BALLOON CRASH
DEADLY BALLOON CRASH IN EGYPT, BALLOON EXPLODES FALLING MORE THAN 1000FT KILLS 19 TOURISTS!!
Flying over Piramids (Giza, Egypt)