Keep your eyes open....
http://www3.alpa.org/Publications/air-l ... .html#p=21
Anybody ever had a close call with a balloon at high altitude?
Brazil's balloon culture
Moderators: lilfssister, North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako
Re: Brazil's balloon culture
I had a near miss with one shortly after takeoff one night departing Sao Paulo .... we were bound for YYZ and heavy.....it was a moonless night and pitch black . We had just cleaned up and were accelerating when we realized the single light we'd both seen pretty well on the nose was a balloon and I turned left as quick as I could and it passed very close on the starboard side.... I was busy flying, but the F/O said it was right at our altitude and really close.... these balloons often consist of a 45 gal drum filled with some fuel or other to provide the heat for the balloon. I know hitting a contraption like that would have been bad news, so we definitely dodged a big one that night....
