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Most travellers notice the dark silhouettes of the hot air balloons first. Meandering up the rocky valley before dawn, the gigantic shapes begin to grow in number as teams inflate the balloons under the illumination of truck lights. And then, like lightbulbs, they start to flicker one by one as their pilots fire up the propane-fulled burners.
Among this daily spectacle, Meltem Ozdem, one of the few female pilots in a male-dominated field, prepares for another flight.
This is Cappadocia, a stunning region in central Turkey renowned for its daily hot-air balloon flights. Each morning, around 156 balloons lift from the arid, sandy landscapes, attracting tourists eager to float across the sky.
While waking up at 4am was challenging, my early-morning tiredness was quickly replaced with excitement as we saw the balloons emerge on that cool morning. I was one of 28 passengers who clambered over the sides of the basket, awaiting our departure into the cloudless Turkish sky.
Then Meltem took charge, instantly putting the crowd of nervous passengers at ease. In a region where up to 450 male pilots dominate the skies, fewer than 20 women operate commercial balloons as pilots. At just 33 years old, Meltem’s role among the small group of female hot air balloon pilots in Cappadocia felt inspiring.
Sporting a brightly coloured headscarf, as our one-hour cruise across the valley began, Meltem was in her element.
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Within minutes, we reached a cruising altitude of 2,000ft above sea level, offering panoramic views of the dormant Mount Erciyes, the town of Göreme, and Love Valley. Amid the backdrop of neighbouring balloons and the sporadic gush of the propane burners, there was a great sense of stillness and calm as we glided through the sky.
Like many other pilots, Meltem’s story in hot air ballooning began with studies in the Cappadocia University Balloon Piloting Department. Having graduated almost 10 years ago, she was only in her early twenties when she first took to the sky as a pilot, sharing her love for Cappadocia with hundreds of passengers ever since.
Crediting central Turkey as one of the best places to learn her craft, Meltem told me the main reason she loved her job was seeing the sun rise over Turkey every day. She’s also thrilled to see more and more women interested in becoming hot air balloon pilots.
“I think the ladies do this job very well and suit this profession very well,” she added. “After all, women make every job they enter better.”
Alongside her co-pilot, Meltem expertly manoeuvred the balloon’s rotation flaps to ensure a smooth journey while continuously communicating with the ground team about our direction through a walkie-talkie.
While Meltem is hard at work, her passengers can simply enjoy the view. Every time she’d light up the flame of the hot air balloon, our heads felt a pleasant blast of heat as we floated higher above the patchwork landscape.
At the same time, just a few inches of basket separate us from hundreds of metres of open sky, adding an exhilarating and humbling experience. As I peered over the edge during our ascent, I felt a jolt in my stomach, and my knees went weak as I was overcome with excitement and a hint of nerves.
Meltem also knew how to make the flight memorable, showcasing her incredible control of a balloon that mainly relies on the natural pull of the wind. Across the hour, she dipped the balloon between valleys with needle-like precision, bringing us metres away from jagged cliffs to showcase what Cappadocia has to offer. I was in awe.
When asked how her passengers usually respond, Meltem told me that she receives a lot of compliments. “Seeing a woman [piloting] a balloon for 30 people surprises and makes them happy,” she said, adding that she also receives hugs and applause for her incredible work.
The gender disparity in this field of work isn’t unique to Turkey or the wider aviation industry. But these achievements feel particularly important in a country like Turkey that still maintains many traditional values.
Meltem is a big part of a pioneering group of women carving a space for equality in the skies. Not only does she inspire future generations of female pilots in Cappadocia, but she also plays a crucial role in training them. As a ballooning instructor, she has helped mentor most other female hot air balloon pilots and 40 co-pilots in the region, paving the way for more women to take the reins in this field.
Before I knew it, we had descended into a vast field where the ground team met us. Meltem’s final trick was to carefully land the vessel directly onto the awaiting truck bed that would carry the basket away – a true testament to her skill as a ballooning pilot.
Surrounded by her all-male team, Meltem said it’s custom to celebrate the end of a successful balloon trip with champagne. We clambered over the edge of the basket and disembarked before gathering to toast the breathtaking experience we had just shared.
Cappadocia hot air balloon trips are available to book with many tour agencies in the town of Goreme. Prices fluctuate daily, so it’s best to shop around. For more information on experiencing a hot air balloon trip with Meltem, reach out to Goreme Balloons.
Read more: Turkey’s best beaches, as chosen by a local
Source: independent.co.uk
