How
are the balloons inflated?
A crew of four to six people is involved in the inflation. One person operates a gasoline inflator fan. Two people hold open the mouth to allow air from the inflator fan to fill the balloon. Another person holds the balloon in place by pulling on a line tied to the top. When the balloon is filled with air, the pilot turns on the burner which heats the air inside, causing the balloon to rise.
How
is the heat produced to inflate the balloons?
There are two to four
propane tanks strapped to the inside of the balloon carriage. The
liquid propane 
is
fed to the burner where, under heat, it turns into vapor that is ignited
by a pilot light. The resulting flame develops an amazing 10-20 million
BTUs.
How
does the pilot control the balloon?
Short bursts of the burner
(usually three to five seconds) spaced about 20 seconds apart maintain
a level flight. To climb you increase the temperature in the balloon
by more burning. To descend you decrease the temperature in the balloon
by less burning. Pilot skill in the operation of the burner can produce
exact vertical control of the
balloon to feet and even inches. A balloon cannot be steered since
it is being carried by the wind at the exact speed of the wind. At
different altitudes the winds may vary in direction and speed. Balloonists
change altitude to seek out desired wind directions.
What
are the capabilities of a hot-air balloon?
Most balloons carry one to three passengers in addition to the pilot. Duration is usually one hour in the summer and two hours in the winter. The distance a balloon travels is directly dependent on the wind speed. If the wind is 10mph, then in one hour the balloon easily can fly over 10,000 feet. Most flying is done at low levels.
How
do you get the balloon back?
A balloon flight is a
one-way trip. A chase crew follows the balloon visually and with
the help of two-radios tries to be where the pilot lands the balloon.
The pilot deflates the balloon 
by
pulling a vent line to open the top of the balloon, which lets air out.
The chase crew helps stuff the balloon in a bag and everything is loaded
on the chase vehicle has the duty of bringing back the balloon, equipment,
pilot, passengers and crew.
What
are balloons made of?
The
balloon bag (envelope) is made of reinforced nylon fabric. It is
very light (1.3 to 2.4 ounces per sq. yard), but very strong (25 to 100
lbs. per sq. inch). Some envelopes are treated with a polyurethane
coating to make them more air-tight and to help the fabric withstand the
ultraviolet rays of the sun. The basket (gondola) is made of woven
wicker which is both strong and flexible, and it is connected to the envelope
by stainless steel or kevlar suspension cables.
How
do balloons work?
Hot
air rises. The envelope traps a large bubble of hot air. If
the air in the envelope is heated by a burner, the balloon will rise.
If the air in the envelope is allowed to cool or if the hot air is vented
from the top or side of the envelope, the balloon will descend. An
altimeter (to measure altitude), a rate-of-climb meter, and an envelope
temperature gauge are the only instruments used in the balloon.
What
is the difference between a gas balloon and a hot air balloon?
A
gas balloon is completely enclosed and is filled with helium or hydrogen
or coal gas. A hot air balloon gets its lift from heating the air
within it.
How
big are balloons?
The
most popular sport balloon is approximately 55 feet wide (diameter) and
70 feet high. This a about the same as a 7-soory building.
The balloon has 1,750 sq. yards of nylon fabric in its envelope (or one-fifth
of an acre in surface area), more than 3 miles of thread, and almost one-half
mile of nylon webb
ing
used for reinforcing. Its 77,550 cubic feet air capacity displaces
almost 3 tons of air. These sport balloons can carry 3 to 4
people.
How
are balloons inflated?
The
balloon envelope is spread on the ground and the gondola laid on its side
and attached to the envelope cables. A portable (gasoline-powered)
fan pushes cold air into the envelope. When the envelope is about
half inflated with outside air, a propane burner is ignited until the air
inside is heated enough for the balloon to rise to an upright position.
With a small amount of additional heat, the balloon becomes buoyant.
Typically, the inflation takes about 20 minutes.
How
many people does it take to fly a balloon?
To
launch and fly a balloon safely requires a minimum crew of three people
plus pilot. Duties of the crew typically include preparing for the
launch, following the balloon flight in the chase vehicle, obtaining permission
of the landowner for the balloon landing and retrieval, keeping spectators
out of the landing area, and ensuring that gates are left as they are found
and that property is not damaged.
How
much do balloon systems weigh?
A
typical balloon system-envelope, gondola, fuel tanks with 30-40 gallons
of fuel-will weigh about 500 pounds, deflated on the ground. In the
air, the complete system including the air inside the envelope will weigh
bout 2 ½ tons.
What
king of fuel do balloons use?
Common
liquid propane gas is used to heat hot air balloons. Some balloons
carry 40 gallons of propane in two 20-gallon stainless steel tanks; others
carry three 10-gallon tanks. Propane is a stable and predictable
fuel, but highly volatile. It is carried in liquid form, under pressure
in the tanks, and supplied to the burners through flexible hoses.
The burner flame may shoot out 6 to 8 feet in a blast which the pilot controls.
A typical flight lasting 1 ½ hours, with 3 people aloft, will consume
about 22 gallons of propane fuel systems for added safety.
How
high do balloons go?
Flights
in
hot air balloons have been recorded at over 50,000 feet. However,
the sports of ballooning is most enjoyable when flying at 200-500 feet
– just above the tree tops. When balloons fly over populated areas,
they maintain an altitude of at least 1,000 feet.
Do
balloonists carry parachutes?
Not
usually. If the burner goes out and cannot be re-ignited, the balloon
itself acts as a parachute and descends at parachute speed of about 17
feet per second.
How
long can balloons stay up?
Most
balloons can fly for about 1-2 hours depending on the outside temperature
and the weight carried. On a cold day with only one person flying,
a 3-4 hour flight would be possible.
How
do pilots steer the balloons?
Generally
speaking, they don’t. A balloon drifts in the same direction and
at the same speed as the wind. The skill if for the pilot to pick
the altitude that has the most desired wind direction. Surface winds
and currents sometimes blow in a very different direction from the winds
aloft. Altitude cont
rol
is achieved with the onboard burner. Longer “burns” will achieve
lift. Shorter “burns,” or none at all, will allow the air to cool,
and the balloon to descend.
Where
do balloons land?
Since
a balloon travels with the wind, it is not possible to determine and exact
landing site prior to launch. However, a pilot is able, through the
study of wind currents, to determine the general direction of the flight.
Can
a pilot land the balloon in water?
Yes.
The fuel tanks are buoyant and will keep the bottom afloat. As long
as the balloon is kept inflated, the pilot can take off again. A
favorite trick of some balloonists is to perform a “splash and dash.”
How
do you get home?
After
the balloon is launched, the crew follows in the chase vehicle. Using
maps of the area and, in some instances, CB, FM, or aircraft radios as
well as visual contact, the crew tries to be close when the balloon lands.
The crew helps the pilot deflate, disassemble and pack the balloon and
return passengers and equipment home.
When
is the best time to fly?
Hot
air ballooning is a year-round sport. Weather conditions for ballooning
are best just after sunrise and 2-3 hours before sunset. Light, ideal
winds (1-8 mph) often occur during these times. During the day, when
the sun is high, thermals (large bubbles of hot air that rise from the
sun-heated earth) make ballooning hazardous because they are unpredictable.
How
much does a balloon cost?
The
average balloon costs from $12,000 to over $25,000. The price includes 
the
envelope, gondola, fuel tanks, and instruments, but does not include any
ground support equipment.
Can
anyone pilot a balloon?
Balloon
pilots must have an aircraft pilot’s license especially for balloons.
This license is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and
is earned after taking hours of instruction with a balloon pilot-instructor,
passing an FAA written test, making a solo flight, and passing a flight
test with a FAA examiner.