Have you ever wondered how a hot air balloon flies?
Published by Balloons on December 10th, 2008 in Adventure Balloons, Balloon Flight Safety, Ballooning FAQ's, Frequently Asked Questions, Hot Air Balloon Flights
The way a hot air balloon flies is based on a very simple principal; warm air rises and cold air falls, so in order to get the balloon off the ground, heated air is pushed into the balloon until it is lighter than the cold air surrounding it creating lift.
A hot air balloon is made up of three essential parts; the balloon envelope, balloon burners and the balloon basket. Because a large amount of hot air is needed to provide enough lift so the balloon can rise and carry passengers, the balloons envelope is often very big and can hold up to 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.
The balloon envelope is made out of long nylon sections called gores, which are extremely strong and able to withstand the pressure of the heated air. The balloon envelope is often brightly coloured and displays the balloon company’s logo or advertising branding.
The burners act like the engine of the balloon, delivering hot air to the envelope when needed. To keep the hot air balloon in the sky, the balloon burners must constantly be heated to provide lift, but if the pilot wishes to land they will switch off the burners and open the parachute valve to cool the air, in turn descending the balloon.
The balloon basket is used for carrying the pilot, passengers and fuel for the balloons journey. The basket is usually made from Kooboo and Palambang, which is woven to make it extremely strong. These woven canes also absorb much of the impact when the balloon comes in to land.









