Hot air ballooning – the oldest for of flying

Hot air ballooning is the oldest form of flying and can be traced back to its pioneers, who conducted the first manned balloon flights way back in 1783. A hot air balloon works on the principal that hot air rises; the balloons envelope (the fabric dome shaped structure) is filled with hot air and once enough air is inside the balloon it lifts off into the sky.

Nowadays, the balloon is filled using balloon burners, which use propane to heat the air inside the balloon; to keep the balloon in the air, the pilot must fire the burners regularly to maintain a steady flight.

One piece of a hot air balloon that has hardly changed since the late 1700’s is the use of a basket to carry the balloons passengers. Modern balloon baskets are still woven, but are now made from a combination of Kooboo and Palambang cane, which is extremely strong and flexible and able to withstand multiple take-offs and landings.

Due to the advances in technology, hot air balloons now come in many shapes and sizes from standard balloon shapes to uniquely shaped balloons, used to advertising and balloon festivals.