| Invented in France in 1783, hot air balloons are the | | | | enough to establish the shape, then the burner is |
| oldest successful flight machines made by | | | | used to heat the air inside while the users hold the |
| mankind. They range from very basic balloons to | | | | balloon down with ropes. Once the wind has been |
| their advanced cousins, the airship or zeppelin. | | | | judged using smaller balloons the pilot can take |
| Ballooning is very different from other forms of | | | | off, rising or descending into different air currents |
| flight. The experience is very quiet, gives an | | | | to change direction. |
| amazing view, and the movement is very gentle. | | | | The balloon has been used throughout history; the |
| The giant balloon itself is called the envelope and | | | | Chinese used small unmanned balloons as signalling |
| come in a variety of spectacular colours and | | | | tools and they were employed as lookout posts |
| designs, as well as unusual shapes. These days | | | | during the American civil war and the French |
| they are made from nylon and the base from a | | | | revolutionary wars. Despite their appearance as |
| fire resistant material. A burner at the base, | | | | being slow, lumbering and fragile, Hot air balloons |
| usually gas, provides hot air which rises into the | | | | are able to fly to extremely high altitudes. On |
| envelope and provides lift, gently causing the | | | | November 26, 2005, Vijaypat Singhania set the |
| balloon to rise into the sky. The buoyancy is | | | | world altitude record for highest hot air balloon |
| closely related to the difference between air | | | | flight, reaching 21,290 meters (69,852 feet). He |
| temperature inside the balloon and outside, | | | | took off from downtown Bombay, India and |
| meaning that the air does not have to be | | | | landed 240 km (150 miles) south in Panchale. The |
| tremendously hot, just more than the air around | | | | furthest that a hot air balloon has ever been |
| it. Most nylon balloons us a maximum of 120 | | | | flown is 7,671.91 km. In January 15, 1991, the |
| degrees Celsius. | | | | Virgin Pacific Flyer balloon completed the longest |
| Most flights launch early in the morning when he | | | | flight in a hot air balloon when Per Lindstrand (born |
| air is coolest and the winds are generally low. The | | | | in Sweden, but resident in the UK) and Richard |
| envelope is unpacked and a fan is used to blow | | | | Branson of the UK flew from Japan to Northern |
| normal cold air into the envelope and inflate it just | | | | Canada. |