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Article #305: Up, Up And Away On A Hot Air Balloon

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Probably one of the earliest of human A flying balloon is operated by partially
wishes and the subject of endless inflating the envelope with cold air and
endeavor is flight. More than the then using propane burners to inflate the
attendant romance to this possibility, it balloon through the opening or mouth.
is the idea of utter freedom that makes The heat source produces enough heat to
flying so alluring and men have not create a difference in temperature
slowed down in their quest to discover between the air inside the balloon and
and use technology to make this dream the air surrounding it. When the air
come true. And he has, to some degree, temperature inside the balloon is higher
successfully used his skill and knowledge than the ambient air, it becomes lighter
by inventing the hot air balloon. and rises, carrying its gondola and
How these balloons rose to fame passengers with it.
What we have today in terms of modern The altitude a balloon can reach depends
balloon technology we owe to the Josef on the difference between the temperature
and Etienne Montgolfier of Annonay, inside the envelope and the surrounding
France who flew the first successful hot air. Theoretically, the higher the
air balloon in 1783, with animals onboard temperature difference (with the inside
as passengers. As paper manufacturers, envelope temperature higher than the
the brothers had initially noticed that ambient air), the higher the balloon will
ash rose with the flames when they burned go. However, increase in temperature can
paper. When animals survived the flight, cause faster degradation of nylon so
it was decided that humans can safely go internal temperature is limited to 250
onboard. degrees Fahrenheit.
King Louis XVI, also known as Marie Why hot air balloons are so popular
Antoniette's husband, declared that only Modern use of flying balloons is
condemned criminals should be allowed to primarily recreational, although they are
man balloon flights. Two very brave men, also used for other purposes, for
Marquis Francois d'Arlandes and Pilatre example, as methods of transportation for
de Rozier, a physicist, successfully scientific studies involving tree
lobbied to be allowed to participate in canopies and animal life at higher
the first flight. Their balloons were altitudes.
made of cloth with hot air supplied by a Hot air balloons have continued to
grill. attract new enthusiasts because they are
The military connection relatively simple to operate and are
The earliest recorded use of hot air provide an exhilarating experience
balloons were those employed during the coupled with spectacular views. They are
Shu era by Chinese General Zhuge Liang, a also relatively smooth and quiet, aside
distinguished administrator and from the sound of occasional bursts from
strategist. His unmanned balloons, propane burners.
called Kongming lanterns, were used by Sport balloon highs
the military as a means to exchange The highest altitude ever achieved on a
signals with their comrades. balloon was made by Vijaypat Singhania of
Manned use for military purposes was done Bombay, India, reaching 69,852 feet on
by the French during the Revolutionary November 26, 2005. He broke the previous
wars when they used a hydrogen balloon to record set by Per Lindstrand by 4,872
spy on the Austrian army in 1794. feet.
Balloons were also used by the The farthest flight ever completed on a
Confederate army during the American hot air balloon was made by the Virgin
civil war, although they were Pacific Flyer when Per Lindstrand and
unsuccessful and incompetent enough to be Richard Branson of U.K. flew to Northern
captured by the Union. Canada from Japan. They covered 7,671.91
How balloons rise km. on January 15, 1991.
Today's balloons are almost similar to The longest flight duration was clocked
the ones flown during the early years, at 50 hours and 38 minutes. Two
except that modern balloons use more Japanese, Hirosuke Tekezawa and Michio
durable and safer materials. Basically, Kanda completed this flight on January 2,
a hot air balloon consists of the 1997.
gondola, which carries the passengers and The largest balloon ever built was
holds the heat source and the balloon or measured at 2,600,000 cubic feet and was
envelope which keeps the warm air used during the Virgin Pacific Flyer
contained. The cloth used for the balloon record-setting flight. The manned flight
is usually made from nylon and the mouth also recorded the highest ground speed at
closest to the flame is made from 394 km per hour.
fire-resistant fabric.






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