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