This article is about hot air balloons themselves. For the associated activity, see Hot air ballooning.
 Hot air balloon in flight The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology, dating back to its invention by the Montgolfier brothers in Annonay, France in 1783. The first flight carrying humans was made on November 21, 1783, in Paris by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes. Hot air balloon being inflated by its propane burners prior to a dawn launch Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology, dating back to the Montgolfier brothers invention in Annonay, France in 1783. ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1896x2852, 2335 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hot air balloon ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1896x2852, 2335 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hot air balloon ...
For other uses, see Flight (disambiguation). ...
Jacques Étienne Montgolfier For the indie pop band, see The Montgolfier Brothers. ...
Annonay is a town and commune in the Ardèche département of France in the Rhône-Alpes region. ...
is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
This article is about the capital of France. ...
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier (baptised 30 March 1754 in Metz, died 15 June 1785 in Wimereux/Pas-de-Calais) was a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. ...
François Laurent Marquis dArlandes (1742 - May 1, 1809) was a pioneer of hot air ballooning. ...
Hot air balloons that can be propelled through the air rather than just being pushed along by the wind are known as airships or, more commonly, thermal airships. For other uses, see Wind (disambiguation). ...
USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
A thermal airship is an airship that generates its lift via a temperature differential between the gas inside its envelope and the ambient air. ...
A hot air balloon consists of a bag called the envelope that is capable of containing heated air. Suspended beneath is the gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule) which carries the passengers and a source of heat. The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant since it has a lower density than the relatively cold air outside the envelope. Unlike gas balloons, the envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom since the rising hot air only exerts pressure on the upper hemisphere of the balloon to provide lift. In today's sport balloons the envelope is generally made from nylon fabric and the mouth of the balloon (closest to the burner flame) is made from fire resistant material such as Nomex. Uncrewed aerostats can carry instruments and sensors for long durations that are impractical for humans and other aircraft. ...
A wickerwork scratching post A wicker balloon basket capable of holding 16 passengers. ...
In physics, buoyancy is an upward force on an object immersed in a fluid (i. ...
Isotherms of an ideal gas The ideal gas law is the equation of state of a hypothetical ideal gas, first stated by Benoît Paul Émile Clapeyron in 1834. ...
The first launch of a gas balloon by Jacques Charles, 27 August 1783, at the Champ de Mars, Paris. ...
For other uses of this word, see nylon (disambiguation). ...
NOMEX® is the brand name of a flame retardant meta-aramid material marketed and first discovered by DuPont in the 1970s. ...
Recently, balloon envelopes have been made in fantastic shapes, such as hot dogs, rocket ships, and the shapes of commercial products.
History
Premodern Balloon Unmanned hot air balloons are popular in Chinese history. Zhuge Liang of the Shu Han kingdom, in the Three Kingdoms era, used airborne lanterns for military signaling. These lanterns are known as Kongming lanterns (孔明灯).[1][2] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (900 × 1200 pixel, file size: 658 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Copied from zh Wikipedia. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (900 × 1200 pixel, file size: 658 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Copied from zh Wikipedia. ...
The Kongming lantern (Chinese:zh:å”明ç¯) was the first hot air balloon, said to be invented by Zhuge Liang in popular lore, whose reverent term of address (his Chinese style name) was Kongming. ...
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhuge (諸葛) Zhuge Liang (181 - 234) was one of the greatest Chinese strategists of the Three Kingdoms period, as well as a statesman, engineer, scholar, and inventor. ...
The Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ) (221 – 263) was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty. ...
The Three Kingdoms period (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties. ...
The Kongming lantern (Chinese:zh:å”明ç¯) was the first hot air balloon, said to be invented by Zhuge Liang in popular lore, whose reverent term of address (his Chinese style name) was Kongming. ...
There is also some speculation that hot air balloons were used by the Nazca Indians of Peru some 1500 years ago as a tool for designing vast drawings on the Nazca plain.[3] Late Intermediate Period Cultures The Nazca culture flourished in the Nazca region between 300 BC and 800 AD. They created the famous Nazca lines and built an impressive system of underground aqueducts that still function today. ...
The Nazca Lines are a series of geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert, a high arid plateau that stretches 53 miles or more than 80 kilometers between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana in Peru. ...
A method of making objects float in the air on their own accord by means of hot air is discussed by the 11th century C.E. Jewish scholar Rashi in his commentary on the bible "Even were you to fill an eggshell membrane with dew and close up its opening and place it in the sun, it will, on its own, rise into the air"[4] A 16th-century depiction of Rashi Note: For the astrological concept, see Rashi - the signs. ...
First recorded manned balloon flight  This 1818 technical illustration shows early balloon designs. The first clearly recorded instances of balloons capable of carrying passengers used hot air to obtain buoyancy and were built by the brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier in Annonay, France. These brothers came from a family of paper manufacturers and had noticed the ash rising in fires. After experimenting with unmanned balloons and flights with animals, the first balloon flight with humans on board took place on October 19, 1783 with the scientist Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, the manufacture manager, Jean-Baptiste Réveillon and Giroud de Villette, at the Folie Titon in Paris. Officially, the first flight was 1 month later, 21 November 1783. King Louis XVI had originally decreed that condemned criminals would be the first pilots, but a young physicist named Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis Francois d'Arlandes successfully petitioned for the honor.[5][6][7] The first hot air balloons were basically cloth bags (sometimes lined with paper) with a smoky fire built on a grill attached to the bottom. They had a tendency to catch fire and be destroyed upon landing, although this was infrequent. In physics, buoyancy is the upward force on an object produced by the surrounding fluid (i. ...
Jacques Étienne Montgolfier For the indie pop band, see The Montgolfier Brothers. ...
is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier (baptised 30 March 1754 in Metz, died 15 June 1785 in Wimereux/Pas-de-Calais) was a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. ...
Jean-Baptiste Réveillon, (Paris, 1725 - Paris, 1811) was a French wallpaper manufacturer. ...
is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste de France (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792. ...
For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ...
François Laurent Marquis dArlandes (1742 - May 1, 1809) was a pioneer of hot air ballooning. ...
Military use The first military use of aircraft in Europe took place during the French Revolutionary Wars, when the French used a tethered hydrogen balloon to observe the movements of the Austrian army during the Battle of Fleurus (1794). Hot air balloons were employed during the American Civil War. Though the military balloons used by the Union Army Balloon Corps under the command of Prof. Thaddeus S. C. Lowe were limp silk envelopes inflated with coal gas (town gas) or hydrogen. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (960x1280, 178 KB) Summary Model of the montgolfier brothers balloon at the UK Science Museam Kensington Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (960x1280, 178 KB) Summary Model of the montgolfier brothers balloon at the UK Science Museam Kensington Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Science Museum The Science Museum on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London, is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. ...
Flying machine redirects here. ...
For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...
Combatants Great Britain Austria Prussia Spain[1] Russia Sardinia Ottoman Empire Portugal Dutch Republic[2] France The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states. ...
This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ...
The Battle of Fleurus, fought on June 26, 1794 was one of the most decisive battles in the Low Countries during the French, under Jourdan were able to more effectively concentrate their forces in order to achieve victory against the Austrian army under Saxe-Cobourg. ...
Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...
Woodblock sketch of Lowes balloon with McClellans Army of the Potomac as depicted in Harpers Weekly. ...
Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe (1832-1913) Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe (August 20, 1832 – January 16, 1913) was an American aeronaut, scientist and inventor. ...
Town gas is a generic term referring to manufactured gas produced for sale to consumers and municipalities. ...
The first modern day hot air balloon to be built in the United Kingdom (UK) was the Bristol Belle in 1967. The Bristol Belle (G-AVTL) was the name given to the first modern hot air balloon in Europe[1]. The balloon was created from an idea developed by members of the Bristol Gliding Club. ...
Today Today, hot air balloons are used primarily for recreation. There are some 7,500 hot air balloons operating in the United States.
Hot air balloons are able to fly to extremely high altitudes. On November 26, 2005, Vijaypat Singhania set the world altitude record for highest hot air balloon flight, reaching 21,290 metres (69,849 feet). He took off from downtown Bombay, India and landed 240 kilometres (149 miles) south in Panchale.[8] The previous record of 19,811 m (64,997 ft) had been set by Per Lindstrand on June 6, 1988 in Plano, Texas. As with all registered aircraft, oxygen is needed for all crew and passengers for any flight that reaches and exceeds an altitude of 12,500 ft (3,810 m). is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Vijaypat Singhania is the chairman emeritus of the Raymond Group of clothing and textiles. ...
This article is about the unit of length. ...
A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...
This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ...
“km†redirects here. ...
“Miles†redirects here. ...
Per Lindstrand (right) with Richard Branson and the Virgin Pacific Flyer capsule in Miyakonojo, Japan Per Lindstrand (born August 8, 1948, Sweden) is an aeronautical engineer, pilot and adventurer who has lived in Oswestry, England, since 1978. ...
is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...
Nickname: Location within the state of Texas Coordinates: , County Government - Mayor Pat Evans Area - City 185. ...
On January 15, 1991, the Virgin Pacific Flyer balloon completed the longest flight in a hot air balloon when Per Lindstrand (born in Sweden, but resident in the UK) and Richard Branson of the UK flew 7,671.91 km (4,767.10 mi) from Japan to Northern Canada. is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...
Per Lindstrand (right) with Richard Branson and the Virgin Pacific Flyer capsule in Miyakonojo, Japan Per Lindstrand (born August 8, 1948, Sweden) is an aeronautical engineer, pilot and adventurer who has lived in Oswestry, England, since 1978. ...
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British entrepreneur, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies. ...
With a volume of 74 thousand cubic metres (2.6 million cubic feet), the balloon envelope was the largest ever built for a hot air craft. Designed to fly in the trans-oceanic jet streams the Pacific Flyer recorded the highest ground speed for a manned balloon at 245 mph (394 km/h). The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ...
It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ...
For other uses, see jet stream (disambiguation). ...
The longest duration hot air balloon flight ever made is 50 hours and 38 minutes made by Michio Kanda and Hirosuke Tekezawa of Japan on January 2, 1997.[9] is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
For the band, see 1997 (band). ...
Construction A hot air balloon for manned flight uses a single-layered, fabric gas bag (lifting "envelope"), with an opening at the bottom called the mouth or throat. Attached to the envelope is a basket, or gondola, for carrying the passengers. The basket is usually made of wicker and rattan, but can be made of aluminium. Mounted above the basket and centered in the mouth is the "burner" which injects a flame into the envelope, heating the air within. The heater or burner is fueled by propane, a liquefied gas stored in pressure vessels, similar to high pressure forklift cylinders. Genera Calamus Calospatha Ceratolobus Daemonorops Eremospatha Eugeissonia Korthalsia Laccosperma Metroxylon Myrialepis Oncocalamus Pigafetta Plectocomia Plectomiopsis Raphia Zalacca Zalacella Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. ...
Aluminum redirects here. ...
Propane is a three-carbon alkane, normally a gas, but compressible to a liquid that is transportable. ...
45 kg LPG cylinders Liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG, LP Gas, or autogas) is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases used as a fuel in heating appliances and vehicles, and increasingly replacing chlorofluorocarbons as an aerosol propellant and a refrigerant to reduce damage to the ozone layer. ...
Pallet truck redirects here. ...
Industrial compressed gas cylinders used for oxy-fuel welding and cutting of steel. ...
Envelope Modern hot air balloons are usually made of light-weight and strong synthetic fabrics such as ripstop nylon, or dacron (a polyester).[10] Ripstop nylon is the primary material used in Hot air balloons Rip-stop Nylon is a light-weight, water-repellent nylon fabric with inter-woven ripstop reinforcement threads in a crosshatch pattern, so the material resists ripping or tearing. ...
PETE redirects here. ...
SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester (aka Terylene) is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ...
 A hot air balloon is partially inflated with cold air from a petrol-driven fan, before the propane burners are used for final inflation. During the manufacturing process, the material is cut into panels and sewn together, along with structural load tapes (webbing) that carry the weight of the gondola or basket. Vertical rows of triangular panels that are referred to as gores. Envelopes can have as few as 4 gores or as many as 24 or more.[11] ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1347, 540 KB) A hot air balloon is inflated at Royal Victoria Park, Bath, England. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1347, 540 KB) A hot air balloon is inflated at Royal Victoria Park, Bath, England. ...
A gore is a segment of a three-dimensional shape fabricated from a two-dimensional material. ...
Envelopes often have a crown ring at their very top. This is a hoop of smooth metal, usually aluminum and approximately 1 ft (0.3 m) in diameter, to which vertical load tapes attach.
Fabric coatings The fabric (or at least part of it, the top 1/3 for example) may be coated with a sealer, such as silicone or polyurethane, to make it impermeable to air.[12] It is often the degradation of this coating and the corresponding loss of impermiability that ends the effective life of an envelope, not weakening of the fabric itself. Heat, moisture, and mechanical wear-and-tear during set up and pack up are the primary causes of degradation. Once an envelope becomes too porous to fly, it may be retired and used as a 'rag bag': cold inflated and opened for children to run through. Products for recoating the fabric are becoming commercially available.[13] Not to be confused with the element silicon. ...
A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ...
Porosity is a measure of the void spaces in a material, and is measured as a fraction, between 0–1, or as a percentage between 0–100%. The term porosity is used in multiple fields including manufacturing, earth sciences and construction. ...
Envelope sizes A range of envelope sizes is available. The smallest, one-person, basket-less balloons (called "Hoppers" or "Cloudhoppers") have less than 1,000 m³ (35,000 ft³) of envelope volume (for a perfect sphere this would mean a radius of around 13.3 metres (44 ft)). At the other end of the scale are the balloons used by large commercial sightseeing operations that carry well over two dozen people and have envelope volumes of up to 15,000 m³ (600,000 ft³). However, most balloons are roughly 2,500 m³ (100,000 ft³) and carry 3 to sometimes 4 people. A hopper balloon (or simply hopper) is a small, one-person hot air balloon. ...
Vents
 The parachute vent at the top of an envelope, as seen from below through the mouth. The top of the balloon usually has a vent of some sort. The most common type of vent is a disk-shaped flap of fabric called a parachute vent. The fabric is connected around its edge to a set of "vent lines" that converge in the center. (The arrangement of fabric and lines looks roughly like a parachute -- thus the name.) These "vent lines" are themselves connected to a control line that runs to the basket. A parachute vent is opened by pulling on the control line. Once the control line is released, the pressure of the remaining hot air pushes the vent fabric back into place. A parachute vent can be opened briefly while in flight to initiate a rapid descent. (Slower descents are initiated by allowing the air in the balloon to cool naturally.) The vent is pulled completely open to collapse the balloon after landing. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (917x856, 189 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hot air balloon Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (917x856, 189 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hot air balloon Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used...
An older, and today less commonly used, style of vent is called a "Velcro-style" vent. This too is a disk of fabric at the top of the balloon. However, rather than having a set of "vent lines" that can repeatedly open and close the vent, the vent is secured by "hook and loop" fasteners (such as Velcro) and is only opened at the end of the flight. Balloons equipped with a "Velcro-style" vent typically have a second "maneuvering vent" built into the side (as opposed to the top) of the balloon. Velcro: hooks (left) and loops (right). ...
Some hot air balloons have turning vents which are side vents which, when opened, cause the balloon to rotate. Such vents are particularly useful for balloons with rectangular baskets in order to align the wider side of the basket for landing.
Burner  A burner directing a flame into the envelope. The burner unit gasifies liquid propane, mixes it with air, ignites the mixture, and directs the flame and exhaust into the mouth of the envelope. The unit may consist of one or more individual burners of which the pilot may use one or more at a time to generate the desired heat. Each burner is characterized by a metal coil of propane tubing through which the flame shoots in order to preheat the incoming liquid propane. Propane is a three-carbon alkane, normally a gas, but compressible to a liquid that is transportable. ...
The burner unit may be suspended from the mouth of the envelope, or rigidly supported over the basket. The burner unit may be mounted on a gimbal to enable the pilot to aim the flame and avoid overheating the envelope fabric. A gimbal is a mechanical device that allows the rotation of an object in multiple dimensions. ...
The pilot actuates a burner by opening a propane valve, called a blast valve. The valve may be spring loaded so that it closes automatically, or it may stay open until closed by the pilot. The burner has a pilot light to ignite the propane and air mixture. The pilot light may be lit by the pilot with an external device, such as a flint striker or a lighter, or with a built-in piezo electric spark.[14] A pilot light is a small gas flame, usually natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas, which is kept alight in order to provide an ignition source for a more powerful gas burner. ...
This article is about the sedimentary rock. ...
A lighter is a portable device used to create a flame. ...
Piezoelectricity is the ability of some materials (notably crystals and certain ceramics) to generate an electric potential[1] in response to applied mechanical stress. ...
A burner may have a secondary propane valve that releases propane more slowly and thereby generates a different sound. This is called a whisper burner and is used for flight over livestock to lessen the chance of spooking them. It also generates a more yellow flame and is used for night glows because it lights up the inside of the envelope better than the primary valve.
Burners can generate heat on the order of 30 million BTUs (31,651,677 kilojoule).[15] The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is a unit of energy used in the Power, Steam Generation and Heating and Air Conditioning industry globally. ...
The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ...
Fuel tanks Propane fuel tanks are usually cylindrical pressure vessels made from aluminum, stainless steel, or titanium with a valve at one end to feed the burner and to refuel. They may have a fuel gauge and a pressure gauge. Common tank sizes are 10 (38), 15 (57), and 20 (76) US gallons (litres).[12] Steel Pressure Vessel A pressure vessel is a closed, rigid container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure different from the ambient pressure. ...
Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ...
The 630 foot (192 m) high, stainless-clad (type 304) Gateway Arch defines St. ...
General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ...
A fuel gauge (or gas gauge) is an instrument used to indicate the level of fuel contained in a tank. ...
The construction of manometer, construction elements are made of brass Many techniques have been developed for the measurement of pressure and vacuum. ...
The gallon (abbreviation: gal) is a unit of volume. ...
The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of volume. ...
The pressure necessary to force the fuel through the line to the burner may be supplied by the vapor pressure of the propane itself, if warm enough, or by the introduction of an inert gas such as nitrogen[14]. Tanks may be preheated with electrical heat tapes to produce sufficient vapor pressure for cold weather flying.[16] Warmed tanks will usually also be wrapped in an insulating blanket to preserve heat during the setup and flight. Vapor pressure is the pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its non-vapor phases. ...
General Name, symbol, number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ...
Trace Heating (Electric) is a system used to heat pipes on a chemical factory or refinery just as an electric blanket would keep you warm in bed. ...
Instrumentation A balloon may be outfitted with a variety of instruments to aid the pilot. These commonly include an altimeter, a rate of climb (vertical speed) indicator, envelope (air) temperature, and ambient (air) temperature.[17] A GPS receiver can be useful to indicate ground speed (traditional aircraft air speed indicators would be useless) and direction. Diagram showing the face of a three-pointer sensitive aircraft altimeter displaying altitude in feet. ...
The term Variometer also refers to a type of tunable electrical transformer // Definition A variometer (also known as a rate-of-climb indicator, a vertical speed indicator (VSI), or a vertical velocity indicator (VVI)) is an instrument in an aircraft used to inform the pilot of the rate of descent...
GPS redirects here. ...
Combined mass The combined mass of an average system can be calculated as follows - the envelope: 250 lb, 113 kg
- basket: 140 lb, 63.5 kg
- burner: 50 lb, 22.7 kg
- 3 fuel tanks with fuel: 3 × 135 lb = 405 lb, 184 kg
- 5 passengers: 5 × 150 lb each = 750 lb, 340 kg
- the air in the envelope (100,000 ft³ at 0.062 lb/ft³ = 3.1 tons, 2,812 kg) - but at 120 °C, the density of dry air is 0.898 kg/m³ which is 0.056 lb/ft³, giving a weight of 2,551 kg
For a total of 3,538 kg or about 3.9 tons[12] (or 3,227 kg with the adjustment above)
Theory of operation
Generating lift
 A pair of Hopper balloons. Raising the air temperature inside the envelope makes it lighter than the surrounding (ambient) air. The balloon floats because of the buoyant force exerted on it. This force is the same force acts on objects when they are in water and is described by Archimedes' principle. The amount of lift (or buoyancy) provided by a hot air balloon depends primarily upon the difference between the temperature of the air inside the envelope and the temperature of the air outside the envelope. For most envelopes made of nylon fabric, the maximum internal temperature is limited to approximately 120 °C (250 °F). It should be noted that the melting point of nylon is significantly higher than these maximum operating temperature — about 230 °C (450 °F). However the lower temperatures are generally used because the higher the temperature, the more quickly the strength of the nylon fabric degrades over time. With a maximum operating temperature of 120 °C (250 °F), balloon envelopes can generally be flown for between 400 and 500 hours before the fabric needs to be replaced. Many balloon pilots operate their envelopes at temperatures significantly below the maximum in order to extend the longevity of their envelope fabric. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 635 KB) Summary Photo by Roland Escher; Lindstrand Cloudhopper and MacNutt Ran-out-of-Pink experimental balloon; taken at Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in 2003 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Hopper balloon Metadata This file...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 635 KB) Summary Photo by Roland Escher; Lindstrand Cloudhopper and MacNutt Ran-out-of-Pink experimental balloon; taken at Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in 2003 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Hopper balloon Metadata This file...
In physics, buoyancy is the upward force on an object produced by the surrounding fluid (i. ...
In physics, buoyancy is the upward force on an object produced by the surrounding fluid (i. ...
For typical atmospheric conditions, a hot air balloon requires about 3 m³ of envelope volume in order to lift 1 kilogram (50 ft³/lb). The precise amount of lift provided depends not only upon the internal temperature mentioned above, but the external temperature, altitude above sea level, and humidity of the surrounding air.
On a hot day, the balloon cannot be loaded as much as on a cool day, because the temperature required for launch will exceed the maximum sustainable for nylon envelope fabric.
In the lower atmosphere, the lift provided by a hot air balloon decreases about 3% for each 1,000 meters (1% per 1,000 ft) of altitude gained.[18]
A note on the physics: according to Archimedes' principle, the uplift on a balloon is equal to the weight of unheated air displaced by the balloon. As the density of air at 20 °C is about 1.2 kg/m³ (see density of air) which is 0.07476 lb/ft³, the uplift for a balloon of 100,000 ft³ would be 7476 lb, or 3398 kg. This should be compared with the total mass stated in the previous section. The density of air, Ï (Greek: rho) (air density), is the mass per unit volume of Earths atmosphere, and is a useful value in aeronautics. ...
Montgolfiere Standard hot air balloons are called Montgolfiere balloons[citation needed] and rely solely on the buoyancy of hot air provided by the burner and contained by the envelope. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 451 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1539 × 2047 pixel, file size: 323 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I own copyright. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 451 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1539 × 2047 pixel, file size: 323 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I own copyright. ...
Virgin Balloon Flights The Virgin Balloon Flights started in 1987, by flying hot air balloons and are still flown in the famous red balloons with the famous Virgin Group logo on the side of the balloon. ...
This article is about the city in England. ...
Hybrid The Rozière type of hybrid balloon, named after its creator, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, has a separate cell for a lighter than air gas (typically helium, or hydrogen) as well as a cone below for hot air (as is used in a hot air balloon) to heat the helium at night. Technical drawing for Virgin Global Challenger balloon. ...
General Name, symbol, number helium, He, 2 Chemical series noble gases Group, period, block 18, 1, s Appearance colorless Standard atomic weight 4. ...
This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ...
Solar Solar balloons are hot air balloons that use just solar energy captured by a dark envelope to heat the air inside.[19] A solar balloon is a black balloon that is filled with air. ...
Solar power describes a number of methods of harnessing energy from the light of the sun. ...
Safety equipment To help ensure the safety of pilot and passengers, a hot air balloon may carry several pieces of safety equipment.
In the basket In order to relight the burner, in case the pilot light goes out and the optional piezo ignition fails, the pilot should have ready access to a flint spark lighter. A flint spark lighter in action. ...
Many systems, especially those that carry passengers have completely redundant fuel and burner systems: two fuel tanks, connected to two separate hoses, which feed two distinct burners. This enables a safe landing in the case of a clog somewhere in one system or if a system must be disabled because of a fuel leak.
On the occupants At a minimum the pilot should wear flame resistant gloves. These can be made of leather or some more sophisticated material, such as nomex. These will enable the pilot to shut off a gas valve in the case of a leak even if there is a flame present. Quick action on the pilot's part to stop the flow of gas can turn a potential disaster into an inconvenience. NOMEX® is the brand name of a flame retardant meta-aramid material marketed and first discovered by DuPont in the 1970s. ...
At a minimum the pilot should wear clothes made of natural fibers. These will singe and not burn readily if brought into contact with an open flame. Many synthetic fibers, unless especially formulated for use near flame or high temperatures like nomex, will melt onto the wearer and can cause severe burning.
Some balloon systems, especially those that hang the burner from the envelope instead of supporting it rigidly from the basket, require the use of helmets by the pilot and passengers.
On the ground crew The ground crew should wear gloves on their hands whenever the possibility of handling ropes or lines exists. The mass and exposed surface to air movement of a medium sized balloon is sufficient to cause rope burns to the hands of anyone trying to stop or prevent movement.
The ground crew should also wear sturdy shoes and at least long pants in case of the need to access a landing or landed balloon in rough or overgrown terrain.
Maintenance and repair As aircraft, hot air balloons require regular maintenance in order to remain airworthy. As aircraft made of fabric and that lack direct horizontal control, hot air balloons may occasionally require repairs to rips or snags.
While some operations, such as cleaning and drying, may be performed by the owner or pilot, other operations, such as sewing, must be performed by a qualified repair technician and recorded in the balloon's maintenance log book.
Maintenance To ensure long life and safe operation, the envelope should be kept clean and dry. This prevents mold and mildew from forming on the fabric and abrasion from occurring during packing, transport, and unpacking due to contact with foreign particles. In the event of a landing in a wet (because of precipitation or early morning or late evening dew) or muddy location (farmer's field), the envelope should be cleaned and laid out or hung to dry.
The burner and fuel system must also be kept clean to ensure safe operation on demand. Damaged fuel hoses need to be replaced. Stuck or leaky valves must be repaired or replaced.
The wicker basket may require occasional refinishing or repair. The skids on its bottom may require occasional replacement.
Repair In the case of a snag, burn, or rip in the envelope fabric, a patch may be applied or the affected panel completely replaced. Patches may be held in place with glue, tape, stitching, or a combination of these techniques. Replacing an entire panel requires the stitching around the old panel to be removed, and a new panel to be sewn in with the appropriate technique, thread, and stitch pattern.
Licensing Depending on the size of the balloon, location, and intended use, hot air balloons and their pilots need to comply with a variety of regulations.
Balloons In the USA, balloons below a certain size (empty weight of less than 254 pounds or 115 kg) can be used as an ultralight aircraft and cannot carry passengers, except for pilot training. Anything larger than that must be registered (have an N-number), have an airworthiness certificate, and pass annual inspections. Ultralight aircraft in the United States are a different type of aircraft compared to what the rest of the world considers an ultralight. ...
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. ...
This Vans Aircraft RV-7 displays the registration G-KELS. The G- prefix denotes that it is registered in the United Kingdom. ...
Airworthiness is a term used to dictate whether a craft is worthy of flight. ...
Pilots In the United States, a pilot of a hot air balloon must have a pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and it must carry the rating of "Lighter-than-air free balloon", and unless the pilot is also qualified to fly gas balloons, will also carry this limitation: "Limited to hot air balloons with airborne heater". Front side of an airman certificate issued by the FAA. Back side of an airman certificate issued by the FAA. Pilot certification in the United States is under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ...
FAA redirects here. ...
In order to carry paying passengers for hire (and attend some balloon festivals), a pilot must have a commercial pilot certificate. Commercial hot air balloon pilots may also act as hot air balloon flight instructors. Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival Albuquerque International Balloon Festival Balloons flying above the Ancient Castle of Ferrara during the Ferrara Balloon Festival Balloons launching at a balloon festival in Gatineau, Quebec Starting balloons at the Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade in Warstein, Germany Grand Britannia, the Great British Balloon flying at...
Front side of an airman certificate issued by the FAA. Back side of an airman certificate issued by the FAA. Pilot certification in the United States is under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ...
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. ...
A pilot does not need a license to fly an ultralight aircraft, but training is highly advised, and some hot air balloons meet the criteria. Huntair Pathfinder Mark 1 ultralight During the late 1970s and early 1980s, many people sought to be able to fly affordably. ...
While most balloon pilots fly for the pure joy of floating through the air, many are able to make a living as a professional balloon pilot. Some professional pilots fly commercial passenger sightseeing flights, while others fly corporate advertising balloons.[20]
See also USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
Aviation encompasses all the activities relating to airborne devices created by human ingenuity, generally known as aircraft. ...
A hot air balloon is prepared for flight by inflation of the envelope with propane burners. ...
This article needs translation. ...
US Marine Corps barrage balloon, Parris Island, May 1942 A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against bombardment by aircraft by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables. ...
Early morning mass ascent The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is held during August in Bristol, United Kingdom. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Cluster ballooning Cluster ballooning is an uncommon form of ballooning in which a single balloonist is attached by a harness to a cluster of relatively small helium-inflated rubber balloons. ...
An espionage balloon is a hot air balloon used for spying. ...
There are conflicting views as to what was the first flying machine. ...
The first launch of a gas balloon by Jacques Charles, 27 August 1783, at the Champ de Mars, Paris. ...
High altitude balloons are balloons, usually filled with helium, that are released into the upper atmosphere, generally reaching between 60,000 and 120,000 feet. ...
A hopper balloon (or simply hopper) is a small, one-person hot air balloon. ...
Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival Albuquerque International Balloon Festival Balloons flying above the Ancient Castle of Ferrara during the Ferrara Balloon Festival Balloons launching at a balloon festival in Gatineau, Quebec Starting balloons at the Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade in Warstein, Germany Grand Britannia, the Great British Balloon flying at...
Hot air balloon being inflated by its propane burners prior to a dawn launch Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology, dating back to the Montgolfier brothers invention in Annonay, France in 1783. ...
The expression lighter than air refers to objects, usually aircraft, that are buoyant in air because they have an average density that is less than that of air (usually because they contain gases that have a density that is lower than that of air). ...
This is a list of uses of balloons toy balloons tiny balloon catheter small (volume of a few litres) toy balloon Papier-mâché balloon animal decoration solar balloon balloon mail as part of a balloon flight competition or to spread information Balloon helicopter Demonstration of rocket propulsion by letting...
Jacques Étienne Montgolfier For the indie pop band, see The Montgolfier Brothers. ...
“Blimp†redirects here. ...
Observation balloons were widely employed as aerial platforms for purposes of intelligence gathering and artillery direction during the First World War and beyond. ...
Research balloon ready for launch Research balloons are balloons that are used for scientific research. ...
The skyhook balloon launched in 1957 to photograph the sun Skyhook ballons were balloons developed Otto C. Winzen and used by the United States Navy Office of Naval Research in the late 1940s and in the 1950s for atmospheric research, especially for constant-level meteorological observations at very high altitudes. ...
A solar balloon is a black balloon that is filled with air. ...
A thermal airship is an airship that generates its lift via a temperature differential between the gas inside its envelope and the ambient air. ...
Zeppelins are a type of rigid airship pioneered by German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, based in part on an earlier design by aviation pioneer David Schwarz. ...
Notes Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
This article is about the day. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
This article is about the day. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...
is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
References - Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...
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