How Balloons Fly

Doing a hot air balloon presentation for elementary or middle school children is always an exciting morning. The squeals and hands over the ears as the burner shoots blue flame into the envelope, the looks of awe and wonder as the balloon rises, the same questions over and over again - such is a school visit. How wonderful it would be to have all the questions answered for them either before the pilot arrives or after he leaves.

Ted Horton has provided the tool to do just that. How Balloons Fly is the answer to a school-visiting balloonist’s prayers. In this handy little book (only 5-1/2"x8") Ted asks and answers the top fifty or so questions asked of pilots. From the number one question of all time, how do you steer?, to the less common, why doesn’t the air leak out from the open bottom?, Ted covers it all.

I had the opportunity to edit the material in the book and made a number of suggestions based on my quarter century of doing programs for school children as a park ranger/naturalist and as an writer/editor. I was at once attracted to the simplicity, yet completeness of the tome, and was happy to accept the offer to "comment." To Ted Horton’s credit, he readily adopted the suggestions and made a good book even better.

Written in a style and language that kids can understand, but at the same time not childish, this book belongs in school libraries. The basic information is all there: history, construction and operation, and it is presented in question-and-answer format that is easy to follow. Each question is listed in the table of contents. Words that may not be familiar are defined in the glossary. For students that want to explore deeper, Ted offers a bibliography of ballooning books of a nature that would appeal to the age group, and those for more advanced readers.

Want a really great project for your local balloon club? Order a bunch of these books and donate one to each elementary and middle school library in the area. Ted has desktop published the book himself and makes it available at a very reasonable price, plus he offers discounts on bulk purchases. Getting this little book into the hands of kids would be an excellent way to grow the sport.

How Balloons Fly, by Ted Horton, 711 Osgood Hill Road, Westford , VT 05494. Single copies: $3.50 plus $1.00 shipping and handling. Quantity discounts available.