Hot air ballooning takes the basic scientific fact that hot air rises and puts it to use for the enjoyment of all who are associated with the sport. Capture enough air in an envelope and rig a burner to maintain the heat inside the envelope and you can fly. Hot air ballooning has been around for over 200 years and was man’s first successful method of flight. In 1783 two brothers from France, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, began some experiments that resulted in man’s first adventure aloft. Observing smoke rising from a fire they thought that if they could capture enough smoke in an envelope they could fly. On September 19, 1783, they demonstrated their success by flying a sheep, a duck, and a rooster for several minutes in a smoke filled balloon. This was followed by the first manned flight on November 21, 1783, at the Chateau de la Muette in Paris with passengers Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d’Arlandes. To this day hot air balloons are known as “Montgolfiers” in Europe.
Early balloon flights were limited because they did not have a way to maintain the heat inside the envelope. This lead to the use of hydrogen gas as a lifting agent. Hydrogen by it’s very nature is a volatile gas and the sport, as we know it today, did not get its start until the early 1950s. The U. S. Navy and General Mills (the cereal people) began experimenting with high altitude balloons for research. In 1955 Ed Yost built and flew his first hot air balloon. This resulted in him receiving a government grant to continue his experimentation and he, along with several early enthusiasts, formed Raven Industries.
The modern hot air balloon is a rather simple craft, however, it took many years of experimentation to develop the burner. The development of the burner known as the “airborne heater” was the breakthrough that sent the sport of ballooning off into the wild blue. Without the development in the burner system the sport would not be what it is today. The burner on most modern hot air balloons weights just a few pounds, but it can put out upwards of 20,000,000 BTUs. The burners in hot air balloons burn propane, a liquid petroleum fuel stored under pressure in steel or aluminum tanks. Virtually every other use of propane involves burning the vapor from the pressurized liquid. Ballooning, however utilizes the pressurized liquid. Activating the blast valve sends the pressurized liquid through the pre-heating coils in the burner which gives us the familiar BLAST. The super heated liquid flowing through the pre-heating coils give off a flame or blast that is four to eight feet in length. This allows for the quick heating of the large volume of air within the envelope.
FAA requirements for licensing include ground school, flight training, solo flights and testing. Ground school teaches the basics of ballooning, weather, and FAA regulations. Flight training with an instructor teaches the basic techniques of flying a balloon. Solo flights allow you to practice, improve and demonstrate your ability to fly before a license is issued. Along the way you have to pass a written test, flight test and oral exam, all administered by a representative of the FAA.
Since ballooning is so dependent upon weather conditions balloon pilots spend a lot of time studying meteorology. They study weather patterns from available forecast information. They also obtain a weather briefing before each flight. Generally speaking, we do not fly balloons when ground winds exceed 10 knots. Also, we never fly when there is rain or thunderstorms in the area. Most balloon flights take place at sunrise or about two hours before sunset. The major reason for not flying at mid-day is thermals. Thermals are the result of uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. A thermal is a rising column of air extending from the ground to several thousand feet. If a balloon is caught in a thermal the only way out is to rise to the top. Often the top of a thermal can be 10,000 feet or more, so when caught in a thermal it can be quite an experience.
One of the first things you will notice about balloons is that they do not have steering wheels. Once off the ground the balloon becomes part of the air mass and it goes wherever the wind carries it. Pre-flight planning by the pilot is an essential part of ballooning. Since you cannot steer a balloon the pilot must determine the wind direction and conditions before lift off. This planning allows you to take off and fly out into an open area where there are many available possible landing sites. You would not launch into winds that are going to carry you into a densely populated area or into space controlled by a major airport.
Since a balloon cannot fly against the wind, it seldom returns to its launch site for landing. For every balloon in the sky there is a chase vehicle on the ground. The chase vehicle, usually in radio contacted with the balloon, follows and hopefully is on hand to assist with the landing if needed. Ballooning is a group sport and the crew is as essential as the pilot. There is nothing more valuable for a safe and successful flight than a well trained, dedicated ground crew. Future articles will discuss the specifics and details of the work of the ground crew.