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Hot-Air Balloons: How Do They Work?
March 7, 2021 at 02:38 PM EST
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Andrew Rosenthal
Perhaps the 5th Dimension had it right with their 1967 hit song, singing “Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon.” But have you ever gazed at a hot-air balloon and wondered what it is that makes it soar above the ground?
The reason that a hot-air balloon takes flight is simple. The center of the balloon, or envelope, is heated, causing the air inside the envelope to become less dense than the surrounding air on the outside. This, in turn, produces buoyancy, pushing the balloon upward.
A modern hot-air balloon typically consists of an onboard heating source, often liquid propane, which heats the temperature inside the envelope as high as 250 degrees F. A woven or wicker basket attached below the balloon holds the passengers – including the balloon’s pilot. While it’s just the hot air responsible for making the balloon go up, ropes in the basket open and close vents at the top of the balloon, allowing for control of the descent. While some steering is possible, the balloon’s direction is largely at the mercy of the wind.
Although the idea for using heat to lift off the ground had been considered since the 3rd century in China, the hot-air balloon was the first successful method of manned flight when it was developed in 1783. On this day, June 4, in 1783, brothers Joseph-Michael and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier first publicly demonstrated their “globe aérostatique,” with an envelope made of sackcloth and filled with fiery embers. The balloon reached a height of more than 5,000 feet.
By September, a sheep, duck and rooster had become the first test animals to be artificially lifted by the invention, safely returning to ground after eight minutes and two miles of flight. Jacques-Etienne followed a month later, becoming the first human to lift off the Earth. By the next decade, the balloon was used by the French military for battle observation during the French Revolution, and it was used for similar purposes by the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War.
A few interesting facts about hot-air balloons and ballooning:
The reason that a hot-air balloon takes flight is simple. The center of the balloon, or envelope, is heated, causing the air inside the envelope to become less dense than the surrounding air on the outside. This, in turn, produces buoyancy, pushing the balloon upward.
A modern hot-air balloon typically consists of an onboard heating source, often liquid propane, which heats the temperature inside the envelope as high as 250 degrees F. A woven or wicker basket attached below the balloon holds the passengers – including the balloon’s pilot. While it’s just the hot air responsible for making the balloon go up, ropes in the basket open and close vents at the top of the balloon, allowing for control of the descent. While some steering is possible, the balloon’s direction is largely at the mercy of the wind.
Although the idea for using heat to lift off the ground had been considered since the 3rd century in China, the hot-air balloon was the first successful method of manned flight when it was developed in 1783. On this day, June 4, in 1783, brothers Joseph-Michael and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier first publicly demonstrated their “globe aérostatique,” with an envelope made of sackcloth and filled with fiery embers. The balloon reached a height of more than 5,000 feet.
By September, a sheep, duck and rooster had become the first test animals to be artificially lifted by the invention, safely returning to ground after eight minutes and two miles of flight. Jacques-Etienne followed a month later, becoming the first human to lift off the Earth. By the next decade, the balloon was used by the French military for battle observation during the French Revolution, and it was used for similar purposes by the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War.
A few interesting facts about hot-air balloons and ballooning:
- Hot air balloons are capable of reaching extreme heights. The world record altitude is 68,986 feet, or more than 13 miles!
- In recent years, non-stop around the world flights have been completed, with the record taking about 10 days from start-to-finish.
- The Montgolfier brothers were also papermakers, and the first balloons made use of their paper to seal the balloon’s envelope.
- While Joseph-Etienne died (in-flight) in 1799, his company remains in France to this day as a manufacturer of art paper and art supplies.
- Hot-air balloon festivals are often an exciting way to see scores of these balloons gather. The largest festival in the world is the Albuquerque, N.M., International Balloon Fiesta, held the first week of October every year. The Fiesta will be celebrating its 50th year in 2022.
- A pilot’s license is required in the United States to fly a hot-air balloon, and a commercial pilot certificate is necessary to carry passengers for hire.
- While a basket will typically carry three to five people, the largest baskets have a capacity as large as 20 to 30 people!