A teardrop shaped balloon, for instance, rises faster and uses less energy.  A round balloon uses less fabric.  The balloon is also called an “envelope”.

     The first balloon flight was an unmanned launch in France in 1782.  In 1783, the first “passengers” were a sheep, a rooster and a duck.  The first manned flight took place in Paris in November, 1783.

 

     Early balloons were used for spying by flying almost silently behind enemy lines and were used for the earliest aerial photography.  This is somewhat tricky because balloons can’t actually be steered.  Wind travels in different directions and speeds at different altitudes.  That’s why you might see a balloon move up and down in flight.  The pilot is trying to find the right air current to take him in the general direction he wants to go. 

     The lift is controlled by the burner to heat the air and the descent is controlled by opening a vent in the top of the envelope to release air.  Balloons can fly very high in the atmosphere, but special baskets with oxygen are required.  For practical flights, balloons are limited to about 34 miles.

      It wasn’t until the 1960’s that hot air balloon rides were used as a sport. The first World Championship was held in the United States in 1973.   

continued on page six  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     The Great Texas Balloon Race has come and gone.  The beautiful balloons are packed away in their bags and headed to the next balloon festival.  There are at least 175 festivals in the United States alone this year.  That’s a lot of road time and a lot of “air” time.  The balloon crews make it all look easy, but a lot of work goes into the balloons and their flight.

     Hot air balloons literally come in all shapes and sizes.  The size of a standard shaped balloon is somewhat determined by the amount of weight the balloon is intended to carry.  The shape is also influenced by factors such as the amount of energy used and the amount of fabric used.