Hot Air Balloons Questions
How does a balloon work?
Hot air balloons fly because the air inside of the envelope is hotter than
the outside air. By using propane-fueled burners, the air is heated, and the
balloon ascends. To descend, the air inside the balloon must be cooled by
either letting the envelope cool on its own or by opening the vent at the
top of the envelope to let some of the hot air out. Throughout a flight, the
pilot will use a combination of heating and cooling the balloon to ascend
and descend. And when it is time to land, the top of the envelope is opened
completely to let all of the air out and deflate the balloon.
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When do balloons fly?
Since balloon flights require specific weather conditions, flights
generally occur at sunrise or just before sunset when the winds are the
lightest. If wind speed at the time of launch is more than 7 miles an hour,
it is too dangerous to fly. Other weather conditions such as rain, low
clouds and certain wind direction, will keep the balloons on the ground for
safety reasons.
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How many people can
ride in a balloon at once?
Balloons can carry as few as one person (just the pilot) or as many as 12
passengers! Balloon capacity depends on the size of the envelope and on
weather conditions, specifically the outside air temperature. The balloons
that typically participate in our festival can hold between 2 and 3
passengers.
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How long is a balloon ride?
Balloon flights can range anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour
depending on wind and weather conditions and direction of flight, and a few
other variables. The whole ballooning experience, however, generally takes
between 2 and 3 hours. This includes the set up, flight, pack up, and return
trip to the festival.
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How high, how fast, and how
far will we fly?
Hot air balloons usually cruise at an altitude of 1.000 feet above ground.
Many balloon flights occur between 100 and 2,000 feet above the ground, but
balloons can fly at treetop level or go much higher. Once the balloon
reaches 12,500 feet, oxygen is required. Since balloons travel with the
wind, the balloon will only go as fast as the wind is blowing, generally not
much faster than 8 - 10 mph. The distance the balloon will travel also
depends on the speed of the wind as well as the duration of the flight.
For example, an hour-long flight with winds averaging 5 mph will travel a
distance of about 5 miles.
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Where will I land?
Balloons travel with the wind and cannot be steered. Pilots may, however,
change directions by ascending or descending to pick up varying wind
directions at different altitudes. Therefore, you will land wherever the
wind takes you! Balloons generally land in large open areas such as front
and back yards, parking lots, fields, and parks.
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How do I get back to the
festival?
Each balloon has a ground crew that follows the path of the balloon on the
ground in the chase vehicle and is in contact with the balloon via radio.
The ground crew will meet the balloon at the landing spot and help to pack
up the balloon. Once the balloon is all packed up, you will get a ride back
to the festival grounds in the chase vehicle.
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Are there any passenger
restrictions?
Almost anyone can take a balloon ride, however there are some restrictions
for safety reasons. Passengers should be tall enough to see over the edge of
the basket (about 42 inches high), be able to stand for at least an hour,
have no medical issues that may affect your ability to participate in light
physical activity, and should not be too far along in pregnancy. All
passengers should be sure to inform their pilot of any and all potential
medical or physical problems prior to flight.
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What
should I wear?
You should dress as you would for any outdoor activity: loose comfortable
clothing with sturdy footwear. Please no heeled shoes or sandals. A light
jacket or sweatshirt might be worth bringing for cooler mornings and
evenings. Cotton is recommended please do not wear nylon. The temperature up
in the balloon will be about the same as it is on the ground. There is a
slight, 3.5 °F drop in temperature per 1000 feet above sea level, however
since most flights take place at an average of 1000 feet, the difference is
barely noticeable.
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What is a
tethered balloon ride and how can I take one?
Tethered rides allow you to get a small taste of ballooning without leaving
the festival grounds. These balloons are tied to the ground with tether
ropes about 100 feet in length. When you get into the basket, the balloon
goes up until the ropes are fully extended and then returns to the ground.
The ride lasts about 5 minutes and can take place any time during the day as
long as the winds are calm.
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How much does it cost to
buy a balloon?
A brand new regular shaped (sport) balloon system ranges anywhere from
$30,000 and up. A special shaped balloon can cost upwards of $200,000! Used
balloons usually go for less, depending on their age and the number of hours
they have been flown.
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What are the
components of a hot air balloon?
The two main components of a balloon system are of the envelope, or
brightly colored inflatable sphere, and the gondola, or basket. The envelope
is usually made of rip-stop nylon fabric (the same fabric as a parachute)and
can range anywhere from 60 to 80 feet high (and even taller on some special
shape balloons!). The diameter of balloons range from 30 to 40 feet. The
gondola is made of wicker and is framed by aluminum or stainless steel. It
carries the propane gas tanks, an instrument panel, as well as the pilot and
passengers. The instrument panel contains an altimeter, which measures
altitude; a pyrometer, which measures the heat at the top of the envelope;
and a variometer, which measures rate of ascent and descent.
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