All about hot air balloons

No. Flying in a hot air balloon is not dangerous in principle. Hot air ballooning is a well-proven and safe form of flight. There is a natural risk associated with all activities that, like ballooning, take place under physical and meteorological conditions that are dynamic and can change suddenly. And as a passenger, you must of course be aware of this. However, in Denmark, equipment and personnel are subject to a high degree of control, and there have been no serious accidents involving hot air balloon flights in this country.

In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers sent an 800 cubic meter balloon filled with smoke (hot air) into the sky in France. This revolutionary event amazed France, England, and several other countries. That same year, the brothers sent up an even larger balloon with two people on board, who became the first humans ever to attempt flight. The experiments spread to many countries, including Denmark, where pharmacist Mühlenstedt made his first attempt on November 23, 1783.

Since 1783, balloon flight has undergone significant development. For a period, gas balloons became totally dominant – and they also formed the foundation for the development of airships. In 1960, a gas burner was developed that could burn liquid propane. This sparked the modern technology that has brought hot air balloons within the economic reach of ordinary people. Today, flights are made in gas balloons, hot air balloons, and combinations of both. Balloons remain balloon-shaped, but modern construction techniques have also made it possible to create special figure balloons in virtually all sizes and shapes.

A hot air balloon works by utilizing the physical law that warm air is lighter than cold air. By gathering a large amount of relatively warm air, it can begin to lift a significant weight. A cubic meter of air heated by 100 degrees can lift about 300 grams. By heating approximately 2000 m3 of air to 100 degrees, you can create a lift of about 600 kg, which is the weight of a small balloon with gas, basket, and passengers. By operating the burner during the flight, the balloon pilot can also raise and lower the temperature in the balloon envelope, causing the balloon to ascend and descend. The temperature in the balloon envelope is naturally highest at the top, where it typically ranges between 80-110 degrees during flight. The balloon has the flight time that the carried gas amount allows and uses about 60-80 liters of gas per hour. When the balloon pilot wishes to land the balloon, they can slowly decrease the altitude and finally let the basket land on a suitable fallow or grass field.

In Denmark, there are approximately 25 hot air balloons and about 35 active private balloon pilots. Additionally, there are 3 commercially trained balloon pilots who are licensed to fly with paying passengers.

A hot air balloon can be controlled very precisely in terms of altitude. It rises and falls using the temperature in the balloon envelope, and an experienced balloon pilot can keep a balloon within 1 meter of altitude for a long time. However, the balloon’s flight direction is solely determined by the wind direction at the balloon’s flying altitude. Therefore, during the planning of a balloon flight, it is very important to know the wind direction and thus the balloon’s flight path. It is only possible for a balloon pilot to decide on a launch site once he knows the wind conditions on the flight day. At different altitudes, there are often variations in both wind direction and speed. The balloon pilot can use these by changing the balloon’s flight altitude and thus influence the flight path. But it’s pretty much impossible to ‘turn around’ and fly back. Simply put, the balloon’s flight direction can be controlled with altitude…

The typical, smaller hot air balloon for about 3-4 people weighs approximately 350 kg. That includes the balloon envelope, basket, and burner system, but before the pilot and guests get on board. It can lift a maximum of 700 kg, which is primarily determined by the volume of the balloon envelope. However, balloons can also be found in much larger sizes, and our largest passenger balloon weighs approximately 4.5 tons fully loaded and with passengers on board. Of this, the balloon envelope itself is about 500 kg, which is why we need many people to handle it during setup and packing.

A hot air balloon consists of 3 main parts. The balloon itself (which we call the envelope), the basket, and the burner system. The balloon envelope can be made of either polyester or rip-stop nylon. The fabric is designed to keep the heat inside the balloon, while the balloon’s supporting structure is a large network of strong webbing, around which the fabric is sewn. The balloon basket is woven from willow, but its supporting structure consists of oak planks and strong steel cables that connect to the balloon. Willow wickerwork has the great advantage of being both flexible and strong, making it very suitable for balloon landings. The burner system consists of gas cylinders, hoses, and a large burner that can be activated and which, by burning gas, can send heat up into the balloon during flight.

Clearly, there are as many prices for balloon equipment as there are sizes. A smaller hot air balloon for recreational use with space for 3-4 people can typically be purchased for around DKK 300,000. As the balloons get larger, the prices also increase, and our largest hot air balloon cost around DKK 1,500,000 when new. In addition, you should expect additional costs for trailer, radio equipment, and vehicle. Hot air balloons are quite suitable advertising platforms – they are visible in the sky and have large surfaces. You might be lucky to arrange a partnership with a company that would like to display a logo or message on the balloon. This can often help keep costs down.

Modern hot air balloons float because hot air is lighter than cold air. When the balloon is filled, we gather a large amount of hot air that can carry the basket and passengers. We burn propane gas to create the necessary heat to make the balloon rise. It’s important to distinguish between a gas balloon and a hot air balloon. Unlike the hot air balloon, the gas balloon uses a light gas to float. At DreamBalloon, we only fly hot air balloons, not gas balloons.

In principle, everyone can fly in a hot air balloon. It’s a relaxed and calm form of flying, which is more like a gentle glide than normal flight as we know it from airplanes. This is because the balloon constantly moves with the wind during the flight and therefore feels completely still.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all who fly, passengers must be in a physical condition that allows them to participate in the experience. This means, for example, being able to stand for the hour-long flight and not being physically frail. Additionally, all passengers must be able to understand and follow the instructions given by the pilot and crew.

According to the Danish Transport Authority’s rules, the balloon pilot is responsible for the passengers, and ultimately it’s the pilot who decides whether a passenger is able to participate in the flight in a safe manner on the given day.

As a general rule, we don’t offer flights if:

• You are more than 12 weeks pregnant on the day of the flight
• You are a child under 130 cm in height (typically 6-7 years old)
• You are a wheelchair user
• You have severe mobility issues or appear physically frail to such an extent that you’re deemed unable to safely complete the flight – including standing for about 60 minutes, which is how long the flight lasts.
• You are intoxicated or appear to be under the influence

A hot air balloon is a vessel of considerable size. Our largest balloon is a Lindstrand C600 with a capacity of up to 32 passengers. It is one of the world’s largest hot air balloons, which once flew over the center of Stockholm. Now it has come to Denmark and flies here. However, DreamBalloon has hot air balloons in many different sizes, and the volume of the balloon envelope is crucial for how much weight and thus how many guests it can lift. Our Cameron Z-425 has a volume of 425,000 cubic feet. This translates to about 12,000 cubic meters or the equivalent of the volume of 181 40-foot containers. It is over 35 meters high when filled and can lift over 3.5 tons.