Why are hot air balloons so big?
A single cubic foot of air weighs approximately 28 grams. When the air is heated to around 38°C, it becomes about 7 grams lighter. This means that one cubic foot of hot air can only lift about 7 grams.
That’s not very much. So, if you want to lift something that weighs 450 kg, you need about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.
And that’s exactly why the balloons have to be so huge, otherwise they can’t lift anything at all.
How do you steer a hot air balloon?
It’s completely different from steering an airplane. There’s no steering wheel, no buttons, no autopilot. And you can’t just turn in the direction you want to go. But it’s not completely random either. It’s about controlling the altitude and temperature, and planning the trip so you have places to land within reach.
When the pilot wants to go up, they heat the air in the balloon. Hot air is lighter than cold air, so the balloon rises. And when you want to go down, you release some of the hot air, so the balloon cools down and sinks again.
Sometimes the wind stops. Then the pilot can use the burner to rise in altitude and find new winds further up. Because the wind moves in different directions and with different strengths at different altitudes. In this way, you can actually influence the direction the balloon moves in, just not in the same way as with a regular vehicle.
How safe are hot air balloons?
Hot air balloons are actually among the safest forms of transportation there are.
They are made of solid materials that can withstand a lot. The fabric is resistant to heat, the burners are of high quality, and the basket itself is built to protect the passengers, even if the landing is a bit rough. However, this rarely happens. And the pilots, well, they have gone through a long and thorough training, so they know what they are doing and how to handle everything that has to do with safety.
The risk of something going wrong is lower than many people think. Some ask what happens if a hot air balloon falls down. But that’s actually not something you need to worry about. The hot air balloon functions a bit like a parachute, so even if you tried to make it fall quickly, it would still descend slowly and steadily.
Before each flight, we also always provide a short introduction to safety. So everyone knows what’s going to happen and how to sit for landing, for example. It gives a safe start to the experience.
Can everyone fly a hot air balloon?
No, you can’t. It takes a lot to become a balloon pilot.
It may look easy when you stand and look at it, but there is a lot of work behind it. To be allowed to fly, you must go through a training where you learn about wind and weather, how the equipment works, and how to plan a safe flight. You must also learn about the rules in the air and pass medical check-ups at regular intervals. Without them, the license is not valid.
In addition, you must have flown a certain number of hours before you can get your license. It’s not something you just do. It requires time, knowledge and responsibility. But for those who love it, it’s all worth it.
And the good news? Once you have been trained and have obtained your license, it is actually possible for most people to fly a hot air balloon. Of course, it requires that you are ready for a little adventure and to take responsibility. But when you are ready, the sky is yours.
What happens if a hot air balloon bursts?
Fortunately, there is no such thing as a hot air balloon “bursting”. They are made of strong and durable materials that are built to withstand both the heat and the stress during a flight. The fabric, called Nomex, is also used in firefighting equipment, precisely because it is so resistant to fire.
A hot air balloon is not like the small balloons we use for birthdays, where the material stretches and can explode at too high a pressure. It works completely differently. And even if there should be a tear in the balloon – and even if it is quite large – the balloon can usually still fly safely.
An important part of the safety is due to the strong bands that run both vertically and horizontally inside the balloon envelope. They divide the balloon into smaller sections and ensure that a tear does not spread to the entire balloon. These bands are incredibly strong and an important part of the construction.
What if a hot air balloon runs out of gas?
Hot air balloons use liquid propane, which is easy to monitor and easy to store in sufficient quantities, so you don’t just run out without warning. And most importantly, both pilots and crew always make sure to bring more than enough, so there is still plenty of gas left when you land.
But if you theoretically came close to running out, the balloon actually has the great advantage that it can make a controlled descent. It doesn’t just fall suddenly.
Another safety measure is that the pilot has already planned possible landing sites before the flight based on the weather and the latest weather forecasts. In this way, we ensure that there is always room to land, no matter where we are in the air. This is also why you will never see a pilot fly directly over a 30 kilometer long forest or large wetlands.
