“What a treat to stroll through the veils of twilight, to float across the sky like a slowly forming thought. Balloonists cast their fate to the wind and become part of the ebb and flow of nature, part of the sky itself, held aloft like any bird, leaf or spore. In that silent realm, far from the mischief and toil of society, all one hears is the urgent breathing of the wind and, now and then, an inspiring gasp of hot air.”
-Diane Ackerman
Adorning the sky with stunning colors, hot air balloons provide spectacular visual images.
Consisting of a basket, a burner, and an envelope, there are about 3,500 balloons presently in operation in the U.S. today. Ranging in cost from $18,000 to $25,000 (and sometimes more), balloons ride the wind by leveraging the simple principle that hot air rises.
Using a propane burner, the pilot can add hot air into the envelope–usually made of rip-stop nylon–with the simple squeeze of a hand. Burning about 15 gallons of propane per hour, a balloon ride usually lasts anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes. To make sure there is enough propane to accommodate an emergency, pilots will carry three 20 gallon propane tanks in the basket.
When fully inflated, the envelope will expand to 77,000 cubic feet. Depending on the size of the basket, hot air balloons can carry from one to 15 passengers. With the capacity to ascend high into the heavens, the world’s record for altitude is 69,849 feet or almost 14 miles.
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