What Makes a Balloon Rise?
The reason is simple:
Hot air rises. Look around, and you'll see this. Heat makes steam rise from a tea kettle. Heat makes smoke rise up a chimney. And heat makes a balloon rise in the sky.
The air in a hot-air balloon is heated with a special gas burner. As the air gets warmer, the balloon puffs out to its full shape. The ropes that hold it to the ground are released. The balloon takes off.
The pilot controls the heat by adjusting the burner. This makes the balloon go up and down. When it's time to land, the pilot lets the balloon cool down. It sinks to the ground.
Up, Up, and Away!
Would you like to float in the sky? You can-if you ride in a hot-air balloon! Colourful hot-air balloons carry people up into the air. These balloons are basically huge cloth bags full of hot air. People ride in a basket that hangs from the balloon. From the ground, balloons are a beautiful sight. The view is even better for the people in the balloon. A balloon ride is great fun. You are as free as a bird.
Hot-air balloons were the very first craft that carried people into the air. The first balloon flight took place in France in 1783. That was 120 years before the first aeroplane flight.
Balloons aren't a very practical way to travel. A pilot can make the balloon go up and down. But he can't steer the balloon. The balloon goes where the wind takes it. When you go up in a balloon, you can never be sure where you will land! A "chase crew" follows the balloon in a van or truck. The crew meets the balloon when it lands and takes everyone home.
Ballooning is a popular sport. Balloon pilots often bring their balloons to festivals. At a festival the balloons are all set up in a big field. You can watch as the balloons are filled with hot air. And you can talk to the balloon pilots.
It's exciting to watch as lots of balloons rise into the air together. Balloons usually fly early in the morning or late in the day. That's when the wind is quietest.
Hot-air balloons come in all colours. And they come in many strange shapes! At a balloon festival, you may see a balloon shaped like a cactus. Maybe you'll see one like a duck or a cartoon cat. There are balloons shaped like bears, frogs and other animals. There's even a balloon that looks like a castle tower--a castle in the air!
