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Hotairballoon
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thehotairballoonistheoldestsuccessfulhumancarryingflight
technology.Thefirstuntetheredmannedhotairballoonflightwas
performedbyJeanFranoisPiltredeRozierandFranoisLaurent
d'ArlandesonNovember21,1783,inParis,France,[1]inaballoon
createdbytheMontgolfierbrothers.[2]Hotairballoonsthatcanbe
propelledthroughtheairratherthansimplydriftingwiththewindare
knownasthermalairships.
Ahotairballoonconsistsofabagcalledtheenvelopethatiscapableof
containingheatedair.Suspendedbeneathisagondolaorwickerbasket
(insomelongdistanceorhighaltitudeballoons,acapsule),which
carriespassengersand(usually)asourceofheat,inmostcasesanopen
flame.Theheatedairinsidetheenvelopemakesitbuoyantsinceithasa
lowerdensitythantherelativelycoldairoutsidetheenvelope.Aswith
allaircraft,hotairballoonscannotflybeyondtheatmosphere.Unlike
gasballoons,theenvelopedoesnothavetobesealedatthebottomsince
theairnearthebottomoftheenvelopeisatthesamepressureastheair
surrounding.Formodernsportballoons,theenvelopeisgenerallymade
fromnylonfabricandtheinletoftheballoon(closesttotheburner
flame)ismadefromfireresistantmaterialsuchasNomex.Beginning
duringthemid1970s,balloonenvelopeshavebeenmadeinallkindsof
shapes,suchasrocketshipsandtheshapesofvariouscommercial
products,thoughthetraditionalshaperemainspopularformostnon
commercial,andmanycommercial,applications.

Hotairballooninflight.

Contents
1History
1.1Premodernandunmannedballoons
1.2Firstmannedflight
1.3Today
2Construction
2.1Envelope
2.1.1Seams
2.1.2Coatings
2.1.3Sizesandcapacity
2.1.4Vents
2.1.5Shape
2.2Basket
2.3Burner
2.4Fueltanks
2.5Instrumentation
2.6Combinedmass
3Theoryofoperation
3.1Generatinglift
3.1.1Montgolfier
3.1.2Hybrid

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Hotairballoonsshapedlike
bees.

Hotairballoonshapedasthe
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3.1.2Hybrid
3.1.3Solar
4Safetyequipment
4.1Inthebasket
4.2Ontheoccupants
4.3Onthegroundcrew
5Maintenanceandrepair
5.1Maintenance
5.2Repair
6Licensing
6.1Balloons
6.2Pilots
6.2.1InAustralia
6.2.2IntheUK
6.2.3IntheUnitedStatesofAmerica
7Accidentsandincidents
8Manufacturers
9Seealso
10References
11Externallinks
11.1Generalballooningsites

History
Premodernandunmannedballoons
EarlyunmannedhotairballoonswereusedinChina.ZhugeLiangofthe
ShuHankingdom,duringtheThreeKingdomsera(220280AD),used
airbornelanternsformilitarysignaling.Theselanternsareknownas
Kongminglanterns().[3][4][5]Thereisalsosomespeculation,
fromademonstrationdirectedbyBritishmodernhotairballoonistJulian
Nottduringthelate1970s,[6]andagainin2003,[7]thathotairballoons
couldhavebeenusedasanaidfordesigningthefamousNazcaground
figuresandlines[6]whichwerecreatedbytheNazcacultureofPeru
between400and650AD.[8]Thefirstdocumentedballoonflightin
EuropewasdemonstratedbyBartolomeudeGusmo.OnAugust8,
1709,inLisbon,hemanagedtoliftaballoonfullofhotairabout
4.5meters(15ft)infrontofKingJohnVandthePortuguesecourt.[9][10]

AKongminglantern,the
oldesttypeofhotair
balloon.

Firstmannedflight
ThebrothersJosephRalfandJacquestienneMontgolfierdevelopedahotairballooninAnnonay,
Ardeche,France,anddemonstrateditpubliclyonSeptember19,1783,makinganunmannedflight
lasting10minutes.Afterexperimentingwithunmannedballoonsandflightswithanimals,thefirst
balloonflightwithhumansaboard,atetheredflight,performedonoraroundOctober15,1783,by
tienneMontgolfierwhomadeatleastonetetheredflightfromtheyardoftheReveillonworkshopin
theFaubourgSaintAntoine.Laterthatsameday,PilatredeRozierbecamethesecondhumantoascend
intotheair,reachinganaltitudeof24m(79ft),thelengthofthetether.[11]Thefirstfreeflightwith
humanpassengerswasmadeafewweekslater,onNovember21,1783.[12]KingLouisXVIhad
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originallydecreedthatcondemnedcriminalswouldbethefirstpilots,butdeRozier,alongwithMarquis
Franoisd'Arlandes,petitionedsuccessfullyforthehonor.[13][14][15]Thefirstmilitaryuseofahotair
balloonhappenedin1794duringthebattleofFleurus,whentheFrenchusedtheballoonl'Entreprenant
forobservation.[16]

Today
Modernhotairballoons,withan
onboardheatsource,were
developedbyEdYost,beginning
duringthe1950shiswork
resultedinhisfirstsuccessful
flight,onOctober22,1960.[17]
Thefirstmodernhotairballoon
tobemadeintheUnited
Kingdom(UK)wastheBristol
Belle,builtin1967.Presently,
hotairballoonsareused
primarilyforrecreation.Hotair
balloonsareabletoflyto
extremelyhighaltitudes.On
AmodeloftheMontgolfier
November26,2005Vijaypat
brothers'balloonatthe
Singhaniasettheworldaltitude
LondonScienceMuseum.
recordforhighesthotairballoon
flight,reaching21,027m
(68,986ft).HetookofffromdowntownMumbai,India,and
landed240km(150mi)southinPanchale.[18]Theprevious
recordof19,811m(64,997ft)hadbeensetbyPerLindstrandon
June6,1988,inPlano,Texas.

ApairofHopperballoons.

BristolInternationalBalloonFiesta

OnJanuary15,1991,the'VirginPacificFlyer'balloon
completedthelongestflightinahotairballoonwhenPerLindstrand(borninSweden,butresidentin
theUK)andRichardBransonoftheUKflew7,671.91km(4,767.10mi)fromJapantoNorthern
Canada.Withavolumeof74thousandcubicmeters(2.6millioncubicfeet),theballoonenvelopewas
thelargesteverbuiltforahotaircraft.Designedtoflyinthetransoceanicjetstreams,thePacificFlyer
recordedthefastestgroundspeedforamannedballoonat245mph(394km/h).Thelongestduration
recordwassetbySwisspsychiatristBertrandPiccard,AugustePiccard'sgrandsonandBritonBrian
Jones,flyingintheBreitlingOrbiter3.Itwasthefirstnonstoptriparoundtheworldbyballoon.The
balloonleftChteaud'Oex,Switzerland,onMarch1,1999,andlandedat1:02a.m.onMarch21inthe
Egyptiandesert300miles(480km)southofCairo.Thetwomenexceededdistance,endurance,and
timerecords,traveling19days,21hours,and55minutes.SteveFossettexceededtherecordforbriefest
timetravelingaroundtheworldon3July2002.Thenewrecordis320h33min.[19]

Construction
Ahotairballoonformannedflightusesasinglelayered,fabricgasbag(lifting"envelope"),withan
openingatthebottomcalledthemouthorthroat.Attachedtotheenvelopeisabasket,orgondola,for
carryingthepassengers.Mountedabovethebasketandcenteredinthemouthisthe"burner",which

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injectsaflameintotheenvelope,heatingtheairwithin.Theheaterorburnerisfueledbypropane,a
liquefiedgasstoredinpressurevessels,similartohighpressureforkliftcylinders.[20][21]

Envelope
Modernhotairballoonsareusuallymadeofmaterialssuchasripstopnylonordacron(apolyester).[22]
Duringthemanufacturingprocess,thematerialiscutintopanels
andsewntogether,alongwithstructuralloadtapesthatcarrythe
weightofthegondolaorbasket.Theindividualsections,which
extendfromthethroattothecrown(top)oftheenvelope,are
knownasgoresorgoresections.Envelopescanhaveasfewas4
goresorasmanyas24ormore.[23]
Envelopesoftenhaveacrownringattheirverytop.Thisisa
hoopofsmoothmetal,usuallyaluminium,andapproximately
1ft(0.30m)indiameter.Verticalloadtapesfromtheenvelope
areattachedtothecrownring.
Atthebottomoftheenvelopetheverticalloadtapesaresewn
intoloopsthatareconnectedtocables(onecableperloadtape).
Thesecables,oftenreferredtoasflyingwires,areconnectedto
thebasketbycarabiners.

Ahotairballoonisinflatedpartially
withcoldairfromagaspoweredfan,
beforethepropaneburnersareused
forfinalinflation.

Seams
ThemostcommontechniqueforsewingpanelstogetheriscalledtheFrenchfelled,Frenchfell,or
doublelapseam.[24][25][26][27]Thetwopiecesoffabricarefoldedoveroneachotherattheircommon
edge,possiblywithaloadtapeaswell,andsewntogetherwithtworowsofparallelstitching.Other
methodsincludeaflatlapseam,inwhichthetwopiecesoffabricareheldtogethersimplywithtwo
rowsofparallelstitching,andazigzag,whereparallelzigzagstitchingholdsadoublelapoffabric.[26]
Coatings

HotAirBalloonSafariinMaasai
Mara.

Thefabric(oratleastpartofit,thetop1/3forexample)maybe
coatedwithasealer,suchassiliconeorpolyurethane,tomakeit
impermeabletoair.[28]Itisoftenthedegradationofthiscoating
andthecorrespondinglossofimpermeabilitythatendsthe
effectivelifeofanenvelope,notweakeningofthefabricitself.
Heat,moisture,andmechanicalwearandtearduringsetupand
packuparetheprimarycausesofdegradation.Onceanenvelope
becomestooporoustofly,itmayberetiredanddiscardedor
perhapsusedasa'ragbag':coldinflatedandopenedforchildren
torunthrough.Productsforrecoatingthefabricarebecoming
availablecommercially.[29]

Sizesandcapacity

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Arangeofenvelopesizesisavailable.Thesmallest,oneperson,basketlessballoons(called"Hoppers"
or"Cloudhoppers")haveaslittleas600m3(21,000cuft)ofenvelopevolume[30]foraperfectsphere
theradiuswouldbearound5m(16ft).Attheotherendofthescale,balloonsusedbycommercial
sightseeingoperationsmaybeabletocarrywellovertwodozenpeople,withenvelopevolumesofupto
17,000m3(600,000cuft).[30]Themostusedsizeisabout2,800m3(99,000cuft),andcancarry3to5
people.
Vents
Thetopoftheballoonusuallyhasaventofsomesort,enabling
thepilottoreleasehotairtoslowanascent,startadescent,or
increasetherateofdescent,usuallyforlanding.Somehotair
balloonshaveturningvents,whicharesideventsthat,when
opened,causetheballoontorotate.Suchventsareparticularly
usefulforballoonswithrectangularbaskets,tofacilitatealigning
thewidersideofthebasketforlanding.[31]
Themostcommontypeoftopventisadiskshapedflapoffabric
calledaparachutevent,inventedbyTracyBarnes.[32]Thefabric
isconnectedarounditsedgetoasetof"ventlines"thatconverge
inthecenter.(Thearrangementoffabricandlinesroughly
Theparachuteventatthetopofan
resemblesaparachutethusthename.)These"ventlines"are
envelope,asseenfrombelowthrough
themselvesconnectedtoacontrollinethatrunstothebasket.A
themouth.
parachuteventisopenedbypullingonthecontrolline.Oncethe
controllineisreleased,thepressureoftheremaininghotair
pushestheventfabricbackintoplace.Aparachuteventcanbeopenedbrieflywhileinflighttoinitiatea
rapiddescent.(Slowerdescentsareinitiatedbyallowingtheairintheballoontocoolnaturally.)The
ventispulledopencompletelytocollapsetheballoonafterlanding.
Anolder,andpresentlylesscommonlyused,styleoftopventiscalleda"Velcrostyle"vent.Thistoois
adiskoffabricatthetopoftheballoon.However,ratherthanhavingasetof"ventlines"thatcan
repeatedlyopenandclosethevent,theventissecuredby"hookandloop"fasteners(suchasVelcro)and
isonlyopenedattheendoftheflight.BalloonsequippedwithaVelcrostyleventtypicallyhavea
second"maneuveringvent"builtintotheside(asopposedtothetop)oftheballoon.Anothercommon
typeoftopdesignisthe"SmartVent,"which,ratherthanloweringafabricdiscintotheenvelopeasin
the"parachute"type,gathersthefabrictogetherinthecenteroftheopening.Thissystemcan
theoreticallybeusedforinflightmaneuvering,butismorecommonlyusedonlyasarapiddeflation
deviceforuseafterlanding,ofparticularvalueinhighwinds.Otherdesigns,suchasthe"poptop"and
"MultiVent"systems,havealsoattemptedtoaddresstheneedforrapiddeflationonlanding,butthe
parachutetopremainspopularasanallaroundmaneuveringanddeflationsystem.
Shape
Besidesspecialshapes,possiblyformarketingpurposes,thereareseveralvariationsonthetraditional
"invertedteardrop"shape.Thesimplest,oftenusedbyhomebuilders,isahemisphereontopofa
truncatedcone.Moresophisticateddesignsattempttominimizethecircumferentialstressonthefabric,
withdifferentdegreesofsuccessdependingonwhethertheytakefabricweightandvaryingairdensity
intoaccount.Thisshapemaybereferredtoas"natural".[33]Finally,somespecializedballoonsare
designedtominimizeaerodynamicdrag(intheverticaldirection)toimproveflightperformancein
competitions.[34]
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Basket
Basketsarecommonlymadeofwovenwickerorrattan.These
materialshaveproventobesufficientlylight,strong,anddurable
forballoonflight.Suchbasketsareusuallyrectangularor
triangularinshape.Theyvaryinsizefromjustbigenoughfor
twopeopletolargeenoughtocarrythirty.[35]Largerbaskets
oftenhaveinternalpartitionsforstructuralbracingandto
compartmentalizethepassengers.Smallholesmaybewoven
intothesideofthebaskettoactasfootholdsforpassengers
climbinginorout.[36]
Basketsmayalsobemadeofaluminium,especiallyacollapsible
aluminiumframewithafabricskin,toreduceweightorincrease
portability.[37]Thesemaybeusedbypilotswithoutaground
creworwhoareattemptingtosetaltitude,duration,ordistance
records.Otherspecialtybasketsincludethefullyenclosed
gondolasusedforaroundtheworldattempts,[38]andbasketsthat
consistoflittlemorethanaseatforthepilotandperhapsone
passenger.

HotAirBalloonBasketinFlight

Burner

Aburnerdirectingaflameintothe
envelope.

Theburnerunitgasifies
liquidpropane,[39]mixes
itwithair,ignitesthe
mixture,anddirectsthe
flameandexhaustinto
themouthofthe
envelope.Burnersvaryin
poweroutputeachwill
Awickerbasketcapableofholding
generallyproduce2to3
16passengers.
MWofheat(7to10
millionBTUsperhour),
withdouble,triple,orquadrupleburnerconfigurationsinstalled
wheremorepowerisneeded.[40][41]Thepilotactuatesaburner
byopeningapropanevalve,knownasablastvalve.Thevalve
maybespringloadedsothatitclosesautomatically,oritmay
stayopenuntilclosedbythepilot.Theburnerhasapilotlightto
ignitethepropaneandairmixture.Thepilotlightmaybelitby
thepilotwithanexternaldevice,suchasaflintstrikerora
lighter,orwithabuiltinpiezoelectricspark.[42]

Wheremorethanoneburnerispresent,thepilotcanuseoneor
moreatatimedependingonthedesiredheatoutput.Eachburnerischaracterizedbyametalcoilof
propanetubingtheflameshootsthroughtopreheattheincomingliquidpropane.Theburnerunitmaybe
suspendedfromthemouthoftheenvelope,orsupportedrigidlyoverthebasket.Theburnerunitmaybe
mountedonagimbaltoenablethepilottoaimtheflameandavoidoverheatingtheenvelopefabric.A
burnermayhaveasecondarypropanevalvethatreleasespropanemoreslowlyandtherebygeneratesa
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differentsound.Thisiscalledawhisperburnerandisusedforflightoverlivestocktolessenthe
chanceofspookingthem.Italsogeneratesamoreyellowflameandisusedfornightglowsbecauseit
lightsuptheinsideoftheenvelopebetterthantheprimaryvalve.

Fueltanks
Propanefueltanksareusuallycylindricalpressurevesselsmadefromaluminium,stainlesssteel,or
titaniumwithavalveatoneendtofeedtheburnerandtorefuel.Theymayhaveafuelgaugeanda
pressuregauge.Commontanksizesare10(38),15(57),and20(76)USgallons(liters).[28]Theymay
beintendedforuprightorhorizontaluse,andmaybemountedinsideoroutsidethebasket.
Thepressurenecessarytoforcethefuelthroughthelinetothe
burnermaybesuppliedbythevaporpressureofthepropane
itself,ifwarmenough,orbytheintroductionofaninertgassuch
asnitrogen.[42]Tanksmaybepreheatedwithelectricalheattapes
toproducesufficientvaporpressureforcoldweatherflying.[43]
Warmedtankswillusuallyalsobewrappedinaninsulating
blankettopreserveheatduringthesetupandflight.

Instrumentation
Stainlesssteelfueltanks,wrappedin
redinsulatingcovers,mounted
vertically,andwithfuelgauges,
duringrefueling.

Aballoonmaybeoutfittedwithavarietyofinstrumentstoaid
thepilot.Thesecommonlyincludeanaltimeter,arateofclimb
(verticalspeed)indicatorknownasavariometer,envelope(air)
temperature,andambient(air)temperature.[44]AGPSreceiver
canbeusefultoindicategroundspeed(traditionalaircraftairspeedindicatorswouldbeuseless)and
direction.

Combinedmass
Thecombinedmassofanaveragesystemcanbecalculatedasfollows:[28]
component

pounds

kilograms

100,000cuft(2,800m3)envelope

250

113.4

5passengerbasket

140

63.5

50

22.7

320gallon(75.7liter)fueltanksfullofpropane

3135=405

183.7

5passengers

5150=750

340.2

subtotal

1595

723.5

100,000cuft(2,800m3)ofheatedair

5922

2686.2

(3.76tons)7517

3409.7

doubleburner

total

usingadensityof0.9486kg/mfordryairheatedto210F(99C).

Theoryofoperation
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Generatinglift
Increasingtheairtemperatureinsidetheenvelopemakesitless
densethanthesurrounding(ambient)air.Theballoonfloats
becauseofthebuoyantforceexertedonit.Thisforceisthesame
forcethatactsonobjectswhentheyareinwaterandisdescribed
byArchimedes'principle.Theamountoflift(orbuoyancy)
providedbyahotairballoondependsprimarilyuponthe
differencebetweenthetemperatureoftheairinsidetheenvelope
andthetemperatureoftheairoutsidetheenvelope.Formost
envelopesmadeofnylonfabric,themaximuminternal
temperatureislimitedtoapproximately120C(250F).[45]

Thermalimageshowingtemperature
variationinahotairballoon.

Itshouldbenotedthatthemeltingpointofnylonissignificantly
greaterthanthismaximumoperatingtemperatureabout230C(450F)buthighertemperatures
causethestrengthofthenylonfabrictodegrademorequicklyovertime.Withamaximumoperating
temperatureof120C(250F),balloonenvelopescangenerallybeflownforbetween400and500
hoursbeforethefabricneedstobereplaced.Manyballoonpilotsoperatetheirenvelopesattemperatures
significantlylessthanthemaximumtoextendenvelopefabriclife.
Theliftgeneratedby100,000ft(2831.7m)ofdryairheatedtovarioustemperaturesmaybecalculated
asfollows:
airtemperature airdensity

airmass

liftgenerated

68F,20C

1.2041kg/m 7517lb,3409.7kg 0lb,0kg

210F,99C

0.9486kg/m 5922lb,2686.2kg 1595lb,723.5kg

250F,120C

0.8978kg/m 5606lb,2542.4kg 1912lb,867.3kg

Thedensityofairat20C,68Fisabout1.2kg/m.Thetotalliftforaballoonof100,000ftheatedto
(99C,210F)wouldbe1595lb,723.5kg.Thisisjustenoughtogenerateneutralbuoyancyforthe
totalsystemmass(notincludingtheheatedairtrappedintheenvelope,ofcourse)statedintheprevious
section.Liftoffwouldrequireaslightlygreatertemperature,dependingonthedesiredrateofclimb.In
reality,theaircontainedintheenvelopeisnotallthesametemperature,astheaccompanyingthermal
imageshows,andsothesecalculationsarebasedonaverages.
Fortypicalatmosphericconditions(20C,68F),ahotairballoonheatedto(99C,210F)requires
about3.91mofenvelopevolumetolift1kilogram(62.5ft/lb).Thepreciseamountofliftprovided
dependsnotonlyupontheinternaltemperaturementionedabove,buttheexternaltemperature,altitude
abovesealevel,andhumidityoftheairsurrounding.Onawarmday,aballooncannotliftasmuchason
acoolday,becausethetemperaturerequiredforlaunchwillexceedthemaximumsustainablefornylon
envelopefabric.Also,intheloweratmosphere,theliftprovidedbyahotairballoondecreasesabout3%
foreach1,000meters(1%per1,000ft)ofaltitudegained.[46]
Montgolfier
StandardhotairballoonsareknownasMontgolfierballoonsandrelysolelyonthebuoyancyofhotair
providedbytheburnerandcontainedbytheenvelope.[47]Thisstyleofballoonwasdevelopedbythe
Montgolfierbrothers,andhaditsfirstpublicdemonstrationon4June1783withanunmannedflight
lasting10minutes,followedlaterthatyearwithmannedflights.[48]
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Hybrid
The1785Rozireballoon,atypeofhybridballoon,namedafteritscreator,JeanFranoisPiltrede
Rozier,hasaseparatecellforalighterthanairgas(typicallyhelium,)aswellasaconebelowforhotair
(asisusedinahotairballoon)toheattheheliumatnight.
Hydrogengaswasusedintheveryearlystagesofdevelopment
butwasquicklyabandonedduetotheobviousdangerof
introducinganopenflamenearthegas.AllmodernRoziere
balloonsnowuseheliumasaliftinggas.[49]
Solar
Solarballoonsarehotairballoonsthatusejustsolarenergy
capturedbyadarkenvelopetoheattheairinside.[50]

Safetyequipment
Tohelpensurethesafetyofpilotandpassengers,ahotair
balloonmaycarryseveralpiecesofsafetyequipment.

Inthebasket

AVirginhotairballoonflyingover
Cambridge.

Torelighttheburnerifthepilotlightgoesoutandtheoptional
piezoignitionfails,thepilotshouldhavereadyaccesstoameans
ofbackupignitionsuchasaflintsparklighter.Manysystems,
especiallythosethatcarrypassengers,havecompletely
redundantfuelandburnersystems:twofueltanks,connectedto
twoseparatehoses,whichfeedtwodistinctburners.Thisenables
asafelandinginthecaseofaclogsomewhereinonesystemorif
asystemmustbedisabledbecauseofafuelleak.
Afireextinguishersuitableforextinguishingpropanefiresisa
usefulpieceofsafetyequipmentinaballoon.Mostballoons
carrya1or2kgAB:Etypefireextinguisher.

A4metershighsolarballoonfloating
overameadow.

Ahandlingordroplineismandatorysafetyequipmentinmany
countries.Itisaropeorwebbingof2030metersinlengthattachedtotheballoonbasketwithaquick
releaseconnectionatoneend.Inverycalmwindconditionstheballoonpilotcanthrowthehandlingline
fromtheballoonsothatthegroundcrewcanguidetheballoonsafelyawayfromobstructionsonthe
ground.
Forcommercialpassengerballoons,apilotrestraintharnessismandatoryinsomecountries.This
consistsofahipbeltandawebbinglinethattogetherallowforsomemovementwhilepreventingthe
pilotfrombeingejectedfromthebasketduringahardlanding.
Furthersafetyequipmentmayincludeafirstaidkit,afireblanketandastrongrescueknife.

Ontheoccupants

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Ataminimumthepilotshouldwearflameresistantgloves.Thesecanbemadeofleatherorsomemore
sophisticatedmaterial,suchasnomex.Thesewillenablethepilottoshutoffagasvalveinthecaseofa
leakevenifthereisaflamepresent.Quickactiononthepilot'sparttostoptheflowofgascanturna
potentialdisasterintoaninconvenience.Inaddition,thepilotshouldwearclothingcoveringhis/herarms
andlegsandwhichismadeofnaturalfiberssuchascottonorwool.Thesewillsingeandnotburn
readilyifbroughtintocontactwithanopenflame.Manysyntheticfibers,unlessespeciallyformulated
forusenearflameorhightemperatureslikenomex,willmeltontothewearerandcancausesevere
burning.Manypilotsalsoadvisetheirpassengerstowearsimilarprotectiveclothingthatcoverstheir
armsandlegs,aswellasstrongshoesorbootsthatoffergoodanklesupport.Finally,someballoon
systems,especiallythosethathangtheburnerfromtheenvelopeinsteadofsupportingitrigidlyfromthe
basket,requiretheuseofhelmetsbythepilotandpassengers.

Onthegroundcrew
Thegroundcrewshouldwearglovesontheirhandswheneverthepossibilityofhandlingropesorlines
exists.Themassandexposedsurfacetoairmovementofamediumsizedballoonissufficienttocause
ropefrictionburnstothehandsofanyonetryingtostoporpreventmovement.Thegroundcrewshould
alsowearsturdyshoesandatleastlongpantsincaseoftheneedtoaccessalandingorlandedballoonin
roughorovergrownterrain.

Maintenanceandrepair
Aswithaircraft,hotairballoonsrequireregularmaintenanceto
remainairworthy.Asaircraftmadeoffabricandthatlackdirect
horizontalcontrol,hotairballoonsmayoccasionallyrequire
repairstoripsorsnags.Whilesomeoperations,suchascleaning
anddrying,maybeperformedbytheownerorpilot,other
operations,suchassewing,mustbeperformedbyaqualified
repairtechnicianandrecordedintheballoon'smaintenancelog
book.

Maintenance

Takenfromthebasket,thereflection
oftheballooncanbeseeninthelake
below.Obstaclesinthelandscapecan
inhibitsmoothretrievaloftheballoon
uponlanding.

Toensurelonglifeandsafeoperation,theenvelopeshouldbe
keptcleananddry.Thispreventsmoldandmildewfromforming
onthefabricandabrasionfromoccurringduringpacking,
transport,andunpackingduetocontactwithforeignparticles.In
theeventofalandinginawet(becauseofprecipitationorearly
morningorlateeveningdew)ormuddylocation(farmer'sfield),theenvelopeshouldbecleanedand
laidoutorhungtodry.

Theburnerandfuelsystemmustalsobekeptcleantoensuresafeoperationondemand.Damagedfuel
hosesneedtobereplaced.Stuckorleakyvalvesmustberepairedorreplaced.Thewickerbasketmay
requireoccasionalrefinishingorrepair.Theskidsonitsbottommayrequireoccasionalreplacement.
Balloonsinmostpartsoftheworldaremaintainedinaccordancewithafixedmanufacturer's
maintenanceschedulethatincludesregular(100flighthoursor12month)inspections,inadditionto
maintenanceworktocorrectanydamage.InAustralia,balloonsusedforcarryingcommercial
passengersmustbeinspectedandmaintainedbyapprovedworkshops.[51]

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Repair
Inthecaseofasnag,burn,orripintheenvelopefabric,apatchmaybeappliedortheaffectedpanel
completelyreplaced.Patchesmaybeheldinplacewithglue,tape,stitching,oracombinationofthese
techniques.Replacinganentirepanelrequiresthestitchingaroundtheoldpaneltoberemoved,anda
newpaneltobesewninwiththeappropriatetechnique,thread,andstitchpattern.

Licensing
Dependingonthesizeoftheballoon,location,andintendeduse,hotairballoonsandtheirpilotsneedto
complywithavarietyofregulations.

Balloons
AswithotheraircraftintheUSA,balloonsmustberegistered
(haveanNnumber),haveanairworthinesscertificate,andpass
annualinspections.Balloonsbelowacertainsize(emptyweight
oflessthan155poundsor70kgincludingenvelope,basket,
burnersandemptyfueltanks)canbeusedasanultralight
aircraft.

Pilots

Topofballoonduringinflation.Crew
issecuringparachutevent.

InAustralia
InAustralia,privateballoonpilotsaremanagedbytheAustralianBallooningFederation[52]and
typicallybecomemembersofregionalhotairballooningclubs.Commercialoperationscarryingfare
payingpassengersorchargingforpromotionalflightsmustoperateunderanAirOperatorsCertificate
fromtheAustralianCivilAviationandSafetyAuthority(CASA)withanominatedChiefPilot.Pilots
musthavedifferentdegreesofexperiencebeforetheyareallowedtoprogresstolargerballoons.Hotair
balloonsmustberegisteredaircraftwithCASAandaresubjecttoregularairworthinesschecksby
authorisedpersonnel.[53]
IntheUK
IntheUK,thepersonincommandmustholdavalidPrivatePilot'sLicenceissuedbytheCivilAviation
AuthorityspecificallyforballooningthisisknownasthePPL(B).Therearetwotypesofcommercial
balloonlicences:CPL(B)RestrictedandCPL(B)(Full).TheCPL(B)Restrictedisrequiredifthepilotis
undertakingworkforasponsororbeingpaidbyanexternalagenttooperateaballoon.Thepilotcanfly
asponsoredballoonwitheverythingpaidforwithaPPLunlessaskedtoattendanyevent.Thena
CPL(B)Restrictedisrequired.TheCPL(B)isrequiredifthepilotisflyingpassengersformoney.The
balloonthenneedsatransportcategoryCofA(certificateofairworthiness).Ifthepilotisonlyflying
sponsor'sguests,andnotchargingmoneyforflyingotherpassengers,thenthepilotisexemptedfrom
holdinganAOC(airoperator'scertificate)thoughacopyofitisrequired.Forpassengerflyingthe
balloonalsorequiresamaintenancelog.
IntheUnitedStatesofAmerica

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IntheUnitedStates,apilotofahotairballoonmusthaveapilotcertificatefromtheFederalAviation
Administration(FAA)anditmustcarrytheratingof"Lighterthanairfreeballoon",andunlessthepilot
isalsoqualifiedtoflygasballoons,willalsocarrythislimitation:"Limitedtohotairballoonswith
airborneheater".Apilotdoesnotneedalicensetoflyanultralightaircraft,buttrainingishighly
advised,andsomehotairballoonsmeetthecriteria.
Tocarrypayingpassengersforhire(andattendsomeballoonfestivals),apilotmusthaveacommercial
pilotcertificate.Commercialhotairballoonpilotsmayalsoactashotairballoonflightinstructors.
Whilemostballoonpilotsflyforthepurejoyoffloatingthroughtheair,manyareabletomakealiving
asaprofessionalballoonpilot.Someprofessionalpilotsflycommercialpassengersightseeingflights,
whileothersflycorporateadvertisingballoons.[54]

Accidentsandincidents
1989AliceSpringshotairballooncrash:On13August1989,twohotairballoonscollidedat
AliceSprings,NorthernTerritory,Australia,causingonetofall,killingall13peopleonboard.
2011Somersethotairballooncrash:On1January2011,ahotairballoonattemptingahigh
altitudeflightcrashedatPratten'sBowlsClubinWestfield,Somerset,nearBath,England,killing
bothpeopleonboard.
2012Cartertonhotairballooncrash:On7January2012,ahotairballooncollidedwithapower
line,caughtfireandcrashedatCarterton,NorthIsland,NewZealand,killingall11peopleon
board.
2012LjubljanaMarsheshotairballooncrash:On23August2012,astormblewahotairballoon
totheground,causingittocatchfireonimpactnearLjubljana,Slovenia.Thecrashkilled6ofthe
32peopleonboard,andinjuredtheother26.
2013Luxorhotairballooncrash:On26February2013,ahotairballooncarryingforeigntourists
ignitedandcrashedneartheancientcityofLuxor,Egypt,killing19ofthe21peopleonboard,
makingitthedeadliestballoonaccidentinhistory.[55]

Manufacturers
Thelargestmanufacturerofhotairballoonsintheworldis
CameronBalloonscompanyofBristol,England,whichalso
ownsLindstrandBalloonsofOswestry,England.Cameron
Balloons,LindstrandBalloonsandanotherEnglishballoon
manufacturingcompany,ThunderandColt(sinceacquiredby
Cameron),havebeeninnovatorsanddevelopersofspecial
shapedballoons.Thesehotairballoonsusethesameprincipleof
liftasconventionalinvertedteardropshapedballoonsbutoften
sectionsofthespecialballoonenvelopeshapedonotcontribute
totheballoon'sabilitytostayaloft.

Threeballoonsprepareforliftoffin
Orlando,Florida.

Thesecondlargestmanufacturerofhotairballoonsintheworld
isUltramagiccompany,basedinSpain,whichproducesfrom80
to120balloonsperyear.Ultramagiccanproduceverylargeballoons,suchastheN500that
accommodatesasmanyas27personsinthebasket,andhasalsoproducedmanyballoonswithspecial
shapes,aswellascoldairinflatables.
IntheUSAAerostarInternational,Inc.ofSiouxFalls,SouthDakotawasNorthAmerica'slargest
balloonmanufacturerandaclosesecondinworldmanufacturingbeforeceasingtobuildballoonsin
January2007.FireflyBalloons,formerlyTheBalloonWorks,isamanufacturerofhotairballoonsin
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Statesville,NorthCarolina.AnothermanufacturerisHeadBalloons,Inc.ofHelen,Georgia.
ThemajormanufacturersinCanadaareSundanceBalloonsandFantasySkyPromotions.Other
manufacturersincludeKavanaghBalloonsofAustralia,Schroeder
FireBalloonsofGermany,andKubicekBalloonsoftheCzech
Republic.

Seealso
Aviation
Balloonsatellite
Barrageballoon
Cinebulle
Clusterballooning
Espionageballoon
Earlyflyingmachines
Highaltitudeballoon
Historyofmilitaryballooning
Hotairballoonfestival
Hotairballooning
Lighterthanair
Listofballoonuses
Blimp
Observationballoon
Researchballoon
Skylantern
Skyhookballoon
Zeppelin

OneofthelastAerostar
International,Inc.RX8balloons.

HotairballoonoverCappadocia.

HotairballoonsinflightoverBagan,
Myanmar.

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Externallinks
Generalballooningsites
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HotAirBallooningHowballoonsfly,listofballoon
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(http://www.hotairballooning.com/)
HotAirBalloonWebLinks(http://www.euronet.nl/users/jdewilde/index.html)
HotAirBalloonSimulator(http://www.balloonsimulator.com)learnthedynamicsofahotair
balloonontheInternetbasedsimulator.
TheprincipleofaballoonflightVIDEO(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E05vwMQj8Q)
HotAirBalloonMakers(http://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/hotairballoon
makers/)ProducedbyOregonPublicBroadcasting

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