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The Renaissance of Hot-Air Ballooning

The history of ballooning and man's fascination with flight is certainly an incredible one. Historians have put forward theories that the earliest form of a hot air balloon was actually made by the ancient Nazca civilisation of Peru over 2000 years ago. The main evidence is a piece of pottery found in Lima which unmistakably displays a picture of a hot air balloon. The balloon was of a simple design and made of a non-porous material in a tetrahedral shape. Below the envelope was a type of hammock in which the aeronaut/s would have been carried.

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The balloon, which was tethered to the ground, would have been filled with smoke from a fire. Once the envelope was fully inflated with hot air the ropes would have been cut and the balloon would have ascended rapidly. The balloon may have reached heights of up to 1500 feet or more and as the air cooled it would have floated gradually to Earth.

This may explain the detailed stone piles laid out on the Peruvian Nazca Plain over a 200 square mile area, the intricate patterns only able to be fully viewed from the air.

Man's recorded history of hot air balloon flight began in the late 16th Century in France when two brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, began experimenting with paper balloons filled with smoke.

By 1783 the Montgolfiers were building balloons capable of lifting the weight of two men. The balloons were made of paper and linen and the two men would stand on a platform fixed around the mouth of the balloon.

The first recorded manned ascent took place in Paris, on November 21, 1783. Two noble men of the day, Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis of Arlandes, climbed on to the gallery of a huge 'Montgolfer' balloon.

Watched by a crowd of 400,000, which included Louis XVI of France, the balloon was filled by hot air from a smoky fire of burning straw suspended under the mouth of the envelope in a large metal bowl. The intrepid aeronauts flew for 22 minutes before landing in the surrounding vineyards outside Paris. Marie Antoinette was so impressed by what she saw that she dubbed ballooning 'the sport of the Gods'.

 Barely three weeks later, on December 1, 1783 Professor Jacques Alexandre Cesar Charles and a young man, Aine Robert, piloted the first manned hydrogen balloon. (Professor Charles had in fact launched an unmanned hydrogen balloon in Paris on August 27, 1783 in front of thousands of spectators in the pouring rain which rose swiftly into the air and landed 15 miles away where it was attacked with pitchforks by terrified and superstitious peasants.) The manned hydrogen balloon travelled a distance of 45km from Paris to Nesle having been aloft for one and ¾ hours.

Ballooning became a popular sport and pastime from this time on. It reached Australia in 1856, when a young Frenchman, Pierre Maigre, advertised that he would climb to the heavens under Vice-Regal patronage. The flight was not successful but in 1870 Thomas Gale flew from the Domain in Sydney to Glebe.

It's popularity was overtaken by the development of the zeppelin (airship) in 1884 and later on the aeroplane in 1903.

The revival of the modern hot air balloon was pioneered by an American, Ed Yost. He invented the propane burner in 1953, a controllable and economical method of heating the air inside the balloon.

Ballooning continues to be a popular sport and pastime in Australia and centres have been established across the nation.

There are numerous Ballooning Fiestas, Championships and commercial flights in Australia and around the World.    

What Is A Balloon Made Of?

Rip-stop nylon or polyester is coated with polyurethane to stop porosity and contain the hot air. The basket is traditional wicker with support from stainless steel cables. The woven rattan is weather resistant, strong and lightweight. While all hot-air balloons consist of a burner system, a basket and an envelope, some differ in size, shape and deflation systems.

How High Can You Fly?

From ground level to 9,000 metres depending on requirements. At 1,500 metres, the Department of Aviation require that sport balloonists carry radios. At 3,000 metres they must carry oxygen. An American, Col. Joe Kittinger, has reached altitudes over 30,300 metres.

Balloon sizes vary from 30,000 cubic feet to over 800,000 cubic feet, but the most popular size holds about 77,000 cubic feet. Balloons are inflated by using a fan to blow cold air into the envelope. When the balloon is about one-third full, the air is then heated by propane, causing the balloon to rise.

How Many People Does It Take To Inflate The Balloon?

A minimum of three people is required and the process usually takes about 20 minutes. A tether line is used to hold the balloon down during inflation. Deflation and packing up takes a similar amount of time. The usual method of deflation is to open the deflation port in the top of the balloon to let the air out.

How Many People Can Fit Into A Basket?

Depending on the size of the balloon, the number of people can vary from one to twenty.

Most sport balloons carry two or three people and each balloon has a ground or retrieval crew which follows the balloon by road as closely as possible using maps. The Olympic Balloon carries 5 passengers plus the pilot.

When Do You Fly?

Usually after sunrise or before dusk. The air is more stable and there is less wind at this time. Winter months provide safe and pleasant conditions for ballooning.
Summer flights are normally in the early morning only as summer heat brings thermal activity which can be hazardous; the ground becomes hot and causes thermals or rising columns of hot air.

Balloons cannot be steered, but by moving to a higher or lower altitude and positioning the balloon in different air streams it is often possible to find wind going in a slightly different direction. A balloon drifts in the same direction and at the same speed as the wind.

Is Ballooning Dangerous?

Ballooning is a safe sport if good judgement is used when flying. Balloons can be flown in rain and snow, as long as visibility is good. Commercial balloon pilots in Australia are subject to the strictest qualifications in the world to ensure a high standard of passenger operations.

What Is The Difference Between A Gas Balloon And A Hot Air Balloon?

A gas balloon is completely enclosed and is filled with helium, hydrogen or coal gas. A hot air balloon gets its lift from heating the air within it.

What Instruments Do Balloons Use?

An altimeter to indicate altitude, a variometer to show whether it is going up or down, a compass to show direction, and a thermistor or temperature gauge to tell how hot the air is at the top of the balloon. Each stainless steel propane tank has a fuel gauge and every burner system has a pressure gauge so the pilot knows how fast the fuel is being delivered to the burner.

Do Balloonists Carry Parachutes?

No. If by some remote chance both burner systems were to go out and were unable to be re-ignited, the balloon acts as a parachute and descends at parachute speed.

What Is An Aerostat? An Aeronaut?

An aerostat is a vehicle capable of lighter-than-air flight (i.e. a balloon or airship). An aeronaut is someone who flies an aerostat.

Why Do Balloonists Carry Champagne With Them?

When ballooning began in France in the late 1700s, the balloons often landed on farms. The farmers had never seen balloons before and often attacked them with pitchforks. Balloonists found it to their advantage to carry champagne to pacify the landowner. Modern aeronauts still follow this custom.