Balloon Flights - Air Balloon Trips

A balloon flight was described by Alberto Santos Dumont - 'The balloon seems to stand still in the air while the earth flies past underneath.' Archimedes's principle of buoyancy combined with modern technology has resulted in the creation of some truly incredible flying machines. To this day however, few can match the magical sensation that sailing off into the sky in a giant hot air balloon provides.

The history of hot air balloon flights is an interesting one. In early days, balloons were used primarily by the military for observation purposes. Indeed, hot air balloons were used by armed forces in the American Civil War as well as in both World Wars. Similarly, when balloons were transformed and reshaped during the 1960's by a company known as Raven Industries, all designs and creations were initially sold to the government for official research and operations.

It was not until the late 1970's that hot air ballooning as a sport really began to take off. Raven Industries continued to improve their designs with the result that balloons gradually became safer and more durable. These days, balloons vary substantially in terms of size, shape and overall configuration. Balloon manufacturers are permanently trying to outdo each other in terms of both design and creativity. Balloons range from run of the mill conical shapes, to cartoon characters to giant kitchen appliances.

Balloon festivals such as Great Falls and Albuquerque offer the perfect opportunity for balloon manufacturers to show off their designs. To witness the sight of hundreds of multicoloured balloons floating off in to the heavens is often nothing short of surreal. The festival draws crowds from around the globe, all of them eager to be a part of the festivity, fun and dreamlike atmosphere.

Balloon Flights - Unmasked

Flying a hot air balloon is not actually quite as simple as it may appear. Balloon pilots need to undergo extensive training before taking to the skies. In order to obtain a ballooning licence, pilots must be adept at both taking off and landing as well as be familiar with all the equipment on board. This includes being able to read the altimeter, pyrometer, variometer and fuel gauge.

Typically, pilots will keep balloons at an altitude of between 500 and 2000 feet in order to ensure the most spectacular views, although balloons can travel to altitudes of over 9000 feet. Indeed, the greatest height ever reached by a balloon is set at over 64 000 feet.

Commercial pilots are often so skilled in the art of flying that they are able to come within millimetres of objects on the ground before ascending into the heavens once again.

These days, balloon flights are safer and more durable then ever before. Manufacturers are constantly testing new materials and coming up with new ideas to improve the design of their balloons. It seems that even after all these years; man's fascination with balloons and indeed with taking to the sky is still very much alive. If only Archimedes could see us now!

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