| By :
Eddie Prentice
Hot air ballooning is our first form of manned flight. How does it work? What allows a hot air balloon to keep flying? There are some basics principles in play here, namely, that hot air rises and cold air descends. So the hot air that is released in to the balloon pushes it skywards and ensures it stays afloat. There are three component parts to a hot air balloon, the envelope (which is the fabric which holds the air); the basket (which is where the pilot and passengers will stand); and the burner (which propels the heat up in to the balloon). The pilot has the ability to ascend, descend and move in a certain direction. 1. Ascending To ascend, the pilot releases propane gas in to the envelope, and this fires the burner, sending a flame in to the envelope. The more gas that is released, the greater the flame and the faster the balloon rises. 2. Descending To descend, the pilot has to allow the air in the envelope to cool. He does this by pulling a cord which opens a valve at the top of the balloon. This is called the Parachute Valve and opening it allows the hot air to escape, reducing the temperature of the air within the balloon. This cooler air is lighter than the balloon weight and hence the balloon descends. The descent can be controlled or reversed by releasing more propane gas and firing the burner. 3. Directional movement There are limitations in the direction a pilot can take a balloon as this is determined by the wind. However, the wind blows in different directions at different heights so a degree of manoeuvrability is possible. So to move horizontally, the pilot will go up or down to find a layer of air where the wind is blowing in the desired direction. 4. Landing Where the balloon lands is very dependent on the wind, but in the right conditions, an experienced pilot can have considerable manoeuvrability. He will be in regular radio contact with his ground crew and they will agree a landing site during the course of the flight. After landing, the "chase" crew will pack away the balloon and everyone then generally returns to the original launch location. Hot Air balloons generally land on private land and depend hugely on the goodwill of landowners. Most pilots will be aware of "no go" landing sites and will try to avoid these if at all possible.
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