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Arts & Crafts General Arts & Crafts How to Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon
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How to Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon |
| Written by Bill Hanks |
 Each year in early September, Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri has a Hot Air Balloon Rally. The event usually lasts about three days. On Friday night they light up the night sky but, don't lift off. They are there for the children to view. Many children get to have their pictures taken while they view the scene in front of them. On Saturday, it is much the same,with the exception that the pilots are prepping their balloons for the race the next day.
There is a lot that goes into flying a balloon. First off, steering a balloon is almost impossible. After you lift off, you only go as fast as the wind will take you. Still many people feel that flying a balloon is one of the most serene and enjoyable experiences that there is to do. They take scientific applications to fly them successfully. Their flight is based on a very simple scientific method of warmer air rises in cooler air. Hot air has less mass per cubic meter of volume than cooler air. Each cubic foot can lift about 7 grams of weight. To lift 1000 pounds, you need 65,000 cubic feet of hot air. To keep the balloon rising, you need some form of heat to keep the air inside the balloon heated. This is usually done with a propane burner and propane tanks. Most balloons are made out of nylon. They are lighter and holds warm air in longer. It is also coated with a fire resistant material on the inside of the balloon. The hot air can't escape at the bottom because of the buoyancy of the warm air inside the balloon. Wicker baskets are used to transport the propane tanks an individuals. It is flexible and a bit lighter than other materials. It does two other things. When landing, it absorbs most of the shock. Second it also helps retain heat which helps the lifting process. The lift on a balloon is controlled by the two valves on the propane burners. One is used to produce gas and the other a liquid type propane for burning. Quick blasts of heat helps to lift the balloon quickly. The liquid propane is used so as not to scare livestock from  the noise. At the top of the balloon envelope a cord drops down through the balloon. the pilot can open this to slow the ascent of the balloon if it is going up too fast. If it is kept open long enough, the balloon will sink. To get the balloon to maneuver horizontally, a pilot needs to know how to use the different winds that blow against the balloon. for example, the higher you go, the stronger the wind velocity. A good pilot learns how to Lifting off and landing are spectacular events to watch. Sometimes they are even more fun to watch than the flight itself. The crew lays out the envelope (balloon) and use a fan to blow hot air into the envelope of the balloon. Once there is enough air in the balloon, the crew starts the burner to heat the air inside. The balloon is heated all the way until it starts to rise. Then it is tied down and held in place by ropes, weights, etc. When a balloon lands a large tarp is place on the ground. This is to protect the balloon as it lands on the ground. The crew will grab ropes that are thrown out of the basket. They are secured and held until the air in the balloon is let out enough to start deflating the balloon. As air is let out, the crew starts pushing the air out similar to rolling up a sleeping bag. Checking the weather is very important in flying a balloon. close attention has to paid to the National Weather Service. Good pilots make note of wind and conditions. They won't fly unless it is safe and ideal for that day. Some pilots release helium filled smaller balloons to see which way the wind is blowing. In 1783, man finally took a sheep, duck, and a chicken on an 8 minute flight. This was first done by the Montgolfier brothers in France. The first humans to fly was the Marquis de Francois dArlandes. and Pilatre de Rozier. That was two months after the sheep the duck and the chicken. Not long after that gas balloons started being used. Gas balloons could fly longer. Since the early 1960's hot air balloons for rides and contests have been on the rise. All different types of designs and colors are used. Many for the purpose of advertising. Not only in St. Louis but, all over the world hot air balloon events take place. They can make for a special event for anyone.
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