Hot air ballooning facts for kids
Hot air ballooning is the activity of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet (except when the propane burners are firing), the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed. Hot air ballooning has been recognized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) as the safest air sport in aviation, and fatalities in hot air balloon accidents are rare, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
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Images for kids
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A model of the Montgolfier brothers balloon at the London Science Museum
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Hot air balloons in flight
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Early morning departures
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Hot air balloon being inflated by its propane burners prior to a dawn launch.
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The inside of a hot air balloon's envelope, seen from the gondola.
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A Balloon Works Firefly 7 balloon in level flight.
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A typical chase vehicle with room for the equipment, chase crew, pilot, and all passengers.
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Holding the crown line while the balloon deflates after landing.
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A balloonist prepares to drop a marker on a competition target, in this case the centre of a road intersection.
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Seattle Ballooning Flying A Hot Air Balloon In The Mountains Near Seattle
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Preparing for flight: This large wicker balloon basket holds 16 passengers. The pilot is climbing out after his pre-flight tests
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Final Inflation: Firing the propane burners to complete inflation
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Flight: A Virgin hot air balloon flying over Cambridge
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Landing: An unusual top view of the basket, after tipping onto its side during landing at dusk
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Retrieval: The envelope is packed back into its bag for storage until the next flight
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Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Bristol, England
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Gatineau-Quebec, Canada
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Kapadokya, Turkey
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Marrakesh-Morocco
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San Diego, California, USA
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Warstein, Germany
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Seattle, Washington
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