Balloon Rides

When we think of flying these days, we think of aeroplanes taking us on worldwide flights to far off destinations or helicopters hovering in the sky. But there’s another form of flight we all know about, but is not used to quite the same extent. These are hot air balloons, massive balloons are filled with hot air to carry a basket of people across the sky. It is also the oldest form of flight to carry people, originating in Paris in 1783 when Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes took their flight in the Montgolfier brothers’ creation.

The balloon in a hot air balloon is known as the envelope, which contains the hot air and carries the basket known as the gondola. The source of heat is normally located with the basket and the people. The heat gives the contents of the balloon a lower density than the colder air outside it and as a result it is able to float in the sky.

You will often see the magnificent balloons filling the sky and this will certainly be the case with air balloon shows, which often features balloons in a variety of shapes such as famous cartoon characters and the like. Hopefully this will be a familiar sight for years to come.