At One With the Wind

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN CANADA

“PROCURE ME IMMEDIATELY SOME TAFFETA AND ROPE, AND I WILL SHOW YOU SOMETHING THAT WILL ASTONISH THE WORLD!”​—JOSEPH-MICHEL MONTGOLFIER, 1782.

WHOOSH! A burst of flame shoots upward into a colorful cocoon and causes a gentle ascent skyward. Floating aloft in a beautiful, rainbow-colored bubble of cloth is uplifting to the spirit, as well as a relief from the hectic pace of life. It is “tranquil and exciting at the same time,” mused one longtime hot-air balloon enthusiast.

Ever since the first successful launching in the early 1780’s by Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, balloon flight has fascinated man. (See box below.) Yet, it is only since the 1960’s​—with the introduction of flame-retardant fabric, coupled with a safe and inexpensive system of burning propane used to heat and regulate the air temperature inside the balloon—​that ballooning as a pleasure sport has really got off the ground.

Close-Up Look

A close-up look at a beautiful balloon reveals panels of colorful material fastened together and tapered from top to bottom. When filled with air, some balloons measure 50 feet [15 m] wide and more than 80 feet [25 m] high.

Imaginative fliers express their individuality and dream up their own shapes and sizes, which range from animals to bottles and even to clowns. Whatever the design, the flight principles remain the same for these silent fliers of the sky.

Both pilot and passengers share space in a light, sturdy wicker gondola, or basket, that is attached to the balloon with cables and is positioned directly under the balloon’s opening. Some baskets are made of aluminum. Look again just above the gondola. You will see the fuel burner and regulator secured on a metal  platform just below the mouth of the balloon. Fuel tanks are inside the basket.

Prepare to Ascend

An airplane needs a long runway for takeoff. However, an open site about the size of a small field is all that a hot-air balloon requires. Of prime importance is finding a location where there are no obstructions immediately overhead. Are you anxious to go for a ride in this quiet aircraft? Even before you climb into the basket, some preliminary steps have to be taken.

First, the empty balloon is spread out on the ground downwind from the basket, which is placed on its side. Air is then blown into the mouth of the balloon, using a large motorized fan. Thereafter, heated air is directed into the balloon to make it rise and lift the basket into an upright position. Next, a final check is made of all equipment, including the fuel connections, as well as of the vent and deflation control lines to be sure that they hang down into the basket. Now the pilot is ready to take on passengers and lift off. Some balloonists carry radio equipment and keep regular contact with the ground crew that follows in a chase vehicle to pick up the balloon and passengers when they land.

 At One With the Wind

Most balloonists prefer altitudes of less than 400 feet [about 100 m] so that they can peacefully drift over the countryside and observe activity below. At this elevation even the sounds of people on the ground laughing and shouting can be heard. The sight from the ground is enchanting and reminds one of a dandelion seed floating in a gentle breeze. Some fliers routinely soar to heights of 2,000 feet [600 m] or more. It is not advisable, however, to maintain an altitude above 10,000 feet [3,000 m] without an oxygen supply.​—See the box “High-Altitude Flight.”

Once you are up, how do you get down? Gravity. And you can control your descent by pulling the vent cord and letting out some of the hot air. Horizontal travel, however, is another matter. The pilot is at the mercy of the elements. “Every flight is different, since the winds dictate the direction and speed,” explains an experienced balloonist. And different levels of air currents can alter the speed and direction. It is not uncommon for wind to be moving in one direction at 300 feet [100 m] above the earth’s surface and in the opposite direction at 600 feet [200 m].

Since the balloon travels at the speed of the wind, you feel as if you were suspended motionless with the earth turning beneath you. “Balloonists are so at one with the wind [that] once aloft they can spread out a map and it won’t blow away,” claims Smithsonian magazine.

Getting a Feel for Flying

The ideal time to make a flight is when air movement is at a minimum. This is usually shortly after sunrise or shortly before sunset. Mornings are preferred, since the atmosphere is normally cooler then and the balloon has more lift. Late afternoon flights carry the risk of running out of daylight.

Getting a feel for ballooning comes after much practice. The key is to find an air mass moving in a desired direction and stay within it. Experienced fliers master what is  called stair-stepping. They climb to a certain altitude and stabilize the craft. Then after a short burst of the burner, hot air ascends to the apex of the balloon and steps the silent craft higher.

Proper blasting rhythm and constant attention are essential so that the pilot does not lose control of the balloon. Even a brief lapse in concentration can cause an unexpected descent. An alert pilot remembers that the heat source is generally 50 to 60 feet [15 to 18 m] below the high point of the balloon, so it could take between 15 and 30 seconds before the craft responds to the heat from a blast of flame.

The landing can be exhilarating, especially if it is a high-wind landing and in a confined area! Under such circumstances, says one balloon expert, “it is better to have a rapid, bone-jarring landing on the correct spot than a soft landing in the lion cage at a zoo.” A slow descent, however, is most desirable when wind conditions are ideal.

Recreational hot-air ballooning will continue to blossom in all its radiant colors as many participate in races, rallies, and festivals and others fly simply for the sheer pleasure of the experience.

[Box/Pictures on page 14, 15]

THE EARLY HISTORY OF BALLOON FLIGHT

Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, sons of a wealthy paper manufacturer of Annonay, France, are honored in history for building and launching the first hot-air balloon. Their initial experiments during the early 1780’s involved paper balloons, which they believed were made to rise because of the smoke from burning straw and wool. Before long, they realized that it was the heated air that created the lift.

Later, as they began making cloth balloons, they observed that by launching progressively larger balloons, they were able to achieve higher altitudes and they could lift additional payload. In June 1783, from the public square in Annonay, they released the largest balloon they had built to date. It floated skyward for about ten minutes before descending to earth.

With that achievement, they concluded that it was time to launch a balloon that carried people. First, though, in September 1783, thousands of spectators gathered at Versailles to witness the release of a balloon with a rooster, a duck, and a sheep on board. All three survived the eight-minute flight with no ill effects. Shortly thereafter, on November 21, 1783, the first flight with humans on board was attempted. Louis XVI was persuaded to allow two noblemen to have the honor. They were launched from Château de la Muette and floated over Paris for about five miles [8 km]. After about 25 minutes, they made a forced landing when the balloon caught fire.

About this time, the Academy of Sciences in Paris showed interest in this invention. Professor Jacques Charles, one of the best-known physicists of the day, collaborated with two clever mechanics, Charles and M. N. Robert, and built the first hydrogen-filled balloon, testing it on August 27, 1783. It floated for 45 minutes, covering about 15 miles [24 km], and became known as a Charlière. This type of balloon remains in use to this day in almost its original form.

[Box on page 17]

HIGH-ALTITUDE FLIGHT

An Englishman named Henry Coxwell emerged as the foremost altitude pilot. In September 1862, he was commissioned by James Glaisher of the British Meteorological Society to take him aloft for high-altitude scientific observations. They ascended to an altitude of almost six miles [over 9 km], with no oxygen breathing-equipment!

After reaching an altitude above 26,000 feet [8,000 m] and breathing with difficulty in the cold, rarefied air, Coxwell made preparations to descend. However, because of the continuous rotation of the balloon, the deflation valve rope had become twisted and Coxwell had to climb into the rigging to free the tangled line. Glaisher was already unconscious, and Coxwell had to pull the cord with his teeth, since his hands were paralyzed from the cold. Finally, they began to descend.

Both men eventually recuperated enough to slow the balloon’s descent. They had reached an altitude in the region of 30,000 feet [of almost 10,000 m], a record that stood for more than a century. Their flight in an open-basket balloon ranks among the greatest of aeronautical feats, since they did it without an oxygen supply, with a minimum of protective clothing, and with virtually no knowledge of the upper atmosphere.

[Picture on page 15]

Interior of a balloon during inflation

[Picture on page 15]

Heated air is directed into the balloon for liftoff and flight

[Picture on page 16]

Unusual balloon shapes