Hot Air Ballooning
was the first aviation. On Sept. 19, 1783, a sheep, a duck
and a chicken were the first balloon passengers in a demonstration
flight for King Louis XVI. They all survived the trip, giving
the king some assurance that human beings could breathe the
at a higher elevation.
- Balloons were used for reconnaissance during the French Revolution
and the American Civil War.
- Modern hot air balloons heat the air by burning propane, the same
substance commonly used in outdoor cooking grills.
- Balloons are aircraft regulated under the same Federal Aviation
Administration regulations as other aircraft categories. A Balloon
Pilot Certificate is issued by the FAA after a written exam, a
prescribed number of hours of instruction, a solo flight, a flight
to a specific altitude and a flight test.
- The cost of a hot
air balloon and gear is about the same as a car — $15,000-$20,000
- Passengers riding in commercial hot air balloons pay approximately
$200 per person for an hour of flight.
- Pilots fly balloons
early in the morning, right after sunrise, and late in the day,
right before sunset — two of the most
beautiful times of day. This is when the wind is calmest since
the sun is low in the sky.
- Optimal wind speed for balloons is three to five miles per hour,
with a maximum safe wind speed of 10 miles per hour.
prefer to say balloons inflate, not blow up; balloons are on approach,
not coming down; and balloons kiss, not bang heads.
- At balloon festivals, children collect balloon trading cards as
passionately as they collect baseball cards. During competitive
flying events, spectators cheer and clap for pilots just like they
would for their favorite batter.
- Another major attraction at balloon festivals is the balloon glow
at sunset. Pilots fire the burners of their tethered balloons to
illuminate them. The balloons glow like stained-glass light bulbs.
- To commemorate the
20th anniversary of the Plano Balloon Festival — the
largest balloon festival in the state — the Legislature officially
designated Plano the Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas in 1999.