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1. Why
do flights take place so early in the morning?
2. What
kind of cloth is the balloon made of?
3. Why
is the basket made of wicker?
4. How
is the balloon inflated?
5. What
kind of fuel is used for the burners?
6. How
tall are balloons?
7. What
should I wear?
8. Can
I take a camera?
9. How
long does it all take?
10. Where
will we land?
11. How
far will we fly?
12. How
does the chase crew know where we are?
13. How
high do balloons fly?
14. What
if I'm afraid of heights?
15. I
sometimes get airsick in airplanes. Is a balloon the same?
16. How
do we get back to the launch field or the hotel?
17. How
are balloon pilots licensed?
18. Who
controls ballooning and ensures safety standards?
1. Why do flights take
place so early in the morning?
Balloons need stable winds
to operate effectively and the hours just following sunrise are
the best for finding these winds. Since balloons move with the air,
the weather is very important in deciding to whether or not to fly.
The pilot chooses a launch site to use the wind currents to fly
towards a suitable landing site.
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2. What kind of cloth
is the balloon made of?
The colorful envelope is usually made of
nylon or polyester, the same type of cloth that parachutes are made
of. It is very tightly woven and is coated with a material that
makes it very air tight. The nylon is only used to keep the hot
air in the balloon. The basket load is transferred by steel or Kevlar
cables to a series of vertical load tapes which carry the load.
Balloons range in size from about 54,000 cubic feet for a one- or
two-person balloon to over 250,000 cubic feet for a balloon capable
of carrying a pilot plus eight or ten passengers.
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3. Why is the basket
made of wicker?
The wicker basket has proven to be very strong
for its weight and is flexible. The wicker is sometimes woven around
a steel or aluminum frame, which helps to support the upright posts
upon which the burner is mounted. The top rim of the basket and
the uprights are usually padded and covered in suede or leather.
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4. How is the balloon
inflated?
When the time comes to put the balloon up,
the envelope is removed from the bag and laid out in a long line.
The burners are attached to the uprights, and the basket is attached
to the cables on the bottom of the envelope. An engine driven fan
is used to inflate the envelope with cold air. When partially inflated,
the air is heated by a burner and the envelope rises above the basket.
With further heating, there is sufficient 'lift' for the balloon
to fly.
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5. What kind of fuel
is used for the burners?
To heat the air, the burners are fueled by
propane gas, much the same as you probably use in your backyard
barbecue grill. The burners do not run continuously; they are only
used intermittently to heat the air to maintain the required lift.
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6. How tall are balloons?
Depending on the weight capacity, balloons
may be as tall as 100 feet.
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7. What should I wear?
You should wear whatever you feel comfortable
in. There is really no need to dress up. You should wear the type
of clothing that you would expect to wear if you be going for a
walk the day of the flight. A light jacket is sometimes comfortable
in the fall or early spring. Women should wear pants or shorts,
and layered clothing is much better than a heavy coat. Shoes should
have flat soles, and the majority of top clothing should be made
of cotton rather than man-made fibers. Tall passengers may find
a hat useful because of the radiant heat from the burners.
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8. Can I take a camera?
Yes, there is no problem in taking either
a still or video camera with you during the flight. A hot air balloon
makes a perfect camera platform and there is always plenty to photograph
prior to, during and after to the flight. We do recommend, however,
that you have a suitable soft case with you in which to stow the
camera during the landing phase of the flight.
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9. How long does it
all take?
From start to finish, your adventure will
last about 3 hours. The inflation and preparation of the balloon
normally takes about 30 minutes. The flight itself normally takes
around one hour. After the flight, the ceremonies take about 30
minutes and travel to and from the hotel will take about another
30 minutes or so each way. The balloons always carry sufficient
fuel for at least 2 hours flight time plus a 30 minute reserve capacity.
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10. Where will we
land?
Good question! The simple answer is that
nobody knows, exactly! The pilot will have done flight planning
before the launch to ensure that the forecast wind direction does
not take the balloon towards an unsuitable area. S/he will use the
different air currents at different altitudes to steer the balloon
toward a good landing place. The pilot also closely follows agreements
with local landowners. This means that the balloon won't fly too
close to livestock or land in areas planted with valuable crops.
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11. How far will we
fly
Again...it depends on the wind speed. Hot
Air Balloons travel with the wind and an hour flight can carry it
up to 15 miles, sometimes more, sometimes less. The balloon also
flies at different altitudes. Although the balloon is at the mercy
of the wind when it comes to direction, the vertical control of
a balloon can be very precise. It is not unusual for our pilots
to be able to brush the bottom of the basket across the tops of
brush, or inches from the ground a leaf picked from a treetop is
a very worthwhile souvenir of the flight!
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12. How does the chase
crew know where we are?
Radios are used to stay in contact with the
chase crew as well as with Air Traffic Control and other aircraft
flying in the vicinity.
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13. How high do balloons
fly?
Most balloonists enjoy low level flight.
The typical balloon flight would be anywhere from tree level to
about 3,000 feet above the ground.
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14. What if I'm afraid
of heights?
Flying in a high sided balloon basket is
not like standing in a roof or a high ladder. You don't get that
vertigo feeling. It is more like the ground is unfolding beneath
you, and, because you are moving with the wind, there is no wind
blowing. The basket does not rock or sway so you can't possibly
fall out.
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15. I sometimes get
airsick in airplanes. Is a balloon the same?
No. The turbulence which usually causes motion
sickness is completely absent in a balloon ride. The flight of a
balloon is almost too smooth to describe.
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16. How do we get
back to the launch field or the hotel?
The balloon is followed by a chase vehicle
and the crew. They are in constant contact with the balloon pilot
by radio and should be at the landing site at the same time as the
balloon. Once the balloon is packed away (and the ceremonies are
complete) the chase vehicle will take you back.
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17. How are balloon
pilots licensed?
Balloons are registered like any other aircraft
and are subject to regular airworthiness checks. The FAA will not
allow a balloon to be certified as airworthy unless these inspections
and checks are done by authorized maintenance personnel and certified
by them. All pilots are licensed by the FAA and have to pass regular
flight checks.
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18. Who controls ballooning
and ensures safety standards?
The Federal Aviation Administration controls
ballooning with the same strict regulations that apply to airplanes.
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