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Hot air balloons are often described as being the preserve of
rich individuals or companies with more money than sense. In
reality, neither is true - ballooning can be both great fun and
relatively inexpensive if undertaken in the right way.
The information below describes some of the key areas surrounding
ballooning, from the balloons themselves to weather forecasting and
the retrieving of a balloon after landing.
Further information can be found on the BBAC website (see right) or
websites such as Hot Air Ballooning at: www.launch.net/basics.html
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Ever wondered how hot
air balloons fly? It really is pretty simple: Hot air rises
and cold air sinks. The hot air in a hot air balloon pushes
up, keeping the balloon floating. A hot air balloon has
three major components:
- Envelope
- the
fabric bag that holds the hot air
- Burner
-
produces the flame to heat the air inside the
envelope
- Basket
-
protect the occupants and are lightweight and
flexible
When the air inside
the envelope is heated, the balloon rises. To descend, the
pilot allows the air to cool and the balloon becomes heavier
than air. The pilot has complete control of the up-and-down
movements by controlling the heat in the envelope. Once airborne, balloons simply float with the wind.
Before
the balloon is launched, the pilot knows which way the wind is
blowing so he knows which way the balloon will go. The air is
in layers, and the different layers may be moving in different
directions. So even though the pilot can't steer the balloon,
he can move up and down to find a layer of air that will allow
the balloon to change direction.
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Except for the equipment used in ballooning, the weather is
perhaps the most important factor in any balloon flight.
Typically, a hot air balloon tends not to fly when:
-
It's
raining
-
It's
windy
-
It's
dark
Because the air needs, ideally, to be still,
ballooning is a dawn and dusk sport that takes place during
settled periods of weather such as when high pressure
dominates. A
balloon is most often seen at sunrise and in the late evening
as the sun is going down. The pilot will check the local
weather conditions prior to launch, and this can determine
where the balloon will launch from.
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One of the most important parts of any
balloon flight is retrieving the balloon when it lands. As the
balloon lands, the chase crew (who have been following the
balloon’s path in a vehicle), asks the landowner for
permission to retrieve the balloon. Once received, the crew can help the pilot and passengers pack
the balloon away, ready for the next flight.
Since the pilot only has limited ability to manoeuvre the
balloon during flight, relations with landowners are vital -
every landing is made on 'borrowed' land. The BBAC work
with organisations such as the NFU (National Farmers Union) to
ensure good relations continue.
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© Copyright 2008
www.westcountryballoons.com & Jigsaw Web Design
If you experience problems or have any
questions regarding this website contact:
webmaster@westcountryballoons.com
Disclaimer:
Westcountry Balloon Fiesta & Day at the Races reserve the right
to make changes to the event programme and make no assurances as to
the appearance of specific attractions. E & OE.
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2008 & 2009 EVENTS POSTPONED
The organisers of the Westcountry Balloon Fiesta regret to
announce that the 2008 & 2009 events have been postponed.
Visit the
Latest News page for the full press release.
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LATEST WEATHER
for Tavistock
from the
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(opens in a new
browser window)
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