Ballooning

Hot air rises. The envelope traps a large bubble of hot air. When the air in the envelope is heated by the burner, the balloon will rise. When the air in the envelope is allowed to cool or if the hot air is "vented" (allowed to escape) from the top of the envelope, the balloon will descend. An altimeter (to measure altitude), a rate-of-climb meter, and an envelope temperature gauge are the only instruments used in the balloon.

The hot air balloon was the first flying machine capable of carrying humans. Although balloons have existed for thousands of years in some form, the first untethered flight with humans took place in 1783. That first flight lasted 20 minutes. A hot air balloon is designed with a burner that creates heat, which travels up into the balloon (called an envelope), and causes the balloon to be buoyant.

Learn fun facts about hot air balloons in Napa Valley.

Hot air balloons use simple principles from physics to create the serene sense of natural flight. Learn about buoyancy and the control of hot air balloons.

Find information on how high they can fly, what kind of fuel they burn, where popular balloon festivals are held and much more. Read on for a wide range of fun trivia and information related to hot air balloons.

The Montgolfier brothers launched the first flight of a hot-air balloon in 1783, paving the way for further human exploration of the sky and space.

Wikipedia's information abut the history of ballooning.

On November 21, 1783 the first free flight carrying a human occurred in Paris, France. It was in a hot air balloon made of paper and silk made by the Montgolfier brothers. The balloon carried two men, Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent, Marquis of d' Arlanders.

The history of ballooning, both with hot air and gas, spans many centuries. It includes many firsts, including the first human flight, first flight across the English Channel, first flight in North America, and first aircraft related disaster.

In aeronautics, a balloon is an unpowered aerostat, which remains aloft or floats due to its buoyancy. A balloon may be free, moving with the wind, or tethered to a fixed point. It is distinct from an airship, which is a powered aerostat that can propel itself through the air in a controlled manner.