The sport of ballooning is rich in history and tradition. It stirs the imagination and desires of both young and old. People have become involved in the sport for a variety of reasons. Some do it for relaxation - some for competition. Many enjoy ballooning to be part of a unique sport most people only dream about.

The Montgolfiers were a big family, to say the least - but two of their sixteen children really stood out: Joseph, born in August 1740 and Etienne, five years his junior. Neither showed any great enthusiasm for the family paper- manufacturing trade, with their father, Pierre, still firmly holding the reins of the factory at Viladon-les-Annonay, south of Lyon. The aging paterfamilias was probably wondering if his two boys had their heads in the clouds...

Joseph certainly didn't lack imagination. Observing the sky, he concluded that after all he could very easily make a cloud himself: so he got some paper from the factory, made an envelope, filled it with steam - and saw his idea collapse in a mass of sodden paper. Etienne wasn't about to be left out: it was probably his scientific reading that gave him the idea of making a bag float in the air with gas obtained from sulfuric acid and iron filings. Another failure. But then in November 1782, working indoors, Joseph managed to get a taffeta envelope filled with hot air to rise to the ceiling. He summoned his brother: "Get in a stock of taffeta and rope and you'll see one of the most astonishing sights in the whole world!" It was time for serious scientific experiments to begin.

To the amazement of a group of spectators, the Montgolfier brothers soon managed to send a sort of giant paper bag some thirty meters (100 ft) up in the air, using gas obtained by burning a mixture of wet straw and chopped wool. Joseph and Etienne decided to push things further, via a "machine" for taking people into the air - an "aerostat" they called it. "Seraphina", to use their private name for this strange contrivance, was to be a 12-meter (40 ft) envelope made of wrapping fabric lined with paper, with its multiple sections held together by some 2000 buttons. A totally hare-brained idea, according to their critics. After the preliminary tryouts, the first public experiment was scheduled for Annonay on 4 June 1783, just happening to coincide with a meeting of the area's most influential people.

The town square in Annonay was packed, with people struggling to get a look at the balloon spread out on the ground and tied to wooden posts. The fire was lit and the envelope began to fill; some of the spectators became uneasy, not least because of the horrible smell given off by the burning mixture of straw and wool. Under a menacing sky and with the wind beginning to rise, it took several men to hold the enormous balloon down until the order was given to let go. Seraphina took off and a few minutes later was no more than a dot in the sky, some 2000 meters (6500 ft) up. The "aerostat" began to drift and gradually descend, since the hot air was escaping little by little. Rushing after it the local people found it in the middle of a vineyard two kilometers (a mile and a quarter) from where it had taken off.

News of the experiment traveled fast. Soon all Paris was talking balloons and the Montgolfiers even had a competitor in the capital. On August 26 the physicist Jacques Charles sent up a hydrogen balloon from the Champ de Mars: it came to earth in a village 16 kilometers (10 miles) away, where terrified locals attacked this monster from the skies. However the first "accompanied" flight - with a sheep, a rooster and a duck on board - was organized by the Montgolfiers on September 19, from the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. And finally, on November 21, Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes climbed into a Montgolfier balloon for the first manned flight. Even Benjamin Franklin was lost for words. The hot-air balloon had been born and on January 19, 1784 the people of Lyon, France had their chance to admire the invention that began the conquest of space.

Charles' balloon was a much more practical device than the hot air balloon in the 18th century, and differed very little from the gas balloons flying today. For almost two centuries hot-air balloons were virtually ignored until the late 1950's when a balloon was built as part of a United States Government research program. This balloon was of man-made fibers and was filled with air heated by a propane flame. The modern hot-air balloon was born.

Frequent Questions

Q: HOW DO BALLOONS FLY?
A: Balloons operate through the basic principles of gravity and heat transfer. As air inside the balloon is heated, it rises. As the air inside the balloon cools or is vented, it descends.

Q: HOW ARE BALLOONS INFLATED?
A: After the "envelope" is laid out, a gas powered fan forces unheated air through the balloons "mouth" and into the envelope. This is called cold inflation. After it fills, the balloon is "stood up" by igniting the burners and heating up the air inside. That's called hot inflation.

Q: CAN YOU STEER A BALLOON?
A: Winds determine a balloon's direction. Balloonists can steer a balloon, to a limited extent, by adjusting the balloon's altitude to make use of different wind speeds and directions. You use the burners to heat the air and make the balloon rise. You may stop "burning" the fuel and stay level for awhile and then start descending. Venting air out the top makes you go down quicker. Winds at different heights blow different directions. Follow the wind patterns and adjust the altitude of your balloon to send you in the direction you would like to go.

Q: WHAT FUEL DO BALLOONS USE?
A: Sport hot air balloons carry 20 to 45 gallons of propane in stainless steel fuel tanks. Gas balloons use helium, hydrogen or recently, ammonia.

Q: HOW HIGH DO BALLOONS FLY?
A: Balloons can fly to 10,000 feet or higher. A typically pleasure flight would fly from treetop level to a few thousand feet, depending on what the pilot is trying to accomplish.

Q: HOW LONG IS AN AVERAGE BALLOON FLIGHT?
A: Usually a balloon flight lasts about an hour. At a wind speed of about 8 mph, a balloon will fly 8-16 miles. Ground crews follow the balloon, talking on the radio with the pilot. The balloon will land in an open area and the ground crew is there to help with the recovery and take everyone back to the launch site.

Q: WHY DO BALLOONS FLY IN EARLY MORNING AND LATE EVENING?
A: Winds are generally most favorable the first hours after sunrise and the last hours before sunset. The sun's uneven heating of the earth's surface causes strong, variable winds. In the morning, it takes a few hours to heat the earth's surface enough to generate the thermal activity that creates wind. In the evening, the sun's intensity has diminished enough to reduce winds to acceptable flight levels. Ideal winds are 3-6 mph.

Q: WHAT DO I WEAR?
A: We recommend comfortable clothing and sturdy walking shoes. Layers are a good idea as it is often cool before the sun comes up but warms up quickly once it has risen. Temperatures in the air are similar to those on the ground.

Q: HOW BIG IS A BALLOON?
A: The most popular size is about 55 feet wide and 7 stories tall, uses almost 1800 sq. yards of nylon fabric, 3 miles of thread, a 1/2 mile of reinforced nylon webbing (load tapes), and holds about 90,000 sq.ft. of heated air. Some "special shape" balloons and commercial passenger balloons are much, much bigger.

Q: HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU NEED TO FLY A BALLOON?
A: At least a crew of 3: 1 pilot and at 2 ground crew. Crews are very important to prepare for a launch, follow, and safely recover the balloon. Passengers often assist as crew. It is all part of the fun.

Q: HOW COULD I LEARN TO FLY A BALLOON?
A: Balloon pilots come from all walks of life. Anyone with the desire to learn to fly a balloon can become a pilot. By learning about balloons while working on a crew and/or taking lessons from a pilot instructor. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) will issue a balloon pilot's license after you have gained the required experience, passed a written test, and passed a flight test with a FAA examiner.

Q: WHAT EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED FOR BALLOONS?
A: Balloons include several parts: the envelope (the fabric portion of the balloon), the basket or gondola, burners and fuel systems. The basket is made of wicker, which is strong yet flexible, and is aesthetically pleasing. Burners can come in either single, double, or triple configurations, and each puts out the equivalent of over 5,000 horsepower. Required instruments include: Altimeter for displaying altitude, Variometer to show rate of climb or decent, and Pyrometer that shows the air temperature in the apex of the envelope. Fuel systems consist of stainless steel propane tank(s) and fuel hoses. Other necessary equipment includes an inflator fan, two-way radios and some means of transporting the balloon from location to location when it is not flying.

Q: HOW MUCH DOES A BALLOON WEIGH?
A: The average hot air balloon (with a deflated envelope, a gondola or basket, 30-40 gallons of fuel in 2 tanks) weighs about 800 pounds. Once inflated and in the air it will weigh about 2 1/2 tons! Some special shape balloons weigh thousands of pounds!

Q: HOW MUCH DOES A BALLOON COST?
A: Like cars and boats, new balloons vary in size and amenities. You can start with a smaller sport model for around $13,000. These balloons typically carry the pilot and one passenger. The larger balloons that carry two or four persons in addition to the pilot will range in price between $15,000 and $35,000 (for envelope, gondola, tanks, and instruments). Both new and used equipment are available

Q: HOW CAN I BECOME INVOLVED IN BALLOONING?
A: By getting involved with a local pilot and a local balloon club like the SCBA. Many enthusiasts get their start as a member of a chase crew. If you live in the Southern California area, e-mail us or give us a call and ask how you can become a member. You might earn free flight time and/or training as crew member or even advance to a Master Crew Chief, and lead an entire balloon ground crew.