Hot Air Balloons and Why They Float

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At the top of my “Bucket List,” that means “a list of things I want to do before I die,” is to go up in a hot air balloon. I have wanted to do that for a long, long time. I was just about to call a hot air balloon company in my area, a few years ago, and see what it would cost, when I heard on the news that a hot air balloon hit some electrical wires and caught on fire. Two or three people died, tragically. That sort of changed my mind for the moment. It’s still on my list, but I’ll have to sort it out in my mind now, as to whether it’s worth the risk. Hot air balloon accidents are fairly rare, but happen more than one might think. Most accidents are caused by either human error or are weather related. A few are due to equipment malfunction. I don’t want to go very far in a hot air balloon, I just want to go for a VERY short ride not too far off the ground. Maybe some day. Just for your information (FYI) the first large hot air balloons were made in France in the late 1700s. The first balloon tested had no cargo at all and the second carried a sheep, a duck and a chicken. They all survived, so for the third flight, there were some human volunteers. Keep in mind that four adults, weighing an average of 150 pounds each, plus the weight of the basket, ropes, propane cylinder and burner weighing 900 pounds, is about 1500 pounds. So, lifting that weight would take a spherical balloon nearly 65 feet in diameter and as high as a three-story building. The hot air inside would have to be about 212 degrees F and have the capacity of 124,000 cubic feet of hot air. Have you ever been up in a hot air balloon? Picture by Pixabay