I Fly Hot-Air Balloons

I Fly Hot-Air Balloons

Introduction Flying hot-air balloons is a fun and beautiful sport. Bright balloons fly slowly and silently through the air. Dan Saul has been flying hot-air balloons since 1979.

The Balloon Interviewer: How does a hot-air balloon fly? Dan: A balloon flies because it's full of hot air. Hot air rises when the air around it is cooler. The pilot blows up the balloon with a strong fan. Then a large burner heats the air inside the balloon.

Interviewer: What's the balloon made of? Dan: It's made of strong nylon that doesn't tear easily.

Interviewer: What do you carry in the basket? Dan: We carry fuel tanks, tools, and people. The tools tell us how high the balloon is and the temperature of the air. They also tell us where we are.

Flying Interviewer: How do you steer? Dan: The wind goes in different directions at different heights. We go up and down to find wind that goes the way we want to go. We fly just after sunrise or before sunset. That's when the winds are best.