HOW MUCH AIR DOES A BALLOON HOLD? Some one-man balloons hold 30,000 cubic feet. The largest holds over 800,000 cubic feet. The most popular size holds about 77,000 cubic feet and is about 70 feet high.

WHAT IS THE ENVELOPE MADE OF? The envelope is made of rip-stop nylon or dacron, which are the most common fabrics used.

IS NYLON STRONG ENOUGH TO MAKE THE BALLOON SAFE? Nylon by itself would not be strong enough without the 'load tapes' which run horizontally or vertically or diagonally, which are made of the same material as seat belts.

WHAT IS THE BASKET MADE OF? The basket is made of woven rattan...with plywood floors. Some older balloons have 'gondolas' made of aluminum and fiberglass.

HOW DO YOU CARRY THE FUEL? The fuel is carried in stainless steel or aluminum tanks. They come in different sizes, most hold 10 to 15 gallons.

WHAT INSTRUMENTS DO BALLOONS USE? The instruments used include an altimeter to indicate altitude, a variometer to show weather it is going up or down, a compass to show direction, and a temperature gauge to tell how hot the air is at the top of the balloon. Each propane tank also has a fuel gauge.

DO YOU NEED A RADIO IN A BALLOON? Most balloonists carry a radio; some do not. A radio is required in certain flying areas.

DO BALLOONISTS CARRY PARACHUTES? Balloonists do not usually carry parachutes. If the burner goes out and for some reason cannot be reignited, the balloon acts as a parachute and descends at parachute speed (about 17 feet per second).

DO YOU CARRY OXYGEN WHEN FLYING? Balloonists do not usually carry oxygen since most flights take place at low altitudes. However, if a flight about 10,000 feet is planned oxygen is taken along.

DO YOU NEED A LICENSE TO FLY A BALLOON? Yes, to fly a balloon a Balloon Pilot Certificate is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. You must pass an FAA written exam, obtain a prescribed number of hours of instructions, make a solo flight and a flight to altitude, and pass a flight test.

DO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FLY AN AIRPLANE TO FLY A BALLOON? No, you do not have to be able to fly an airplane to fly a balloon. A completely different type of pilot certificate is required for a balloon.

HOW OLD DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO FLY A BALLOON? To obtain a Private Pilot Certificate you must be 16 years old. And would you believe that there are balloonists flying in their eighties!

HOW DO YOU INFLATE A BALLOON? The balloon is usually inflated by using a fan to blow cold air into the balloon. When about two-thirds full, the burner is used to heat the air. In the absence of a fan, cold air can be manually 'flapped' into the envelope, but this is a difficult task.

HOW DO YOU LIGHT THE BURNERS? The burners are lit with a striker similar to that used by welders to light their welding torches, or with an igniter.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE NEEDED TO INFLATE A BALLOON? A minimum of three people are needed to inflate a balloon, but preferably five or six, particularly if the wind is over 6 knots.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO INFLATE AND DEFLATE AND PACK THE BALLOON? A good crew can inflate in about 15 minutes and deflate, stow and be on its way in half an hour or less.

HOW MUCH A BALLOON LIFT? The amount a balloon can lift depends on how cold the air is and the size of the balloon. Balloons can lift better in cold air than warm air. The larger the air volume of the balloon, the more it can lift.

WHEN DO YOU FLY? Balloons usually fly soon after sunrise or just before dusk. At these times the air is usually most stable and there is less wind and thermals to contend with. With stable air and sky conditions, you can fly any time during the day, but this is very unlikely.

HOW FAST CAN YOU FLY? A balloon can fly as fast as the wind is blowing.

WHERE DO YOU FLY? You can fly anywhere from where a balloon can be launched and where there are occasional open spaces to land. There are restrictions about flying over populated areas and airports. Power lines are not ideal places to fly near.

CAN YOU LAND IN WATER? Yes, a balloon can land in water. The fuel tanks are buoyant and will keep the basket afloat, and as long as the balloon is kept inflated you can also take off again. This is called splash and dash.

CAN A BALLOON FLY IN RAIN OR SNOW? Yes, a balloon can fly in rain or snow as long as the visibility is good, but this is not desirable. Rain or melted snow will run down into the basket from the envelope.

CAN YOU FLY AT NIGHT? Yes, a balloon can fly at night, although balloonists seldom do because of decreased visibility and the requirements for instruments and lights and other necessary support systems.

HOW DO YOU KEEP FROM GOING WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO? If a pilot sees he/she is going in a direction he/she does not want to go, he/she can either ascend or descend to where the air movement is in another direction. But these directions usually do not change much at different altitudes, so the best decision is to land where you can.

IS IT QUIET IN A BALLOON? When the burner is turned on it is quite noisy. When the burner is turned off it is very quiet. When afloat there is not any wind noise since you are moving with the wind.

HOW HIGH DO YOU FLY? 62,000 feet is the record high. This was done with special pressurization and other special equipment. A typical flight would be just above tree-top level in the country and over 2,000 feet in populated areas. With good visibility conditions a pilot may decide to get a good view and ascend to no more than 12,500 feet without oxygen support (FAA regulations).

IS IT COLD THE HIGHER YOU FLY? Temperature decreases for every 1,000 feet of altitude. The heat is given off by the burners and continually radiates out. Since you move with the wind you do not feel the wind chill.

DOES THE BASKET SWAY WHEN YOU'RE FLYING? No, the basket is quite stable and makes and ideal platform for taking pictures and sightseeing.

CAN YOU SMOKE IN A HOT AIR BALLOON? Pilots do not permit smoking in their balloons because of the possibility of a propane leak. Smoking in hydrogen (gas) balloons is never done because of the danger of explosion.

WHAT HAPPENS IF TWO BALLOONS BUMP IN THE AIR? If two balloons bump in the air, as long as only the envelopes touch, no damage is done. This is not considered dangerous. It is called kissing.

WHAT IF A BIRD FLIES INTO A BALLOON? If a bird flies into a balloon, it would likely bounce off! The envelope material is much tougher than it might appear. It is possible to fly a balloon with a hole large enough for a man to go through as long as the hole is not at the top of the envelope.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU AND AN AIRPLANE ARE CONVERGING? Because balloons have so little control over their directions, they have the right of way over all other types of aircraft.

WHEN YOU BURN OUT OR TEAR THE BALLOON CAN YOU FIX IT? Minor burns or tears can be repaired with patches and sewing machine. Major repairs must be done by a licensed FAA mechanic with special equipment..

DO BAllOONS WEAR OUT? If a balloon envelope is well taken care of, it should last 400 or more flying hours.

HOW DO YOU GET BACK TO YOUR STARTING POINT? Since balloons can't be steered, it is seldom possible to fly back, so a chase crew follows along with a trailer or pick up truck.

HOW DOES A HOT AIR BALLOON DIFFER FROM A GAS BALLOON? A hot air balloon gets its lift from heating the air with propane fuel. A gas balloon gets its lift from lighter than air gases, usually helium or hydrogen.

WERE BALLOONS REALLY USED DURING THE CIVIL WAR? Yes, during the civil war, balloons filled with hydrogen were used by both the Confederate and Union armies for making observations.

WERE BALLOONS POPULAR IN THE EARLY DAYS? Yes, balloons were very popular in the early days. Ballooning so captured the imagination of the people of Europe in the 1800's that it was reflected in the style of women's dress. This is how the balloon sleeve and the hoop skirt originated.

WHY DO BALLOONISTS CARRY CHAMPAGNE WITH THEM? When ballooning began to become popular in France in the late 1700's balloons often landed on farms. The farmers had never seen a balloon and often attacked them with pitchforks. To show they meant no harm, balloonists would share a bottle of champagne with the landowner. This became a social issue in those times. Most balloonists still follow this custom.

HOW DO I GET INTO BALLOONING? There are many approaches to getting into ballooning which are decided by the interested persons financial, logistical, and other circumstances. This should be discussed with an experienced professional dealer/commercial balloonist.

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