balloon trivia..

..found in a printed handout when volunteering at the fest at Callaway.

Weather is everything. The best times for ballooning are early and late: an hour after sunrise and two hours before sunset. Winds pick up as the sun heats up the earth and atmosphere, making it not so safe for floating. You can't really steer, though it's pretty easy to go up and down, depending on how often you heat the air inside the envleope with the butane burner. But the average size basket will hold four propane tanks, with about forty gallons. Which means the average flight will be about four hours, then you really need to be looking for a safe place to land: no trees, buildings, power lines,or traffic  An open grassy area like a pasture or field is best, where you chase vehicle with trailer in tow can come and get your equipment.

Average cost of a balloon is between $15,000 and $100,000. The guys I was with on Friday night on teh beach did not say what that one cost, but I heard someone say $30,000. Pretty sure that does not include the trailer to haul it all, and certainly not the truck to use for pulling.

It takes about twenty to thirty minutes to fully inflate, have it ready to travel. First thing you do, before you even turn on your turbo-charged fan is be sure your balloon is tied to a truck.He said he usually travels with sandbags in his trailer, that provide ballast to keep it on the ground. But can you imagine: a horrible You-tube, cartoon gone wrong, when your balloon floats away with you looking up with your mouth agape. Stunned to see it leaving you on the ground...

You open the canopy up: spread the balloon fabric out flat, then have some one hold the bottom opening wide, like going to the dentist. The heavy duty powerful fan is started, filling the envelope with air. Once it is nearly inflated, held down by the weight of the basket, the pilot will start adding heat, turning propane burner off and on, careful to not set his expensive balloon on fire.

Balloons typically fly/float five to seven miles from liftoff to landing. You don't land in a place that as a 'large white sheet painted with a red X, indicating the landowner does not want his property to be trespassed. Or in a pasture with a large angry bull.