Has A Plane Ever Hit A Hot Air Balloon?

In the early part of the 20th century, hot air balloons were mainly used for scientific or commercial purposes.

But by the late 1930s, the number of hot air balloons had increased dramatically and was being used for research, movie aerial photography, and even to advertise products such as cigarettes and candy. However, the most famous use of hot air balloons was in World War II where they were used to carry weapons.

It’s that time of year again – the end of the summer and the start of the fall season. That means it’s time for the annual balloon festival in the French town of Gonesse.

Where a group of lucky balloonists get to ride in hot air balloons with no pilot. However, a few years ago, a hot air balloon crashed into a group of hot air balloons during a balloon festival, and we’re wondering if an airplane has ever hit a hot air balloon.

The story of the first person killed in a hot air balloon accident has made international headlines due to the bizarre circumstances of the case.

On the evening of June 28, a hot air balloon carrying 16 people from Paris to the French Riviera crashed into the grounds of a prison in the town of Felletin.

The 16 passengers and the pilot were able to be extracted from the wreckage, although the pilot and three passengers were killed in the crash, as an investigation into the incident is currently underway.

Now a days, It is very uncommon for an airplane to hit an air balloon. Because airplanes has advance technology to provide them proper navigation and flight path. And since air balloons do only navigate at lower altitude while airplanes such as commercial aircrafts go higher altitude.

Hot air balloon altitude limitations

The altitude limits of hot air balloons has been a common question on the Internet. Typically, the balloons have a limit of 1.000 meters (3280 feet) of altitude, and the maximum altitude that they can carry passengers is the limit of 1.200 meters (4200 feet).

There is a common misconception that hot air balloons are not capable of flying any higher than 10,000 feet. That’s not true.

In fact, there is no law that prohibits any hot air balloon from flying much, much higher, although you’ll need to develop a strategy for navigating the stratosphere.

It is true that hot air balloons are limited to an altitude of about 10,000 feet, and some hot air balloon pilots will not fly well below that. While this is true, there are a few exceptions to the rule.

Since the hot air balloon was invented, its convenience and beauty have earned it a special place in our hearts. However, despite its ease of use, the balloon can be a dangerous object when flown without proper knowledge and training.

Commercial airplanes altitude requirements 

There are four things that every pilot should know about general aviation:

1. The weather is always changing.

2. The airplane must be in control of the pilot at all times.

3. If there is no pilot, the airplane must be in control of the autopilot.

4. We should not allow the airplane to be below its emergency altitude.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that each airplane be certified to fly up to a certain altitude. After that, the plane must be certified to fly up to another certain altitude.

For managing flight time, commercial aircraft pilots are measured against a series of international standards, all of which specify limitations on how high and how far they can fly.

The primary altitude chart (ICAO Document 8117) begins at 1,500 m (4,921 feet) and extends up to 13,500 m (43,212 feet), and includes the usual range of altitudes and flight paths.

A new chart, ICAO Document 8291, also requires the use of approved altimeters, which measure altitude in increments of 100 meters (328 feet).

1931 – First gas balloon flight to the stratosphere

This month marks the 78th anniversary of an event that was unprecedented in its time. On October 8th, 1931, the Goodyear Blimp “Chief Pontiac” became the first balloon to reach 30,000 feet, or about 13 miles above the Earth’s surface.

That is nearly 14 times further than the average altitude of the hot air balloons that were used for observation during the first half of the 20th century.

Mounted on a single, enormous, helium-filled balloon, the Goodyear Blimp “Chief Pontiac” made its first air-borne voyage on the morning of October 8, 1931.

The historic flight marked the first flight of a giant helium-filled blimp. The blimp’s first passenger was pioneer aviator, Glenn Curtiss.

This tour was one of its first ever and Chief Pontiac was running around the skies of California and Arizona. We have to remember that this was still a time when commercial blimps were a new and novel technology.