What Is The Significance Of Hot Air Balloons?
Hot air balloons till this day since 1783 are one of the most important and valuable ways of flying out there, with their recreational rides growing in popularity every day.
Not only are hot air balloons important for an unforgettable experience of an area, but they have a huge role in history too, being used during the civil war for spying on confederate troops.
If you are curious to learn more about hot air balloons and why they are so important, we’ve composed a small guide below, taking you through the history, importance of physics, use during the war and why people enjoy riding on them.
What Is The History Behind Hot Air Balloons?
To understand why hot air balloons are as important as they are, we first need to know about their history and how they came about.
The first hot air balloon flew in 1783 and was invented by the Montgolfier brothers, a scientist called Pilatre De Rozier launched the balloon on September 19 with unusual passengers including a sheep, duck and rooster, flying for around fifteen minutes in total before coming back to the ground.
This hot air balloon was called the Aerostat Reveillon and was one of the oldest human-carrying flight technologies out there during that time. Throughout history, people flew hot air balloons over the English channel and during the war with a hydrogen gas burner, until modern propane gas burners came about.
What Do Hot Air Balloons Show About The Importance Of Physics?
Not only were and till now are hot air balloons important for carrying people, but they also showed what was possible with physics in science.
Hot air balloons have worked with a process called convection and buoyancy due to the hot air inside of the balloon’s envelope. This works due to the propane burner at the bottom of a hot air balloon which heats the hot air inside, since hot air is less dense than the cooler air outside of the balloon, it allows it to rise.
The balloon then can be lowered by turning off the burner on the ballon, allowing the air to cool inside, direction is typically determined by the wind where you are flying.
How Were Hot Air Balloons Used During The War?
One significant fact about hot air balloons is that they were used during the civil war.
Balloons were used for aerial reconnaissance and artillery spotting during the civil war, this helped people to spy on each other from a distance. Both sides of people during the civil war used hot air balloons with some hot air balloons even being constructed from tougher material for the military job.
No hot air balloons were shot down or used as weapons during the war, they slowly fizzled out with their usage towards the end of the war because they moved too slow of a speed.
Why Do People Find Hot Air Balloons Important?
Hot air balloons are most important due to their amazing flying abilities, allowing you to see the world from a unique top-view down, we’ve listed the most important reasons to fly in a hot air balloon down below.
- Safe and peaceful – Hot air balloons are one of the safest ways to travel in the air without any turbulence.
- Views are special – Being so high up in a hot air balloon gives you spectacular views from a distance, allowing you to spot structures and landscapes which you wouldn’t be able to see from ground level. Not to mention most of these experiences happen at sunrise.
- Can help with fear of heights – People who are scared of heights are often apprehensive about going on hot air balloons, they are however great for people with this fear since they are calm and slow without the vertigo effect.
- It’s unique – No hot air balloon is the same, the winds are different as well as take-off and landing spots, your experience will be unique to any others.
- A romantic opportunity – Proposals on hot air balloons are common thanks to the romantic experience a hot air balloon gives, creating a unique and memorable proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Importance Of Hot Air Balloons
How many hot air balloon trips happen each year?
There is no specific number to how many hot air balloon trips happen each year but they are becoming more and more popular in destinations such as Cappadocia and Napa valleys.
What are the top destinations to take a hot air balloon ride in?
The most popular holiday destinations to have a hot air balloon ride in are; Serengeti national park in Tanzania, Cappadocia, Napa, Myanmar, Yangshuo in China, Yarra valley in Australia and many other destinations.
How much does a hot air balloon ride cost?
This depends on whether you book a private or group balloon experience as well as the season you book in, on average you should budget about $250-$300 per person.
How were hot air balloons discovered?
The first hot air balloons were invented and discovered by the Montgolfier brothers who made hot air balloons out of paper and silk, the first one was flown in 1783.
Are hot air balloons safe?
Hot air balloons are very safe, most incidents are down to crashes with power lines or human error from the pilots, they are mostly safe due to their very slow speed and few moving parts to worry about. These balloons often have to have consistent checks to make sure they are safe to fly.
Last Words
Overall, hot air balloons are very important for recreational use, they provide an incredibly unique experience to different destinations from a top-down view. Hot air balloons are an important part of history from 1783 with use during the civil war as one of the first human flying aircraft.
These balloons also show physics and buoyancy in action to a huge degree making history, thanks to their slow speed, they are very safe too and excellent for people who are scared of heights.
I’m Annie, a twenty-something year old girl who loves hot air balloons. So much so, that I have a full time job as a Flight Instructor and it is all I love talking about. Something about being up there in the elevated altitudes helps all my stresses float away!
