How to make a balloon. What is the name of a balloon with a basket
What are the stages of preparation for a hot air balloon flight?
Pre-flight preparation
For a safe flight in a hot air balloon, you must check the weather conditions and choose a suitable starting point for takeoff. The current and forecast weather must provide the pilot with the necessary visibility to be able to see and avoid obstacles (fog or low clouds), the wind must be light enough to allow take-off and landing (less than 8-16 km/h depending on skill) and experience of the pilot, passengers, crew and ground handlers).
The starting point (take-off area) must be large enough to allow the balloon shell to be deployed and inflated without obstructions in the direction of the wind such as power lines, trees and buildings. And finally a starting point should be located in such a way that the forecast wind flow is directed balloon to a suitable landing site. There must be no water bodies, large urban areas or forests in the landing zone of the balloon; without sufficient fuel, it is not safe to fly over obstacles.
Before you run, in the blow up hot air using propane burners.
To do this, the shell of the balloon is laid out on the ground and attached to the basket and burner. Fan, often with gasoline engine, used to pump cold outdoor air into the shell. Cold air partially inflates the balloon until it reaches its basic shape, allowing it to start the burner to heat the air. Once the balloon is upright, the pilot and passengers climb into the basket. When the pilot is ready to launch, he applies more heat through the balloon burner and the balloon lifts off...
The ground crew stows the equipment and follows the direction of the balloon's flight to the landing site.
Flight in a hot air balloon.
Requires certain skills of the pilot to control the balloon - to rise or descend in the air currents. Thus, it is important for the pilot to determine at altitudes, in addition to the height of the balloon, which direction the wind is blowing. To control this, the pilot uses various methods. This includes the use of visual cues such as flags on flagpoles, smoke from chimneys, etc. To determine the direction of the wind over the balloon, the pilot uses pre-flight weather forecast data, which includes a forecast of air flow in upper layers. Data is also obtained experimentally by launching helium balloons, known as weather balloon, before launch, to get information about where the wind is actually blowing. Another way to determine the actual direction of the wind is the movement of other balloons, the size in diameter of which is larger than the size meteosphere.
Balloon flight control
The direction of the flight of the balloon depends on the wind, but the height of the flight of the balloon can be controlled by changing the temperature of the air inside the shell. The pilot can actuate one or more burner valves to raise the temperature inside the balloon's shell, thereby controlling lift to allow the balloon to rise or fall or even stop. The pilot can also open ventilation valves ball if the shell is equipped with one, thereby lowering the temperature inside the shell to descend or slow down or even stop the ascent. If the pilot does not intervene, the air inside the envelope will slowly cool.
slow response
One of the tricks involved is learning to deal with latency. To slow down or stop the descent is required experimental experience burner valve opening. The action of the burner lightens the overall weight of the ball system and increases its buoyancy, but not immediately. It may take 30 seconds or more from the time that the burner has been running to slow down or stop, depending on the rate at which the balloon descends, how cool the air in the balloon is, or how hard the burner was fired. This delay requires great knowledge on the part of the pilot.
Third class
The ability to change the direction of flight at altitude is called the third class. In the northern hemisphere, air currents at height move in a spiral, when viewed from above, from levels high pressure and counterclockwise to the level low pressure. But when flying close to the ground, the balloon will tend to move in a more direct direction. Thus, the pilot must find a turn to the left during the descent to the landing. In the southern hemisphere, the direction of the spiral is exactly the opposite. In fact, interaction with uneven terrain may be reduced or absent entirely.
Level flight
The burner is designed to create enough heated air to quickly lift the ball. It is only more effective when it is wide open.
But when the balloon is not actively heated, it is cooling. This means that it is in perfect balance only for a moment. The rest of the time it is either heated or the air in it is cooled.
These two facts enable the pilot to use the burner at intervals of a few seconds to keep the balloon slowly drifting up and down at the desired altitude.
An exception is made when flying at low altitudes, as well as when landing. The burner can be used in very short bursts at a significant high frequency, thus sacrificing efficiency and accuracy.
Transport
A typical technique is jeeps with an equipment trailer.
While it is certainly possible to enjoy the sport without car chases, walking or cycling to the landing site, many aeronauts prefer to follow the car chase. The transport crew during landing can help: with disembarkation, catch ropes when landing a balloon in cramped circumstances; help with packing equipment.
Communication between the ball and the vehicle is carried out using two-way radio communication, mobile phones, or even scream when he is close enough.
Landing
Most pilots try to make as soft landings as possible. This becomes a difficult task if the wind speed at ground level is more than 8 km/h or so. If the ball is moving at this speed or more when it contacts the ground, the basket (which usually does not have wheels or any other kind of bottom) may drag on the ground or even tip over. Even the crew present on the ground cannot provide sufficient assistance. Total weight(for an average passenger balloon system) can easily exceed the weight of the car (better not to stand on the landing side of the balloon to avoid being between a rock and a hard place). Pilots can improve their landings by landing in places sheltered from the wind, such as behind a tree line or in a small valley.
Civil aviation once began with balloons: before airplanes and helicopters, it was like walking to the moon, and people began to fly on balloons back in the 18th century. Today we will tell you how it happens on the 21st: I went to Cappadocia - a region in central Turkey - where mass flights are carried out almost every day; balloons in the air - several dozen at the same time, and passengers, respectively, several hundred.
A little physics. How a hot air balloon flies
A modern passenger balloon is correctly called a hot air balloon, or a hot air balloon - by the name of the Montgolfier brothers, who in 1783 made the first flight on an aircraft of this type. As part of import substitution, the story has become popular that in fact the first hot air balloon was built half a century before by the Russian inventor Kryakutnoy, but this is just a hoax created after the French flight and promoted in Soviet times.
The principle of flight of a hot air balloon is very simple: inside its shell there is air whose temperature is higher than the temperature of the surrounding air. Since the density warm air lower, according to the law of Archimedes, it tends upward under the action of a buoyant force. At the same time, the shell itself and the payload are attracted to the Earth (the shell is approximately 25x15 m in size with a basket and all equipment weighs 400-500 kg, plus passengers: there were twenty people in our basket). The equality of these forces allows the balloon to "hover" in the air at a certain height.
How a balloon is flown
The main control of a hot air balloon is gas-burner located under the shell and directed upwards. It burns a mixture of propane and butane, which is taken on board in cylinders similar to those that many summer residents have in the kitchen. With the help of fire, the air in the shell is heated; the temperature rises, the ball rises. Depending on the volume of the shell (2-5 thousand cubic meters of air), payload and ambient temperature, the temperature inside is 50-130 degrees Celsius. The air in the shell is constantly cooling down and the ball begins to decline, so you need to periodically “turn on the heat” to maintain a constant height. In general, everything is simple: more fire - we rise, less fire - we maintain altitude, little-little-little-little-little fire - we descend.
However, in order to descend, you can not wait until the air cools down: in the upper part of the shell there is a valve that can be opened and closed with ropes. If you open it, some of the warm air will come out and the ball will fly down.
They take at least two gas cylinders with them (one main, the other spare) - this is enough for about one hour of flight, a variometer for measuring vertical speed and a walkie-talkie for communicating with pilots of other balls and escort vehicles (more on them below). And, most importantly, there are no sandbags. They are used as ballast on gas balloons (with helium and other similar gases inside), and a hot air balloon is not needed.
The top valve is open, the balloon is deflating. Pay attention to the number. In Turkey, balloons are registered as TC-Bxx, for example, TC-BUM. In Russia, they are registered in the General Aviation Register and have numbers RA-xxxxG. Each balloon has a certificate of airworthiness, everything is as it should be.
Where is the balloon going?
We can only control the vertical speed of the balloon. It flies horizontally wherever the wind takes it. That is why the balloon is unsuitable as a full-fledged vehicle: it is still a pleasure aircraft. Despite this, flights on balloons are regulated by the aviation authorities no less than on airplanes. Each balloon has a registration in the aircraft register and a corresponding number on board, and pilots (there are two of them) - a license. Flights are carried out according to the rules of visual flights, that is, with good visibility, the absence of strong wind is also a prerequisite. The problem is that you can only fly early in the morning at dawn or, conversely, at sunset: during the day, ascending air currents from the earth’s surface heated by the sun make flights unsafe (and there are up and down flows in the morning, just not so strong). So you can easily run into a situation where you arrived, but did not fly anywhere - plan just in case for several days at once!
Each balloon has its own escort vehicle: a jeep with a flatbed trailer the size of a basket. Jeep - because the ball will land, most likely not on the road. Aerobatics is landing directly on the platform; much cooler than putting a fighter on an aircraft carrier.
If the balls collide with each other in the air, then ... nothing happens, they just repel each other and fly further. In general, it is quite difficult for the balls to collide: after all, the wind carries them in the same direction.
How is a hot air balloon flight
First, you are brought to your hot air balloon. At this moment, he is still lying on the ground, the basket on his side, and with the help of powerful fan the shell is filled with air, while heating it with a burner. At some point, the limp ball becomes elastic and soars up. The basket is turned over, passengers sit in it, climbing over the side. Inside there are two-point harnesses, which, however, few people use, as well as ropes that you will need to hold on to when landing. The pre-flight briefing, in fact, lies in the fact that when landing, you must definitely sit down and hold on to the ropes, since there is a high probability of the basket tipping over: this will avoid injury.
Flight preparation
The pilot gives more fire, and ... the ball soars smoothly up and to the side. It feels like riding a Ferris wheel, only much higher. And at the same time, there is no noise or vibration, so even seasoned aerophobes are not afraid. And even those who are afraid of heights (and the balloon rises to 1500 m with an average flight altitude of about 500) are not afraid: because of the high (about 1.5 meters) side of the basket, it is impossible to fall out of it, and standing posture provokes to look not down, but to the sides. Indescribable beauty! The real Tatooine! Turkish pilots try to fly in such a way as to get closer to the rocks, "chimneys" and give them the opportunity to see them, descend almost to the roofs of the houses of ancient villages - of course, everything can be photographed and filmed, the main thing is not to drop the camera.
Flight altitude reaches 1500 m
By the way, there is no wind at a height - or rather, it is not felt, because you are flying along with this very wind!
How to fly in a hot air balloon
Cappadocia, as you already understood, is a place where balloon flights are a developed and popular form of recreation. You will need to get to the city of Urgup, which is 70 km from Kayseri, where the nearest civil airport (ASR) is located. There are several daily flights to Kayseri from Istanbul (IST and SAW) by local airlines: Turkish Airlines, Anadolujet, Pegasus Airlines, etc. The flight takes about an hour and a half. Of course, many different airlines fly to Istanbul itself - from Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines to Onur Air and Pobeda. Buying two separate tickets to Istanbul and to Kayseri can help you save a lot (and at the same time spend a couple of days in Istanbul).
Low pass over the mountain - one of the aerobatics in balloons
There are more than a dozen airlines with balloons in Urgup; You can also purchase a flight through their Russian partners by simply typing the appropriate request on Google - it’s convenient if you don’t know Turkish and want to plan everything in advance, or you can directly at the hotel in Urgup, but everything depends on the hotel. Be guided by the fact that the cost of an hour-long flight is 13,000 rubles per person, including transfer from your hotel and back and a modest breakfast in the immediate vicinity of the starting point (tea, coffee, buns).
Video (pre-flight briefing, low-altitude passage, landing on an aircraft carrier, balloon cleaning).
general information
A balloon is an aircraft lighter than air, which does not move with the help of motors, but when the air in the dome is heated. The balloon always flies in the direction of the wind, that is, where the wind blows, and as much as the wind blows.
In summer, as a rule, balloons are flown early in the morning (5.00 - 9.00 am), until thermals (vertical air currents) start, and in the evening (18.00 - 21.00), when the thermals calm down. In autumn - spring, morning flights start a little later (8:00 am), and evening flights start a little earlier (at 4:00 pm).
A balloon flight lasts about an hour on average, although from a technical point of view it can last 2-3 or more hours.
In an hour, a balloon flies an average of 10 - 20 kilometers.
A balloon can rise to a height of more than 10 km, but at an altitude of 3 km a person no longer has enough oxygen. Therefore, balloons, as a rule, fly low.
Flight preparation
Balloon control begins with careful preparation for the flight. First, the pilot learns meteorological information. For a balloon flight, the most important are three meteorological parameters:
cloudy - so that there is no storm or cumulus clouds,
visibility - at least 5 km,
wind speed - no more than 5 m / s.
Having the purpose of the flight, knowing the direction and speed of the wind, the pilot plans the flight path. Since the meteorological situation is constantly changing, it is impossible to accurately plan a flight or landing site. Therefore, when choosing a launch site, the pilot must always evaluate whether there are enough areas in the direction of flight for a safe landing of the balloon.
If it is planned to fly over the city, the pilot of the balloon must have permission from the local government, and before the flight, the pilot must present his flight plan to the Flight Control Service.
Flights over the city are also specific in that management services are provided here. air traffic. Therefore, the pilot must carefully prepare his charts, and coordinate the details of the flight with the flight control service.
Hot air balloon takeoff
The flight in a hot air balloon starts from the start of the hot air balloon. The pilot and all his team, only 4 people, take part in the launch of the balloon. Passengers are also included in this process, of course, if they agree. For passengers, the start is no less impressive sight than the flight itself.
First, choose appropriate place to launch the balloon. It is best if it is a meadow measuring at least 50 x 50 meters. There should not be any obstacles on the meadow (field): trees, poles, electric lines. With more strong wind looking for a place protected from the wind.
After choosing a place, all balloon equipment is unloaded. Burners are attached to the basket, they are connected to gas cylinders with the help of special hoses. The pilot tests how the burners and the gas supply system work.
Then the dome is stretched. The dome always stretches in the direction of the wind. The dome is connected to the basket and burners with the help of special carabiners.
Cold air is blown into the prepared dome with the help of a fan.
A powerful fan fills the dome with air in about 5 minutes.
When the canopy is sufficiently inflated, the pilot, using the flame of the burners, begins to heat the air in the canopy. The heated air expands and rises. Thus, the dome inflates and begins to rise from the ground.
Before inflation, the balloon is tied to the car. This is done so that the wind does not completely throw the unprepared balloon. When the pilot is satisfied that the balloon and passengers are properly ready for flight, and when the air in the dome is heated to the required temperature, the balloon begins to rise. After that, the balloon is unhooked from the car and rises.
Preparation of the balloon for flight takes 10-15 minutes.
Piloting a hot air balloon
Although piloting a balloon at first glance seems very simple, in fact it requires special knowledge and skill of the pilot.
Since the balloon has no motor or wings, the balloon is controlled during flight by two main instruments: the burners and the valve. When the air is heated, the balloon rises, and when the valve is opened, the balloon begins to descend. Therefore, the height of the balloon is controlled by changing the temperature inside the dome.
Many people have a question: if the pilot can only adjust the flight altitude, then how does the balloon reach the required place?
The answer is hidden here: ballooning uses atmospheric conditions. Direction and strength of the wind different heights is molded, so pilots, when changing the vertical position of the ball, can direct the flight of the ball in one direction or in the other. The strength of the wind is usually strong in the higher layers of the atmosphere, so pilots can partially control the speed of the flight.
Although even the most experienced pilots cannot fully control the direction of the balloon's flight. Usually, wind conditions give the pilot little choice. AT rare cases on the ball you can return to the starting point. Therefore, piloting a balloon is usually an improvisation according to existing conditions weather.
For this reason, the balloon is always accompanied by a ground crew, who later help the balloon descend, collect equipment and passengers.
Descent
Even during the flight, the pilot plans in advance where he will descend. The team on the ground is informed about this by telephone or by radio communication.
As a rule, no special requirements apply to the landing site. It is important that it is large enough for the safe descent of the balloon, and that the descending balloon does not cause damage to the owners of the land. If the wind is not strong, the balloon can descend in a normal stadium. If the wind is stronger, the pilot looks for a larger area.
Experienced pilots know how to land the balloon in such a way that contact with the ground is almost not felt. The team on the ground also helps to land the ball. However, in high winds the descent of the balloon can be "hard". The pilot, even before the flight, instructs passengers on how to behave during a “hard” descent. For many passengers, this descent is the most fun part of the flight.
As a rule, pilots try to descend near the road so that an accompanying car can drive up. However, sometimes the balloon descends on a large meadow. In this case, the ground team and assistants help to move the ball to a better place.
After the pilot opens the canopy valve, air is expelled from the canopy. The ball leans and lies down on the ground. On the ground, the working team completely releases the air and packs the balloon.
The descent process lasts approximately 20 minutes.
There are several theories to explain the reason for the ability of balloons to fly. In a broad sense, this process is due to the ratio of the weight of air and gas. If the balloon is full...
There are several theories to explain the reason for the ability of balloons to fly. In a broad sense, this process is due to the ratio of the weight of air and gas. If the balloon is filled with gas, then it rises and does not fall to the ground. When it is filled with air, for example, when a person inflates a balloon on his own, his ability to fly is reduced. The gas is much lighter than air, which is why balloons filled with helium fly best.
Depending on the filling, balloons can perform different manipulations.:
- if the ball is full carbon dioxide, air or argon, then it will fly worse;
- neon, methane, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen make the ball take off rapidly due to the minimum weight of these gases and the large difference with the mass of air.
Balloon flight from the point of view of physics
From the point of view of physics, any body placed in a gas or liquid is subject to a displacement force equal to the weight of the body. The balloon in this case is a body "placed" in the air. Because the gas filling the balloon makes it lighter than the air, then a buoyant force begins to be exerted. Due to this, the ball quickly rises up and begins to fly.
With the help of physics, one can also explain the reason for the not very good flying properties of balloons filled with air. The weight in this case is almost the same, so the ball can only hover in the air, but without force, it falls to the ground.
The flight of a balloon in the air is comparable to the navigation of ships on water. In both the first and second cases, the lighter body is pushed out by heavy water or air. Moreover, water and air possess almost the same degree of buoyancy.
Why balloons fly
Large balloons designed for aeronautics fly for the same reasons as small toy balloons. The explanation for the ability to fly in this case is also the laws of physics. The size of the ball, the weight of the basket and the passengers are in close relationship with each other. The ball rises by heating the air in it and the resulting gas. Due to this impact, the ball becomes lighter than air and a buoyant force is exerted on it. 
Balloon control
It is impossible to control any balloons. The main driving force is always air or wind. If you let go of a small balloon and hold it by the thread, then, despite efforts, you will not be able to turn it in the right direction. A similar situation occurs with balls for aeronautics. The only thing passengers in the basket can do is lower the balloon to ground level or lift it higher into the air. Height is gained by reducing weight (special weights are dropped), and the ball is reduced by reducing the amount of gas by controlling the temperature of heating the air inside the rubberized material. The temperature is changed by changing the burner level.
Why are balloons and airships filled with hydrogen or helium
As children, everyone played with balloons. No one wondered why balloons are filled with hydrogen or helium. To answer this question, we should recall some questions from the school physics course. 
A bit of physics
If the body is in the air, several forces act on it. The Archimedean force and weight have the greatest influence. Their difference is called lift. If they are equal, then the balloon hangs freely or moves through the air along intricate curves, the shape of which depends on the currents. If the Archimedean force is greater than the weight, there is a lifting force acting on the balloon upwards. 
The weight aircraft consists of the gas itself, the shell in which it is located, and the load being lifted.
If the shell is filled with ordinary air at a temperature environment, the ball will not rise. The air needs to be heated. Therefore, the balloon must be equipped with a burner for constant heating of the air inside the shell.
The Archimedean force depends on the volume of the shell and the difference between the densities of the air and the gas in it.
As the altitude increases, the temperature decreases, the air pressure and its density in the closed shell decrease. Accordingly, the Archimedean force decreases, and the ball begins to descend. To prevent this from happening, a hole is made in the lower part of the shell, under which a burner is placed. By decreasing or increasing the amount of fuel burned, you can control the flight altitude.
Closed-shell aircraft use gases that, at the same temperature, have a density less than that of the surrounding air.
Among the available gases, hydrogen has the lowest density. In industry, it is produced in large volumes, so its cost is relatively small.
Today, for safety reasons, the spherical shell of the balloon is filled with helium. This rare chemical element was first discovered using spectral analysis on the sun and got its name Helios, which means solar. Much later, this gas was discovered on earth.
At the same temperature, the density of helium is 10 times less than air. Hydrogen has an even better indicator - 20. Therefore, initially the balls were filled with hydrogen. But, unlike helium, it is a flammable and explosive gas. Using this element is safe, but a balloon filled with helium has much less lift.
A bit of history
Large balloons are called aerostats, in the past they were intended mainly for scientific research. Most of them were spheres of various diameters.
The largest balloon with a sphere volume of more than 4000 m³ took off in the autumn of 2010. 36 people traveled in its gondola.
The maximum height to which the balloon has risen is more than 21 km. The record flight was made by Indian citizen Vijaypat Singhania in 2005. The balloon was filled with warm air.
At the beginning and middle of the last century, cigar-shaped airships were used to transport people and goods.
The largest airship in the history of mankind, the Hindenburg, was designed in Nazi Germany in the late 30s. He made 21 flights across the Atlantic and died in 1937. At that time there was no helium in Germany and all the Hindenburg tanks were filled with hydrogen. The cause of the accident is unknown. After the tragedy, hydrogen-filled balloons and airships are not used to transport passengers. They are used for scientific purposes only.
The balloon has neither motors nor the rudder we are accustomed to. Of the entire technological arsenal - only burners, sandbags and a special valve in the upper part of the dome for air etching. How to control this aircraft?
From the history of aeronautics
The birth of balloons was the first real embodiment of the age-old dream of mankind to conquer the fifth ocean. In 1306, the French missionary Bassu first described how, while in China, he witnessed the flight of a balloon during the accession to the throne of Emperor Fo Kien.
However, the French town of Annone is considered the birthplace of aeronautics, where on June 5, 1783, the brothers Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier raised into the sky a spherical balloon created by them filled with heated air.
The flight of an aircraft weighing about 155 kg and a diameter of 3.5 meters lasted only 10 minutes. During this time, he covered about a kilometer at a 300-meter height, which was an outstanding event for his time. Later, balloons in honor of the creators began to be called hot air balloons.
The balloon of the Montgolfier brothers consisted of a linen shell covered with paper. To fill it with hot air, a fire was made from finely chopped straw. And 3 months later, an addition was made to the design of the aircraft in the form of a special basket for passengers.
Modern balloons are undoubtedly more perfect, but they are made in almost the same way. For the manufacture of the spherical shell of the ball, a special thin and durable polyester material. The air heating system has changed. The function of the fire is performed by an adjustable propane gas burner installed in a basket directly under the dome.
Despite being heavily dependent on the wind, modern hot air balloons are manageable. The flight height is adjusted by an outlet at the top of the canopy with a break cord. A side valve is provided to change course. There are more complex structures, where another one filled with helium can be placed inside the main dome.
How to fly a balloon with a basket
Balloon control is an activity that requires serious preparation and considerable financial costs. Suffice it to say that a balloon pilot training course today costs about 200,000 rubles. The price of the balloon itself (depending on the model) is commensurate with the price of a car.
Training
Flight precedes careful preparation. First of all, it is necessary to study the weather conditions - cloudiness, visibility and wind speed. In accordance with the received data, the flight route is planned. Due to unforeseen changes in weather conditions, it is precisely such a route that is chosen where there are enough places on the way for safe landings.
Takeoff
In order for the balloon to take off, the efforts of the entire crew are necessary. The best option starting points - a flat area 50 x 50 meters in open field, where there are no extraneous objects nearby - poles, trees, power lines.
Then the assembly of the ball begins: burners are attached to the basket, which are connected with special hoses to gas cylinders. After a test run of the burner, the crew proceeds to stretch the canopy (necessarily in the direction of the wind). Further, the stretched dome is fastened to the basket with special carabiners.
The next step is to fill the dome with cold air using a fan, after which the burner is started to heat the air. The heated air lifts the dome from the ground, and the crew (with passengers) takes their seats. To prevent the ball from flying away, it is first tied to the car.
Flight
Despite the lack of a motor and wings, the balloon is controllable, which requires certain skills. The main controls are the burners and the exhaust valve. To climb, the burner turns on and the air heats up additionally, and to descend, the valve opens slightly. Horizontal flight occurs due to a tailwind. This is where the skill of the pilot comes into play. So, in order to fly faster, he can increase the flight altitude where the wind speed is stronger.
Descent
The landing site is chosen in advance. It must be large and secure. Perfect option- football field next to the highway. The crew reports the landing site by radio to the ground. Next, the pilot releases air from the dome using a valve. The ball slowly falls to the ground.
