The possibility of air travel was a great advance when it came to moving quickly and efficiently.
Each Balloon Ascent Day is celebrated on January 9. The anniversary refers to the first trip made in a hot air balloon. This date began to be commemorated in 1973 in the United States, but the event referred to occurred on June 4, 1783, when the Montgolfier brothers flew over French airspace.
Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier They were from Avignon in Annonay, France. They were the ones who invented this means of transportation, considered the first aerial vehicle in history. In 1872 they had already launched a large silk bag of 18 cubic meters that rose 250 meters, but the great event occurred the following year.
First hot air balloon ride
The first balloon ride
In 1873, in Versailles and with the entire French royal society as spectators, they launched a paper-lined linen bag 11 meters in diameter and 800 cubic meters. The route taken was 2 kilometersflew for ten minutes and reached an approximate height of between 600 and 2000 meters.
However, although this date is recognized as the first time this method was used to travel by air, the anniversary refers to the first time a hot air balloon ride was taken on American soilon January 9, 1793 in Philadelphia’s Independence Square, by the French inventor Jean Paul Blanchard.
How to control the hot air balloon
The operation of a hot air balloon is similar to that of a ship. If the balloon were the ship, the surrounding air underneath would be the water supporting it. By heating air within the surface that encloses the balloon, it becomes lighter and less dense than the cold surrounding it and causes the balloon to rise.
Nevertheless, The balloon not only has the lower opening that allows air to enter, but also a hole in the upper part that allows this air to also escape.. The hotter the air inside the balloon, the higher it will rise. According to experts, the difficult part is not lifting it, but piloting it, because it has no steering wheel or rudder.
In order to choose the direction, pilots must take advantage of the air currents that change depending on the height at which the mobile is. In this way they make changes in direction, that is, they are at the mercy of the winds. On the other hand, the balloon’s response is not instantaneous, therefore pilots must anticipate the needs of the flight.
Source: Ambito
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