Piloting a balloon

Although piloting a hot air balloon at first glance seems very simple, it actually requires special knowledge and skill of the pilot.

Since the balloon has no motor or wings, the balloon is controlled by two main devices during flight: the burners and the valve. When the air is heated, the balloon rises up, 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 regulate the height of the flight, then how does the balloon reach the desired location?

The answer lies here: the atmospheric conditions are used to fly the balloon. The direction and strength of the wind varies at different altitudes, so pilots can direct the balloon flight in one direction or the other when changing the vertical position of the balloon. Wind strength tends to be strong in the higher layers of the atmosphere, so pilots can partially control the speed of flight as well.

Even the most experienced pilots cannot fully control the direction of the balloon’s flight, though. Usually, wind conditions give the pilot little choice. On rare occasions, the balloon can return to the launch site. Therefore, piloting a balloon is usually an improvisation on existing weather conditions.
For this reason, the balloon is always accompanied by a ground crew who later helps the balloon descend and collect equipment and passengers.

Landing
Even during the flight, the pilot preplans at which point he will descend. The team on the ground is informed about this by telephone or radio communication.

As a rule, no special requirements apply to the landing site. It is important that it be large enough to safely land the balloon, and that the descending balloon does not cause damage to the owners of the ground. If the wind is not strong, the balloon can come down in a normal stadium. If the wind is stronger, the pilot looks for a larger area.
Experienced pilots know how to land the balloon so that contact with the ground is almost not felt. Landing the balloon is also helped by the team on the ground. However, in high winds the landing of the balloon may be “hard”. Before the flight, the pilot instructs the passengers how to behave during a “hard” landing. To many passengers, such landing is the most fun part of the flight.

Generally, pilots try to descend close to the road so that the accompanying car can approach. Sometimes, however, the balloon will come down in a large meadow. In that case, a ground crew and assistants work on the ground to help move the balloon to a better location.

After the pilot opens the dome valve, the air exits the dome. The balloon tilts and lays down on the ground. On the ground, the working crew lets the air out completely and packs the balloon.
The packing process lasts about 20 minutes.