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Most balloon fabric is lightweight rip-stop nylon or polyester treated with coatings to reduce porosity and withstand ultraviolet light.
The average balloon requires 1200-1500 square yards of fabric, 2500 feet of load tape, and 6-8 miles of thread to sew it all together.
The average balloon weighs about 200-350 pounds, and the basket and fuel tanks add about another 400-500 pounds.
Depending on care and operation, a balloon can last 300-500 flight hours before upper heat-weakened fabric needs replacing. Most baskets will last at least 2-3 times as long when properly cared for.
A typical sport balloon stands 65-80' tall and 50-60' in diameter while holding 70,000-120,000 cubic feet of air (or the same number of basketballs). Special shapes or ride balloons can easily double all these figures.
Air Apparent is 90,000 cu feet and we normally carry two passengers plus the pilot. For comparison 90,000 cu ft is equal to 90,000 soccer balls.
Most baskets consist of hand-woven wicker which won't conduct electricity but will absorb impact shock from a hard landing.
Balloons use LP gas also known as liquid propane, the same fuel your backyard grill uses. An average flight will bum 20-30 gallons of fuel, but factors including balloon size, payload weight, and outside temperature affect this.
Most balloon baskets have 1 or 2 burners which put out 15-30 million BTU's of heat at temperatures over 1000°F. An average home furnace puts out 50,000-200,000 BTU's while most barbecues put out 15,000BTU's.
Standard instruments include an altimeter (height above the ground/sea level), variometer (speed of climb/descent), pyrometer (internal air temperature), and fuel remaining/pressure gauges. Most pilots also carry aircraft radios and handheld GPS units.
Most open accessible areas will do: large yards or parks, school grounds, cut crop fields, or even alongside roads. No airport is required, although you may land at many airports after taking certain precautions.
This rarely happens and only under unique conditions. Most flights travel in one direction: with the wind.
The basket usually touches the ground or slides a few feet and stops. In faster winds the basket may bounce, tip at an angle, or lie over and drag to a stop.
A crew travels beneath you with a truck to carry passengers and equipment back to the launch or meeting site after the flight.
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