BILL HARROP'S ORIGINAL BALLOON SAFARIS NIGHT GLOW

On Saturday afternoon 19 November Christine and I together with many people from the Magaliesburg valley west of Hartbeespoort Dam were treated to a delicious dinner and an amazing spectacle as somewhere in the region of 15 historical hot air balloons were inflated on the beautiful rolling lawns of the estate.

- ATHOL FRANZ

A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane.

The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. As with all aircraft, hot air balloons cannot fly beyond the atmosphere. The envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom, since the air inside the envelope is at about the same pressure as the surrounding air. In modern sport balloons the envelope is generally made from nylon fabric, whilst the inlet of the balloon (closest to the burner flame) is made from a fire-resistant material such as Nomex. Modern balloons have been made in many shapes, such as rocket ships and the shapes of various commercial products, though the traditional shape is used for most non-commercial and many commercial applications.

THE BIRTH OF HOT AIR BALLOONING