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ballooningclick to hear

Sport of traveling in a balloon carried along by the wind; flights take place at dawn and dusk, when winds are light and the air is stable.
ballooning basket suspension cables burner basket balloon wind guard envelope webbing panel parachute valve

basket suspension cables click to hear

Steel cables that connect the basket to the balloon.

burner click to hear

Flame-producing adjustable apparatus that heats the air inside the balloon; the pilot turns it on from time to time.

basket click to hear

Traditionally wicker gondola that is suspended from the balloon; it holds passengers, fuel cylinders and flight instruments.

balloon click to hear

Fabric bag filled with hot air that is lighter than the surrounding air; this causes the apparatus to rise and float in the atmosphere.

wind guard click to hear

Piece of fabric that covers the basket suspension cables; it shelters the burner from the wind so the flame points directly into the balloon.

envelope click to hear

Structure made of pieces of fabric sewn in the form of a sphere; it is open at the base and top, and traps the air heated by the burner.

webbing click to hear

The horizontal and vertical bands that make up the structure of the envelope; the panels are sewn onto it.

panel click to hear

The pieces of fabric making up the balloon’s envelope; they are usually made of sturdy nylon with a polyurethane coating.

parachute valve click to hear

Round device covering the top of the envelope; it can be opened with a cable, which is used by the pilot to release hot air and speed up the descent.