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, 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, and the inlet of the balloon 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 Northampton Balloon Festival is an annual hot air balloon festival held in Northampton, England.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during early October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event occurring in the first full week of October, and has over 500 hot air balloons each year far from its humble beginnings of merely 13 balloons in 1972. The event is the largest balloon festival in the world, followed by the Grand Est Mondial Air in France.
The Bristol national Balloon Festival is held annually in England. Teams from the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons may launch at a time.
The Bluegrass Balloon Festival, formerly called the Adam Matthews Balloon Festival, was the fifth largest hot air balloon festival in the United States, and the largest in the state of Kentucky. From 1999 to 2009, it was held annually in late September at Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky.
Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing hot air balloons operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities. They can include races; evening "night glows", or "glowdeos", in which balloons are fired while remaining tethered to the ground; and rides.
The London Hot-Air Balloon Festival was an annual hot-air balloon festival held in London, Ontario, Canada. The festival, which was held for the first time in 1984 and originally called the London Balloon Fiesta, used to take place in Harris Park at the forks of the Thames River during Simcoe Day weekend. The sponsor of the festival was Sundance Balloons. Spectators could get very close to the balloons, as there was no fixed barricades separating the launch area.
Igualada is a municipality in the province of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Anoia River and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona Railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the Anoia comarca, a rich agricultural and wine-producing district. The population, as of 2009, is 38,918.
Hot air ballooning is the activity of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet, the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed. Hot air ballooning has been recognized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) as the safest air sport in aviation, and fatalities in hot air balloon accidents are rare, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Balloons over Waikato is an annual hot air balloon festival held in Hamilton, New Zealand since 1999 by the non-profit organization Balloons over Waikato Trust. The event spans five days during autumn and attracts both local and overseas balloonists. The Festival is held primarily at Innes Common, at Hamilton Lake, which gets an estimated 130,000 visitors during the festival. The highlight of the festival, the "Night glow" is held at the University of Waikato where an estimated 80,000+ people attend to watch the lighting of balloons putting on a spectacular glow to music.
Òdena is a municipality in the comarca of the Anoia in Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the centre of the Òdena Basin, on the side of a small hill. The remains of Òdena castle with its octagonal tower are at the top of the hill. The town is served by the C-241 road from Igualada to Manresa, and the main N-II road from Barcelona to Lleida runs through the municipality.
Plano Balloon Festival is held each September at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in the city of Plano, Texas. It is one of the city's largest celebrations, drawing in excess of 90,000 attendees. Celebrating 40 years of its existence, the festival has evolved into an important fundraiser for local nonprofit organizations. InTouch Credit Union is the festival's main sponsor.
Burnley Balloon Festival was a balloon festival held in Towneley Park, Burnley. The festival was held annually from 2002, usually in late July. It was regarded as a major balloon event in the UK, as the largest in the North West. By 2005, average visitor numbers were around 20,000.
Tourism is the fifth-largest industry in Quebec. Some 29,000 companies are involved in the industry, generating 130,000 direct and 48,000 indirect jobs. In 2006, Quebec welcomed 3.2 million foreign tourists, most of them from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Japan. Quebec's French heritage sets the province apart from the most of Canada and the United States, as well as Mexico. The province has preserved its Francophone culture with a European feel.
The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning has been held annually at the Solberg Airport in Readington Township, New Jersey since 1983. Its lead sponsor is QuickChek, a New Jersey-based chain of convenience stores. In 2012, the festival hosted around 125 special shape and sport hot air balloons. It also had music concerts, crafters and vendors, food, carnival rides and fireworks, which attracted more than 175,000 people. It had more than fifty corporate partners.
The Northwest Art and Air Festival is an annual festival in Albany, Oregon, United States that celebrates local art and aeronautics. The Oregon Festival and Events Association has twice named the festival "best in its budget class" and in recent years the festival has averaged 40,000 visitors during the course of the event. In 2008 festival attendance was described by city officials as "the biggest by far".
The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is an annual hot air balloon festival established in 1985 and held in Howell, Michigan during the last weekend of June. The event draws crowds from all over Michigan and its surrounding states, with attendance often topping 100,000 over the three-day weekend. The festival is hosted by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, takes place at Howell High School, and is run by Balloonfest head Michelle Tokan, and balloonmeister Phil Clinger.
Ultramagic is a manufacturer of hot air balloons, based at the Igualada-Òdena airfield, province of Barcelona, Catalonia. It is the only manufacturer of hot air balloons in Spain, and the second largest in the world. The company produces from 80 to 120 balloons per year, with 80% of them exported to Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Japan. The company can produce massive balloons, such as the N-500 that accommodates up to 27 persons in the basket. Ultramagic has also produced many balloons with special shapes, as well as cold air inflatables.
Aerosport is an air show that takes place at the Igualada-Òdena aerodrome every year since 1993. It is the only Spanish air show fully dedicated to corporate and sport aircraft.
Huff-'n'Puff is one of the longest continuously held hot air balloon festivals in North America, having been held every year since 1976. It is held each second weekend of September in Topeka, Kansas by the Great Plains Balloon Club.
