Once began with balloons civil Aviation: to planes and helicopters it was like walking to the moon, and people began to fly on balloons back in the 18th century. Today we will tell you how it happens in the 21st: I went to Cappadocia - a region in central Turkey - where mass flights are performed almost every day; balloons in the air - several dozen at a time, and passengers, respectively, several hundred.

A bit of physics. How the balloon flies

The modern passenger balloon is correctly called a hot air balloon, or hot air balloon - after the names of the Montgolfier brothers, who in 1783 made their first flight on aircraft of this type. Within the framework of import substitution, the story has become popular that in fact the first hot air balloon was built half a century earlier by the Russian inventor Kryakutnaya, but this is just a hoax created after the flight of the French and promoted in Soviet times.

The principle of a hot air balloon flight is very simple: inside its envelope there is air, the temperature of which is higher than the temperature of the surrounding air. Since the density of warm air is lower, it tends upward under the buoyancy force, according to Archimedes' law. At the same time, the shell itself and the payload are attracted to the Earth (the shell with dimensions of about 25x15 m with a basket and all equipment weighs 400-500 kg, plus passengers: there were twenty people in our basket). The equality of these forces allows the balloon to "hover" in the air at a certain height.

How a balloon is controlled

The main control of the hot air balloon is a gas burner located under the envelope and directed upwards. It burns a mixture of propane and butane, which is taken on board in cylinders similar to those that many summer residents have in the kitchen. With the help of fire, the air in the shell is heated; the temperature rises, the ball rises. Depending on the volume of the shell (2-5 thousand cubic meters of air), the payload and the ambient temperature, the temperature inside is 50-130 degrees Celsius. The air in the shell is constantly cooling down and the ball begins to decline, so you need to periodically "give in to the heat" to maintain a constant height. In general, everything is simple: more fire - we go up, less fire - we keep the altitude, little, little, little, little, little fire - we go down.

However, in order to descend, you don't have to wait for the air to cool down: in the upper part of the shell there is a valve that can be opened and closed with ropes. If you open it, some of the warm air will escape and the ball will fly down.

They take with them at least two gas cylinders (one main, the other spare) - this is enough for about one hour of flight, a variometer for measuring vertical speed and a walkie-talkie for communicating with the pilots of other balloons and escort vehicles (about them a little below). And, most importantly, there are no sandbags. They are used as ballast on gas balloons (with helium and other similar gases inside), and a hot air balloon is not needed.

The top valve is open and the balloon is deflated. Pay attention to the number. In Turkey, balls are registered as TC-Bxx, for example, TC-BUM. In Russia, they are registered in the general aviation register and have RA-xxxxG numbers. Each balloon has a certificate of airworthiness, everything is as it should be.

Where is the balloon flying?

We can only control the vertical speed of the balloon. Horizontally, it flies where the wind carries it. That is why, as a full-fledged vehicle the balloon is unusable: it is still a pleasure aircraft. Despite this, balloon flights are regulated aviation authorities no less than on airplanes. Each ball is registered in the register aircraft and the corresponding number on board, and the pilots (there are two of them) - a license. Flights are carried out according to the rules of visual flights, that is, with good visibility, a prerequisite is also the absence of strong wind... The problem is that you can fly only early in the morning at dawn or, conversely, at sunset: in the afternoon, ascending air currents from the earth's surface heated by the sun make flights unsafe (and in the morning there are up and down currents, just not so strong). So you can easily face the situation when you arrived, but did not fly anywhere - just plan a few days just in case!

Each balloon has its own escort vehicle: a jeep with a platform trailer the size of a basket. Jeep - because the ball will land, most likely, not on the road. Aerobatics is landing directly on the platform; much cooler than putting a fighter on an aircraft carrier.

If the balls collide with each other in the air, then ... nothing happens, they just repel each other and fly further. In general, it is quite difficult for the balls to collide: after all, the wind carries them in the same direction.

How is a hot air balloon flight

First you are brought to your hot air balloon. At this moment, he is still lying on the ground, the basket is on its side, and with the help of a powerful fan, the shell is filled with air, while simultaneously heating it with a burner. At some point, the limp ball becomes elastic and soars upward. The basket is turned over, passengers sit in it, climbing over the side. Inside there are two-point belts, which, however, very few people use, as well as ropes, which will need to be held on when landing. The pre-flight briefing, in fact, consists in the fact that when landing, you must definitely sit down and hold on to the ropes, since there is a high probability of the basket overturning: this will avoid injuries.

Flight preparation

The pilot gives more fire, and ... the ball soars smoothly up and to the side. It feels like riding a Ferris wheel, only much higher. And at the same time, there is no noise or vibration, so even seasoned aerophobes are not afraid. And even those who are afraid of heights (and the ball rises to 1500 m with an average flight altitude of about 500), it is not scary: because of the high (about 1.5 meters) side of the basket, it is impossible to fall out of it, and a standing position provokes to look not down, but to the sides. Indescribable beauty! The real Tatooine! Turkish pilots try to fly so as to get closer to the rocks, "chimneys" and give an opportunity to see them, go down almost to the roofs of ancient villages - of course, everything can be photographed and filmed, the main thing is not to drop the camera.

Flight altitude reaches 1500 m

By the way, there is no wind at altitude - or rather, it is not felt, because you are flying with this very wind!

How to fly in a hot air balloon

Cappadocia, as you already understood, is a place where hot air ballooning is a developed and popular form of recreation. You will need to get to the city of Urgup, which is 70 km from Kayseri, where the nearest civil airport (ASR) is located. There are several daily flights to Kayseri from Istanbul (IST and SAW) with local airlines: Turkish Airlines, Anadolujet, Pegasus Airlines, etc. The flight takes about an hour and a half. Of course, many different airlines fly to Istanbul itself - from Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines to Onur air and "Victory". Buying two separate tickets to Istanbul and to Kayseri can help you save a lot (and at the same time spend a couple of days in Istanbul).

The low pass over the mountain is one of the hot air balloon aerobatics

There are more than a dozen airlines with balloons in Urgup; You can also purchase a flight through their Russian partners by simply typing the corresponding request into Google - it is convenient if you do not know Turkish and want to plan everything in advance, or you can directly at the hotel in Urgup, but everything depends on the hotel. Be guided by the fact that the cost of an hour flight is 13,000 rubles per person, including a transfer from your hotel and back and a modest breakfast in the immediate vicinity of the starting point (tea, coffee, buns).

Video (pre-flight briefing, passage to low altitude, landing on an aircraft carrier, cleaning the ball).

Y. BOYKO, head of the department of the Russian aeronautical society.

Science and Life // Illustrations

Charlier of the middle of the last century practically did not differ from what is used today.

Tethered kite balloon.

Soviet reconnaissance balloon.

So now the hot air balloon is filled with hot air.

Collecting seeds from trees.

Aerostat crane on a forest skid.

Building a dam with a balloon.

Scheme of a modern hot air balloon.

This is how the shell and its dome ring look from above.

Aeronautics in our time is becoming more and more widespread: thousands of brightly colored balloons float over all continents, and even the North and South Poles have been conquered by aeronautical travelers. For them, finally, a relatively cheap, unpretentious and easy-to-fly aircraft appeared, the journey on which delivers an incomparable feeling of flight.

For the first time, as is commonly believed, the balloon was born on June 5, 1783. On this day, in the French town of Vidalon-les-Adonne, a little south of Lyon, the so-called hot air balloon took off - a ball filled with hot smoke made of paper and linen. It was made by the brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, paper makers, who were inspired to create such a ball by observing the burning of paper at the stake and its scraps flying into the sky.

There is, however, not too reliable information about much earlier balloon flights. For example, about the one that was raised in Beijing in 1306 during the ceremony of accession to the throne of Emperor Fo Kien. Or about the one on which the Portuguese monk Bartolomeo de Cusmao flew in 1709. Nevertheless, the official birthday of the balloon is June 5, 1783.

And two and a half months later, in Paris, on the Champ de Mars, the first charlier, a ball filled with light gas, was also raised into the air. It got its name from the French physics professor Jacques Charles, who found a way to fill the ball with hydrogen. Charlier turned out to be much more effective than a hot air balloon and much more dangerous than it, since hydrogen is 15 times lighter than air, but extremely explosive. Therefore, later - after the discovery of helium - charlier began to fill them.

The first balloons were unmanned, but already in November of the same 1783, people first climbed on a hot air balloon - the Marquis d'Arland and Pilatre de Rozier, standing in a basket attached to the bottom of the shell. In the center of it there was a brazier, which supplied hot air to the inside of the shell, and the basket itself and the shell were impregnated with a special fire-fighting compound.

In the next decade - during the Great French Revolution - balloons began their military career, which was actively continued in the 19th century. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, for example, with their help, a permanent connection was established with the Paris surrounded by the Germans. In 4 months, 65 balloons carried 150 passengers and 16,675 kilograms of letters and dispatches, with a total number of more than 3 million.

In 1869, a permanent Commission on the Application of Aeronautics to Military Purposes was organized in Russia, and since 1870, in the Ust-Izhora sapper camp near St. Petersburg, observations were made from balloons of troop movements and the adjustment of artillery fire. In a number of countries, people appeared who were professionally engaged in aeronautics.

The experience of many thousands of flights was gradually taken into account in the design of free gas balloons. The shell materials became lighter and stronger, and they were impregnated with compounds that minimize carrier gas leakage. Rigging has become more reliable and convenient: cables, slings and other equipment. A modern free-flying balloon is almost no different from what it flew a century and a half ago (picture above).

Its shell, made of silk, was equipped at the top with a gas release valve, and at the bottom with an appendix, which also freely communicated with the atmosphere. The gas valve was opened with a cord drawn from it to the gondola. Another cord was also held there - from a bursting panel, which the aeronaut used to quickly release gas during landing.

The shell was covered with a silk cord net tied in loops. Downward, the number of loops gradually decreased, and they descended from the ball in separate descents, which were then tied to a suspension ring made of wood or a metal tube. The lines of the gondola, the anchor and the ballast rope - the guide rope - were also tied to this ring. Manipulating it, as well as the gas valve and ballast, experienced aeronauts made long flights.

But a free balloon leveled up on a leash turned out to be very unstable. Even with a wind of more than 10 meters per second, the observer in the gondola could not perform his functions at all. To hold the balloon, very strong ropes and specially reinforced points of their attachment to the shell were required, and this additional weight reduced its lift. To increase the stability of tethered balloons in windy weather, they began to give them an elongated shape and equip them with plumage, and to control them using ropes going to ground winches.

Such balloons found their first practical application in military affairs: they were successfully used even in Napoleon's army - to lift observers, and later - in the civil war of 1861-1865 in the United States - for reconnaissance and adjusting artillery fire. The most widespread in those years was the design of a tethered kite balloon, which, like a kite, stably hovers in the air due to the interaction of the high-speed wind pressure with the shell. Its internal volume is divided by a diaphragm into two compartments: a gas container and a so-called "air balloon", which communicates with the surrounding atmosphere and is filled with a wind flow.

Such balloons were successfully used both in the First World War - for reconnaissance and adjusting artillery fire, and in the Second World War - as barrage balloons. The military use of balloons continued during the Cold War. Reconnaissance balloons freely crossed the border in the thickness of the clouds, it was almost impossible to detect them with radars. And even if it was possible to find them, it was also not easy to shoot them down: with a large volume of gas, the holes do not lead to a quick leak.

For communication of submerged submarines in the USSR and the USA, long-range balloon antenna systems were developed.

But in civilian life, balloons are used quite widely. Stratostats, for example, are of great help to astronomers, raising telescopes to such great heights where the transparency of the atmosphere is almost perfect. The Americans were the first to make such an ascent in 1957, when a stratospheric balloon with a volume of 85,000 cubic meters lifted the Stratoscope-1 telescope to a height of 24 kilometers. In the future, similar rises were carried out in our country.

Known in the history of aeronautics and cases of launching space balloons. In 1960, the Echo-1 communications balloon was launched in the United States using a carrier rocket. Its shell, made of polyester film and covered on both sides with aluminum foil, was located in a rolled-up container during launch. Inside it were 20 kilograms of spontaneously combustible acetamide powder. After opening the container and heating it with the sun's rays, it turned into a gas and filled the shell. At an altitude of 1,680 kilometers, the Echo-1 balloon satellite existed for 9 years and was used as a radio reflector. A similar balloon satellite "Echo-2" existed at an altitude of 1030-1310 kilometers for about 15 years. Both of these satellites can be called stratospheric balloons - they were located in the uppermost layers of the atmosphere. Stratospheric balloons are also used for other space needs: for testing space instruments and hermetic cabins, for studying cosmic radiation, for studying jet streams at high altitudes.

And tethered balloons are widely used for the most peaceful purposes: for skidding forests, unloading ships, as crane balloons in the construction of dams, dams, in the development of quarries, especially deep ones. It is convenient to use small balloons to collect seeds from elite trees or cedar cones.

In the late 1970s, a balloon tropopause wind power plant (TVES) was designed at the Kiev Public Aeronautics Design Bureau. At an altitude of 8000-10000 meters, where the tropopause is located (the border between the troposphere and the stratosphere), there are constant wind flows at a speed of 70-100 meters per second. The concentration of wind energy at these altitudes is 20-25 times higher than at the Earth's surface. Kiev designers proposed to install a wind wheel and electric generators on a tethered balloon with a fiberglass shell, and transmit the received energy through a cable-rope to the Earth. The estimated capacity of such a wind farm was to be 1,500 kW, and the annual output was about 10 million kW. h. The project was not implemented.

The last decade and a half have been marked by the flourishing of sports aeronautics. In addition to ease of control and relatively low cost, the balloon is relatively compact: when assembled, its shell, together with the basket, can easily fit into a car trailer. Helium for sports flights is too expensive: each cubic meter costs about 50 rubles, and at least 1000 cubic meters is required to fill the shell. And since the gas after landing has to be released into the atmosphere, only unique flights - record and scientific - lasting several days are performed on helium balloons. For travel and ordinary sports flights, as a rule, a hot air balloon is used, the diagram of which is shown in the figure above.

Its shell has a so-called parachute valve in the upper part. It opens with a control cord, the end of which is lowered into the gondola. The gondola itself, like two centuries ago, is made of willow or reed rods, which have good shock-absorbing properties and can withstand impacts from a rough landing.

The load from the mass of the gondola and its contents is transferred to the shell fabric by the vertical and horizontal force bands that intertwine it. They, as well as the shell itself, are now made of lightweight and durable synthetic materials. The fabric of the casing is treated so that it becomes airtight, resistant to solar radiation and non-combustible. The lower part of the shell - the so-called skirt - is made of fire-resistant polymer fabrics that can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees, the air temperature in the shell is usually 90-100 degrees Celsius. It is supported by one or two burners connected by hoses to gas cylinders, and the fuel is liquid propane, butane or their mixture. Liquid gas enters the tube immersed in it due to the pressure of saturated vapor and, passing through the hose and through the pilot-controlled fire valve, enters the evaporator. Here it turns into steam and, mixed with air, burns out in the nozzles. The power of the burners can reach two million kilocalories per hour. The pilot burner burns with a weak flame constantly - so that it can ignite the nozzles from it.

The gas cylinder usually holds about 35 kilograms of propane, which is enough for 45-60 minutes of hot air balloon flight. Each cylinder is equipped with a safety valve and a pressure gauge. When one cylinder runs out of gas, the pilot switches to another cylinder. In addition to burners and cylinders, an altimeter, a variometer (vertical speed meter), an air temperature sensor in the shell, a radio station, a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit are installed in the nacelle.

The specific lifting force of hot air at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius is 0.278 kilograms per cubic meter. This means that a ball with a volume of 1500-2000 cubic meters can lift half a ton, that is, three to four people and three to four propane cylinders. With an increase in the volume of the ball, of course, the lifting force also increases. In 1988, a hot air balloon with a volume of 24,000 cubic meters was raised in Holland, its 50 passengers were accommodated in a comfortable double-deck basket.

On hot air balloons, unique flights were made: a flight across the Atlantic Ocean, an ascent to an altitude of 18,000 meters, a circumnavigation of the globe is being prepared in two weeks.

A balloon is an aircraft, it must have a certificate of its registration and a certificate of airworthiness, which is issued immediately after production and is extended by the commission after a certain number of hours of flight. Balloon pilots themselves are trained in aeronautical schools and after completing a theoretical course and flying - first with an instructor, and then independent - they receive the relevant documents. Every year they undergo a medical examination and a test of theoretical knowledge.

Every flight is carefully prepared. A route is being developed that should not pass in the areas of airports, military facilities, etc. All data about the flight - date, place of launch, altitude and purpose of the flight - are reported to the air surveillance authorities. After obtaining permission to fly, the weather reports are studied: it is important to know not only the strength and direction of the wind, but also the air temperature, the height of the cloudiness, the types of precipitation. All this allows you to plan your flight and ensure its safety.

The development of aeronautics in our country is actively promoted by the Russian Aeronautical Society, founded in 1880, which today publishes literature on aeronautics, organizes exhibitions and sports competitions.

The World Aeronautics Federation holds alternating world championships: in even years - for hot air balloons, in odd years - for gas balloons. In our country, the Aeronautics Federation was organized in 1990 and since then has held a number of all-Russian and international competitions. Its members participate in the World and European Championships.

It is worth adding, perhaps, that for residents of many countries, and for some time now for residents of large Russian cities, advertising balloons have become commonplace, carrying banners or emblems of advertisers on their sides, sometimes illuminated from the inside, equipped with sound broadcasting installations, made in the form of some then funny figures. Increasingly, city holidays are not complete without these elegant and important flying machines.

Despite its relative conservatism, aerostatic technology is constantly being improved and new fields of application are found for balloons. The development of domestic designers from the Augur aeronautical center, Interavia firms, the Vozdukh PK, Aeronatz, Aeroecology, NPF Aerogipnefo, Ural-Dzhikom and others also contribute to this.

See the issue on the same topic

Was it true that the Wright brothers were the first to conquer aeronautics?

For almost 100 years before the birth of the Wright brothers, balloons regularly took to the sky. Here are 10 facts about aeronautics that will surprise you.

The first passengers of the balloon were a sheep, a rooster and a duck.

The first balloon with a basket for flying took to the sky in 1783. It happened at Versailles, in the presence of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The passengers of this aircraft were a rooster, a duck and a sheep. A sheep, as a human-like creature, was chosen to test the effects of altitude on the body, and birds (flying and flightless) were made members of the control group. This balloon rose to a height of 500 meters, flew about 4 kilometers and landed successfully. All passengers remained unharmed.

The first people to rise into the sky could have been the Bastille prisoners

When the time came to conduct test flights with the participation of people, Louis XVI, without risking taking responsibility for the lives of his subjects, decided to send the criminals condemned to execution on the flight. If the flight was successful, they were promised a pardon. However, despite the king's decision, the scientist Jean-François Pilatre De Rozier and the aristocrat Marquis François Lauren D'Arland went on the flight. These daredevils stayed in the sky for about 20 minutes on November 21, 1783.

The tradition of opening champagne after a flight was created for the peace of mind of farmers

After the first successful flight, balloons were often used by aristocrats. However, they resembled fire-breathing dragons to the peasants, which caused real horror. To appease and calm people, aristocrats began to take champagne with them and open it at the landing site of the aircraft.

There is a version that the drawings on the Nazca plateau were created using balloons

In the 1970s, Jim Woodman theorized that ancient Peruvians created giant drawings on the Nazca Plateau using a balloon and basket to fly. As evidence, he cites drawings on ancient ceramics, where, in his opinion, flights in a balloon are depicted, as well as pieces of matter that may be fragments of the balloon's shell. The scientist even made his aircraft using technologies that were available to the ancient Peruvians. This theory has been discredited, but a number of scientists continue to believe in its reliability.

Once there was an aeronautical duel

In 1808, two Frenchmen, who were seeking the location of the opera diva Mademoiselle Trivelite, took off in a balloon over Paris to conduct a duel. A crowd gathered below: people decided that balloon races were being held. However, the duelists drew their muskets and directed them towards each other. As a result, after the shots, one ball was broken. During the fall, he crashed into a building nearby, the pilot was killed. The second duelist descended unscathed and was rumored to have received the heart of the femme fatale.

Balloons were used for military intelligence

During the French Revolution in the Battle of Fleurus (1794), the Entreprenant balloon was used to obtain information about the enemy's position. The balloon with the basket for flights was in flight for 8 hours (all the time it was on a leash). The aeronaut registered the change in the positions of the Austrian troops and threw the data down to the ground. It is unknown whether because of this or not, but the French won the battle.

Aeronautical corps existed in the United States during the Civil War

Aeronautical Corps founded by Abraham Lincoln. It consisted of 7 balloons, and also had 12 gas generators and a barge that was used as an aircraft carrier. Aeronautical vehicles were used to monitor the movement of enemy troops, covering an area of ​​15 km. The Confederates responded by making their own ball of clothes silk, but it was captured by the Union army. The corps was disbanded in 1863, realizing that such an object was an excellent target for the enemy.

Balloons used during carnival performances

Between 1800 and 1900 during the fairs, it was often possible to see shows with the participation of balloons. The stuntman with a parachute sat in the basket, the balloon was filled with hot smoke from the fire and released upward. He quickly climbed up, and in highest point the stuntman jumped out and descended to the ground.

There was a balloon with a glass bottom

Christian Brown presented a model with a glass bottom at the international aeronautical fiesta. According to press reports, the test flight turned out to be very scary, so the aeronautic vessel returned to the ground with "passengers writhing and screaming with fear."

Hot air balloon can fly in winter

Many are surprised that the cold season is suitable for hot air balloon flights. In fact, at this time, the weather is even more favorable than in summer. The cold air in the atmosphere makes it possible to accelerate the ascent of the balloon filled with hot air into the sky, as well as increase the number of passengers. In addition, in winter the air is more stable, which makes it possible to fly during the whole daylight hours.

You can always fly and jump with a parachute.

Everyone already understands everything about spring and summer: the maximum number of flying days, good weather.

If there is a golden autumn on the street, then despite the cloudiness and frequent rains, we continue to fly and jump with a parachute. Believe me, it's very beautiful.

And when the snow falls, many will ask: "Isn't it cold to fly in winter?" We answer the question with a question: "is it cold to ski in winter?" Maybe better in summer ride? Winter flights are and will be. Come on over. Until then.

20 minutes. on the Yak-52 for 6500 rubles.

We will bring a beautiful box with a certificate,
- we will show aerobatics,
- let us "steer" the plane,
- video recording in flight is possible.

Why our clients love us

We only sell the sky and we do it well. We fly ourselves. We want to give you the opportunity to fly and give you flights. Our goal is safe flights for everyone!

We have adequate delivery and our own courier service. Delivery on the day of order is possible, delivery outside working hours is possible. Our couriers arrive on time. Our couriers know how to use maps and find their way on their own.

Huge range of flights: more than ten types of aircraft, more than a hundred different flights or jumps. Adrenaline, extreme, aerobatics or beautiful sightseeing flights and air excursions.

Many different airfields in different directions of the Moscow region. Fly wherever it suits you. Which airfield to choose? Anyone! It's beautiful, interesting and safe everywhere: we work with professionals.

Reasonable prices. Our certifications cost real money. And our flights are real. We sell just so much time for a person to "swoop in", the duration of the flight is your choice, we only advise.

The information on our website is up-to-date, complete and true. We constantly monitor the correctness of the presentation of the material and the relevance of prices. We write details on the site. We know them and will gladly tell them to those who do not like to read.

And also everything is fair with us. The flight time is counted from the moment the aircraft leaves the runway. We advise you in advance that flights may be rescheduled due to weather conditions.

And a gift box, which contains the certificate for the flight, we are stylish, beautiful and comfortable. A candy wrapper cannot cost more than a candy: we do not sell certificates in boxes encrusted with diamonds, but our box will be noticeable among other gifts and will delight its owner.

Gifts for the holidays

On the February 23(day Soviet army or Defender of the Fatherland, whichever is more to your liking) You choose gifts.

Balloon control training

When you look at a balloon floating in the sky, the last thing you think about is that you can learn to fly this aircraft ...

A modern balloon is not at all a "bubble" that flies according to the will of the wind. This is a completely controllable aircraft, which can be at the altitudes required by the pilot and which can be landed "on the spot", while the balloon is controlled only by a burner and a valve, which make the aircraft go up or down.

How, then, is the right course chosen? How to accurately land on the field? How to fly over treetops while maintaining altitude? How...? Are you interested and want to try it yourself?

More about the program

Payload - 200 kg. This means that two persons can take one certificate per flight.

Only you (your company) and the pilot-instructor will be in the basket of the ball. The flight time is over an hour.

So, let's say that you already have a certificate. You sign up for the flight by calling the phone number indicated in the certificate. By the appointed time, along with the certificate, you arrive at the agreed place.

Pre-flight briefing is carried out either in the flying club or on the way to the launch site and takes approximately 30 minutes. You will be told about the principles of control, and also that there are almost always different wind directions at different heights. This is how the desired course is chosen: the navigator and knowledge of aviation meteorology help the pilot fly where he needs to.

"Training" flights are slightly longer than usual in duration: up to one and a half hours. First, the pilot shows all flight modes, and then he will let you play with the torch.

Controlling the balloon is not as easy as it seems: it is very inert. We are going down ... We heat the air with a burner and nothing happens! Stop! Enough. You have to wait a little and the ball will definitely go up. It is not difficult to fly up and down, it is much more difficult to maintain a certain altitude.

For about 30 minutes you will independently (under the control of the pilot, of course) fly the balloon, and after landing, you will be initiated into an aeronaut and presented with commemorative diplomas ...

Already on the way home I was possessed mixed feelings: Do I want to fly the same way, or is it just a one-time entertainment? A balloon is a toy without any practical use: so, to fly for yourself ... And where to store it? And you also need a trailer for the basket and a driver who will meet you at the boarding ...

But how cool is it to sail silently in the sky above water, field and forests ... And to stand alone in the sky with your beloved? And to show the beauty of the world to friends? .. All the difficulties recede when thinking about the possibilities that open up for the pilots of free balloons.

And the pilot's conspiratorial smile: "We can write this half hour into your flight book if you continue training."

There is definitely something to it!

Security questions

General safety explanations are described, and below we will talk about them as applied to balloons.

Safety begins with the right choice of weather: there will be calm or light wind - you can practice the take-off. If the wind gets stronger, you climb higher and you can practice holding the given altitude and feel the inertia of the ball.

All balloons have valid airworthiness certificates, and all instructor pilots have many hundreds and thousands of flight hours, prizes of international aeronautics competitions and a large number of trained cadets.

Moreover, all passengers are insured.

We do our best to make the program not only interesting, but also as safe as possible.

Where and when are the flights

We fly in the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region (it is marked in blue on the map) during daylight hours.

There is no specific airfield; any large field is suitable for launching a balloon, which is selected depending on the direction of the wind and other weather conditions... You meet with the team at the agreed place, leave your car in the parking lot and move to the starting point.

Flights are conducted all year round. Autumn, winter and early spring, by the way, the best time for flights on balloons - because in winter there is no thermal turbulence, which allows flights throughout the day. But in summer, hot air balloons fly only in the early morning (usually before 9:00) and in the evening (usually after 19:00).

Please note that if you signed up for a flight and did not arrive, the certificate "expires".

The certificate is valid for 1 year from the date of order

If you are still thinking about an option for a good expensive gift, if you need a beautiful box with a certificate for excellent emotions inside, if the person to whom the gift is intended "already has everything" ... Then the link further is for you: buy a management lesson aerostat for 22,000 rubles.

The balloon has neither motors, nor the steering wheel we are used to. From the entire technological arsenal - only burners, sandbags and a special valve at the top of the dome for etching air. How do you fly this aircraft?

From the history of aeronautics

However, the birthplace of aeronautics is considered the French town of Annonet, where on June 5, 1783, the brothers Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier raised a spherical balloon they had created, filled with heated air, into the sky.

The flight of the aircraft weighing about 155 kg and a diameter of 3.5 meters lasted only 10 minutes. During this time, he covered about a kilometer at a 300-meter altitude, which was an outstanding event for his time. Later, balloons in honor of the creators began to be called hot air balloons.

The Montgolfier brothers' balloon consisted of a linen shell pasted over with paper. To fill it with hot air, a fire was made of finely chopped straw. And 3 months later, an addition was made to the design of the aircraft in the form of a special basket for passengers.

Modern balloons are undoubtedly more advanced, but they are made in almost the same way. For the manufacture of the spherical shell of the ball, a special thin and durable polyester material is used. The air heating system has changed. The function of the fire is an adjustable propane gas burner installed in a basket directly under the dome.

Despite the great dependence on the wind, modern balloons are controllable. The flight height is adjusted by the outlet at the top of the canopy using a break cord. A side valve is provided to change course. There are also more complex structures, where another one filled with helium can be placed inside the main dome.

How to fly a balloon with a basket

Balloon control is an occupation that requires serious preparation and considerable financial costs. Suffice it to say that a training course for an aerostat pilot costs about 200 thousand rubles today. The price of the balloon itself (depending on the model) is commensurate with the price of a car.

Training

The flight is preceded by careful preparation. First of all, it is necessary to study the meteorological conditions - cloudiness, visibility and wind speed. In accordance with the data received, the flight route is planned. Due to unforeseen changes in meteorological conditions, exactly such a route is chosen, where there are enough places on the way for safe landings.

Takeoff

For the balloon to take off, the efforts of the entire crew are required. The best starting place is a flat area of ​​50 x 50 meters in an open field, where there are no foreign objects nearby - poles, trees, power lines.

Then the assembly of the ball begins: burners are attached to the basket, which are connected with special hoses with gas cylinders. After a test run of the burner, the crew proceeds to stretch the dome (always in the direction of the wind). Further, the stretched canopy is fastened to the basket with special carabiners.

The next step is to fill the dome with cold air using a fan, after which the burner starts up to heat the air. The heated air lifts the dome off the ground, and the crew (with passengers) takes their places. To prevent the balloon from flying away, it is previously tied to the car.

Flight

Despite the lack of a motor and wings, the balloon is controllable, which requires certain skills. The main controls are burners and an exhaust valve. To climb, the burner turns on and the air heats up additionally, and to lower it, the valve opens slightly. Horizontal flight occurs due to the tailwind. This is where the pilot's skill comes in. So, in order to fly faster, it can increase the flight altitude where the wind speed is stronger.

The descent

The landing site is selected in advance. It must be large and secure. The ideal option is a football field next to the road. The crew reports the landing site to the ground by radio. The pilot then releases air from the canopy using a valve. The ball falls smoothly to the ground.