Balloon companies may offer
both short and long flights.
The long flight (about
75 minutes) costs more, but is
worth it because the greater
flight time allows a wider
choice of launch sites, flight
plans, and opportunities
for using the changing
wind currents to maneuver
the aircraft toward the most
picturesque regions of the landscape.
The balloons,
made of special frightfully expensive
material akin to bullet-proof Kevlar,
are unpacked and extended. Cool-air
fans begin the process of filling
the balloons with air. Then the
baskets are tipped on their sides,
the burners ignited, and hot
air blasts into the inflating
space.
