Envelope height25 m
714Banana widths
16.7Standard pool noodles
2.1 tenthsSki jump hills
Typical recreational balloon
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Hot Air Balloon
The oldest form of human flight, powered by warm air and optimism/Aircraft
A standard hot air balloon carries passengers in a wicker basket suspended beneath an envelope of heated air. The Montgolfier brothers launched the first crewed flight in 1783, making it the oldest successful human flight technology. A typical recreational balloon holds about 2,800 cubic meters of air heated to around 100 degrees C above ambient temperature. The entire contraption is at the mercy of the wind, which is either romantic or terrifying depending on your temperament.
Measurements
Envelope diameter18 m
3.89Toyota Corollas
94.7Pencils
75Chopsticks
Envelope volume2,800 m^3
9.3 millionPool noodle hollows
3.1 billionMarbles
560 millionCough syrup doses
Total mass (loaded)550 kg
11 millionWater drops
1.1 tenthsShip anchors
7.1 thousandthsSpace Shuttle orbiters
Envelope, basket, burner, fuel, and passengers
Air temperature inside373 K
1.02Hot Pocket centers
1.2Human fevers
8.3 tenthsBaking ovens
About 100 C, or roughly 65 C above ambient
Typical ascent rate3 m/s
392 millionthsISS orbital speeds
107Ketchup leaving the bottle
150 millionthsMeteorites
About 200 m per minute
Typical flight altitude600 m
789Bar stool heights
6,000Chicken wing lengths
9.84Hockey rink lengths
Recreational flights stay below 1,000 m