Some questions

Hi there, I like hot air balloons and was just wondering:

How do people clean the balloon? What material are they made of?

I've seen stunts where somebody lands on top of the balloon, and I was wondering how much weight the balloon can have on top of it without it losing height etc.

Paul..

The only real way to clean a balloon is not to get it dirty! Seriously.. Other than that if a nice damp piece of really clean green grass can be found some morning you can pull it back and forth across it but that really puts more stress on the seams and material.. Better to just try to keep it clean.

As far as weight on top, not a lot.. The balloons that you have seen that done with as I understand (and I have seen on TV) had a net on top also to hold on to which would also have helped distribute the weight.. This might not have been true in EVERY instance that this was done, but I know it was true in at least a few. I wouldn't recommend it though.

Paul, Most balloon's envelopes(the colorful part) are made of coated rip-stop nylon. The baskets are made of wicker with a floor put in. If you want more info than this, please let me know. Kimberly

It was the envelope that I meant. That's the same material as parachutes isn't it?

I love that stunt. It always amazed me that the envelope did not collapse and bring the balloon down. It would be a very soft landing, as long as you didn't fall off!

What keeps it from turning into a 'rip' landing? The vent would surely collapse.

I've noticed they don't land in the middle. They land close to the edge.