Hot air balloons work on a simple idea — air heated by a burner is less dense than the cooler outside air, so the balloon rises. The first manned flight took place over Paris in November 1783, when the Montgolfier brothers' balloon carried two passengers about 9 kilometers. Modern envelopes are sewn from rip-stop nylon panels, and pilots steer by changing altitude to catch winds blowing in different directions. The FAI altitude record for a hot air balloon is 21,027 meters, set by Vijaypat Singhania over India in 2005. Coloring page of a hot air balloon with patterned panels and a wicker basket, floating among soft clouds.
