Posted
June 5, 2013
Today
we celebrate a very brave pig, duck and rooster!
The
three creatures took the world's very first hot-air balloon ride on
this date in 1783. They all did just fine, health-wise, although many
thought they would run out of oxygen going so high in the sky!
We
probably should also credit the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and
Etienne, since they were the ones who built up to this experiment
with smaller balloons, they were the ones who created the huge
globe-shaped balloon out of sackcloth and paper, and they were the
ones who plunked the farm animals into the hot air balloon's basket!
It
is hard to believe that the heavy (500 pounds, or 225 kg) balloon,
with its 1,800 buttons and a fish net of cord, actually rose more
than 6,000 feet (2,000 m) into the air and stayed aloft for 10
minutes! Nowadays hot-air balloons are made of rip-stop nylon or
polyester treated with coatings to withstand ultraviolet light. They
are usually made of 1200 to 1500 square yards of fabric, 2,500 feet
of tape, and 6-8 miles (miles!)
of thread. Modern balloons generally weigh between 200 and 350
pounds—a lot lighter than the Montgolfiers' balloon. But the basket
and fuel tanks add another 400 or so pounds, and that first balloon
did not have fuel tanks.
(Surprisingly
enough, the pig, duck and rooster just stood around and tolerated the
flight; they did not steer or reheat the air!)
What
makes a hot air ballon rise?
You
probably already know that hot air rises. If you have ever been in a
two-story house, you've surely noticed that upstairs gets very stuffy
on a hot day, Or that cooling the air of the upper story can cause a
sort of waterfall of cool air pouring downstairs in the stairwell.
This
is because heat causes the various molecules in the air to jiggle
much, much faster, and they spread out more. As the air inside the
hot air balloon heats up, the balloon seems to inflate as the air
inside becomes warmer and warmer and expands more and more.
Eventually the balloon becomes so full of low-density air that it
rises—carrying up the basket and any passengers.
You
know, passengers like a honeymoon couple. Or sightseers and adventure junkies.
And your occasional pig!
Check it out...
Here is a YouTube video that shows a sort of homemade hot-air balloon. (Don't try this at home without adult consent!)
By
the way...
It
may not have been a pig, a duck, and rooster that took that first
flight.
It
may have been a sheep, a goat, and a duck...or maybe a sheep, a duck,
and a rooster. I cannot seem to find any two websites that agree! But
it is always three animals, and they are always barnyard animals.)
Celebrate!
If you cannot spend the time or money on a hot-air balloon flight, check
out these ideas
for cookies and centerpieces and cupcakes to celebrate the day!
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
Check
out my Pinterest pages on June
holidays, historical
anniversaries in June,
and June
birthdays.
