What is the relationship between altitude changes and flight direction in a hot air balloon?

• A. Operating at different flight altitudes can change direction
• B. Altitude changes do not influence direction
• C. Direction is controlled by wind and burner only
• D. Balloon cannot change heading by altitude

Answer: (A)

Altitude changes alter flight direction because a hot air balloon has no built-in steering. It simply rides the wind. Different layers of air at different heights can move in different directions and speeds. By heating the air, you rise into a layer where the wind is blowing toward a new direction; by cooling or venting to descend, you may drop into another layer with yet another wind direction. The burner’s job is to control how high you go, not to push the balloon in a specific direction. So, changing altitude is the primary way to adjust the ground track when trying to head toward a particular destination.