1 Would you like to fly? Imagine floating high above the ground, drifting along on the wind, not a care in the world! Does it sound like fun? Well, people do it in Cornwall every summer.
2 Lift-Off is a three day fun-filled hot air balloon festival. As many as twenty five of the huge balloons fill the sky each morning and evening, giving rides to those brave enough to fly. You can't steer a hot air balloon; it just moves along with the wind until it's time to land. A chase crew in a special van follows the balloon as it floats across the sky and picks up the riders and gear at the end of the ride.
3 All hot air balloons are the same. They have three parts: a basket, a burner system to heat the air to fill the balloon, and an envelope, the balloon itself. Balloons come in many sizes, shapes, and colors, and are most often made of nylon. You have to be sixteen years old, take classes, and pass tests before you can earn a licence to pilot a hot air balloon. Balloons last many years, and there are people over eighty years old who still fly their own balloons today.
