For my parents anniversary one year, we sent them on a hot air balloon ride over the skies above Kalispell, Montana.  This was such an awesome experience for them to see the beauty below at a slow and steady pace high above the ground.  They were in the air for a little more than an hour but the experience they had will last them their whole life long.  

If you have ever been lucky enough to see many hot air balloons together at one time, then you know the beauty that these vast sailing vessels have.  The skies over Albuquerque, New Mexico fill up each year with over 500 hot air balloons.  What a glorious site this must be.  When looking at images of them, they seem to just be sitting still in the sky. 

On Sept. 19, 1783 a scientist named Pilatre De Rozier launched the “Aerostat Reveilon” making it the first hot air balloon.  Riding in the basket of the hot air balloon were a rooster, a duck, and a sheep.  The balloon managed to stay up for 15 minutes.

  Our featured books this week have to do with hot air balloons.  

Our first book is “Hot Air Ballooning” by Peter B. Mohn. Balloon pilots must have a license before being allowed to fly their balloon.  The license test shows that the pilot can fly a balloon, has full understanding of the laws, and is physically able.  We learn in this book what makes the balloon fly and why it has to be so large.  We learn how it takes off and what the best vantage point for taking off and landing is.  

Our second book is called “Early Flying Machines” by Henry Dale. This book covers ancient dreams of flying machines, actual airships, the parachute, Ornithopters, fixed wing flights as well as the success of these early flying machines.  It is put into Chronological order, giving the reader a great sense of how one idea morphed into another better idea.  

Come on up to the Henning Public Library and check out a great book.  We’d love to see you and have a cup of tea.