Northampton Balloon Festival
Baskets
Hot Air Balloon Baskets are where the passengers, pilot, fuel tanks etc stand when the balloon is in flight and hangs from the bottom of the balloon envelope.
Photo courtesy of Lindstrand Balloons
The baskets come in all sizes, and are normally square or oblong.
Photo courtesy of Lindstrand Balloons
Most baskets are woven from a combination of Somerset Willow and top quality Kooboo, Palambang and Tahitian cane. Why? Because balloon baskets have a hard life and these traditional materials have shown themselves to outlast more modern alternatives such as aluminium and composite plastics.
In smaller baskets it is the norm for passengers to be in the same compartment as the pilot and fuel tanks.
Photo courtesy of Lindstrand Balloons
Larger baskets, like the one above, are divided up. This allows the pilot and fuel tanks to remain separate to the passengers and therefore allows a safer and more comfortable ride for the passenger as well as evening out the weight.
Steel ropes are worked into the wicker and completely wrap around the underneath of the basket and back up to the top where they are attached to the burner frame.
The rope handles, visible on the above photo, are simply to allow the basket to be moved whilst on the trailer or ground etc.
In 2006 Cameron Balloons certified their biggest ever basket, capable of holding 32 passengers and a pilot.
Photo courtesy of Cameron Balloons
20 feet long and 5 feet wide this basket weights in at nearly a ton.
Thanks to Lindstrand Balloons and Cameron Balloons for allowing the use of their photos.
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