Ballooning began in 1792, when the French Montgolfier brothers hoisted a duck, rooster, and sheep into the air. In 1793, using the same balloon fueled with burning straw, two Frenchmen flew over Paris, and the hot air balloon rage was begun.
Hot air balloons today use propane instead of straw, but the magic of ballooning hasn't changed in 200 years. Because you move with the wind, there is no noise except for the propane burners. You can talk to people on the ground and hear the dogs bark with curiosity.
Today's balloons can be as tall as a seven-story building and up to 60 feet wide. They are made of ripstop nylon, and can hold as many as 12 people in their baskets. Pleasure balloons fly anywhere from the level of the treetops to about 500 feet (the altitude record for a balloon is 65,000 feet).
There are balloon festivals throughout the United States. The largest is the Fall Fiesta in Albuquerque, where more than 600 balloons ascend over crowds of 200,000.