About Balloon Glows
The Origin of Balloon Glows:
Balloon Glows originate from the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. It was an idea developed about 15 years ago by a group of balloonists. They wanted to put on an evening event which was spectacular. The idea caught on immediately and the festival heneforth referrred to it as its "Moon Glo". Since then, balloon festivals and rallies throughout the country have included balloon glows in their events.
How Balloon Glows Work:
To understand how a balloon "glows," a little knowledge of how the burner operates is essential. When the main burner is activated, the propane goes through a length of coils which the flame passes over, thereby creating tremendous pressure and a very hot flame. This flame is blue in color and is used to heat the large volume of air in the fabric (envelope) which in turn gives the balloon its lift. All balloon burners have an auxiliary (back up) burner that derives its source of propane directly from the propane tank, without benefit of going through the coils, thereby giving it a softer and more "yellow" flame. It is this flame that is used at night. The yellow "soft" flame lights up the colorful balloon fabric much like a giant incandescent light bulb.
Balloon Glow at the Quechee Balloon Festival
The Balloon Glow occurs once during the three day June Festival. Usually, it is scheduled for the first night. The photos below were taken Friday, June 15th at about 9 pm.
All photos by Tim Palmer-Benson. These photos also appear on photosvermont.com