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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-balloon-envelope

What is the large fabric body of a hot-air balloon called?

It is the envelope.

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  1. Envelope ✔
  2. Gondola
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Why: The envelope holds the heated air that provides buoyancy. Below it, the basket or gondola carries the pilot, passengers, fuel tanks, and equipment.

Huh, didn't know that: Vertical fabric panels that form the envelope are called gores.

The dad joke
The balloon mailed itself skyward in a very large envelope.
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References

Answer: Envelope. The envelope holds the heated air that provides buoyancy. Below it, the basket or gondola carries the pilot, passengers, fuel tanks, and equipment.

  1. FAA Balloon Flying Handbook, Chapter 2 www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/Balloon_Flying_Handbook_FAA-H-8083-11B/bfh_chapter_2.pdf
    It consists of a fabric envelope filled with a gas that is lighter than the surrounding atmosphere.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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