EnvelopeThe fabric bag that holds the hot air. It is usually of ripstop nylon or Dacron. Hot air is less dense than the air round it, so the balloon rises.
Deflation portThe opening at the top, sealed by a panel. On many balloons it is a parachute top. The pilot opens it partly to cool the balloon, and fully to deflate it after landing.
MouthThe open bottom of the envelope. The burner blows hot air in here. It is also called the throat.
BurnerThe propane heater that makes the hot air. The pilot fires it to climb.
BasketThe wicker basket that carries the pilot, passengers, fuel tanks and instruments. Wicker flexes, which cushions a landing.
The envelope: 6 4
GoreOne of the long vertical panels that make the envelope. They are sewn side by side. They are named gores because they taper.
Vertical load tapesStrong webbing sewn from top to bottom. The cables pass the weight of the basket to them.
Horizontal load tapesStrong webbing sewn round the envelope, reinforcing the gores.
Crown lineA rope tied to the top of the envelope. The ground crew hold it to help fill the balloon and to lay it down when it is deflated.
Mouth, burner and basket: 7 4
SkirtThe fabric below the mouth. It is coated to resist fire so the burner's flame does not catch it. It is also called a scoop.
CablesThey hang the burner frame and basket from the envelope. These steel or Kevlar lines pass their weight to the load tapes.
Support polesThe poles or rods above the basket that hold up the burner. They pass the basket's weight to the cables.
Fuel tanksThe tanks of liquid propane, carried in the basket. Hoses join them to the burner.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. Federal Aviation Administration, Balloon Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-11B), https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/balloon_flying_handbook : chapter 2, figure 2-3 (deflation port, envelope, horizontal and vertical load tapes, skirt or scoop, mouth or throat, crown line, basket, heating system) and its text (envelope of ripstop nylon or Dacron cut into gores; load tapes; steel or Kevlar cables pass basket loads to the load tapes; the fire-resistant skirt; the deflation port and parachute top, opened partly to cool the balloon; propane burners, fuel tanks and hoses; the wicker basket and the poles that support the burner); chapter 7 (the crown line in deflation); glossary (crown line, deflation panel, heater, mouth, parachute top, suspension lines). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
These are the parts of a hot air balloon as the FAA's Balloon Flying Handbook names them. Start with the 5 main parts, then the envelope, then everything from the mouth down.
Read the full guide
The envelope
The envelope is sewn from long panels called gores, held together by load tapes running down and round it. At the top is the deflation port, closed by a panel, and the crown line hangs from there.
From the mouth down
The skirt hangs round the open mouth. Cables run down to the burner, which sits on poles over the basket. The basket carries the pilot, passengers and propane fuel tanks.
To climb, the pilot fires the burner; to come down, they let the air cool or open the deflation port a little.
Questions and answers
What are the three main parts of a hot air balloon?
The envelope, the fabric bag that holds the hot air; the heater system, meaning the burners, fuel tanks and hoses; and the basket that carries the pilot and passengers.
What is the top of a hot air balloon called?
The opening at the top is the deflation port. On many balloons it is closed by a parachute top, a fabric disc the pilot can pull down to let hot air out.
What is a hot air balloon made of?
The envelope is ripstop nylon or Dacron, sewn into panels called gores. The basket is usually wicker, which is strong, light and flexes on landing.