How does a pilot steer a balloon?
A balloon does not have a steering wheel. A balloon goes where the winds blow it. However, the wind doesn’t blow in exactly the same direction at every height. In fact the wind at different altitudes may blow in so many different directions that a balloon can go in any direction that the pilot wants. The balloon can even return to the place from which it took off, this condition is known as a box wind. Therefore, a balloon pilot can steer a balloon, within the confines of the wind conditions at the time, by ascending and descending to different altitudes in order to pick up the available wind directions.
