The Basket
The basket is the bottom part of the balloon. It carries the passengers, pilot and gas cylinders. Baskets come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Smaller baskets for the more intimate flights for 2-3 people, right up to the larger sizes (20 ) used for public flights.
Most baskets these days are woven from Kooboo and Palambang cane as these materials are extremely sturdy and lightweight. These materials have proven to be the most hardwearing and durable, even more than aluminium or some composite polymers. The basket must be extremely strong as it is constantly on the move, being shifted from place to place and also when the balloon actually lands there is a large amount of force exerted on it as it hits the floor and comes to a halt. The flexibility of the cane helps with the balloon landing as wicker material absorbs some of the energy produced.
Types of Basket
There are 2 main types of basket, Open and T-partition. The open basket, as the name indicates is open plan, with all equipment, passengers and crew standing in the same part of the basket. The T-partitions basket has sections within the basket for people to stand, crew to stand etc. The T-partitions main advantages over the open are that it is in fact a stronger structure due to the extra struts and also that the balloon remains more balanced overall as weight can be spread evenly over each compartment.
Here are some examples of different basket types below:
