Most hot air balloons come back down safely, but a recent crash in Eloy left four dead and one critically injured. More: 4 dead, 1 injured in hot air balloon crash in Eloy.

In Dawn McKenzie’s free time, she soars high above the ground in a hot air balloon, as she has since she got her FAA-issued ballooning license when she was 19.

Hot air balloons might seem like magic, but there is a lot of physics at play behind their ascent. Once they get up in the air, how do you make them go where you want them to?

Steven Moity joined balloon crews at festivals in Albuquerque and the Adirondacks, where he took his first hot air balloon ride this fall. Published Dec. 1, 2023 Updated Dec. 4, 2023; ...