[ELI5] how do hot air balloons even work? How do they know where they’re going without steering?

Question

[ELI5] how do hot air balloons even work? How do they know where they’re going without steering?

In: 846

Answer 1

They have two controls in your hands, up and down.

Everything else is up to the wind. A knowledge operator may know certain elevations and conditions were certain directional winds take place, but other than that, it’s all up and down.

If you add a propeller of some sort, you have become a blimp.