No we're not quite ready for takeoff

Inflating a hot air balloon begins by just blowing air into it with a big fan.  Once it's about like this, the pilot fires up the burners to finish.  It's a bit of a delicate maneuver to aim the burners at just the right angle to avoid burning the balloon itself.  Here, the hot air balloons are known as montgolfières in honor of the two French brothers who built and flew the first manned and untethered balloon in 1783.