Okay, yesterday I was helping my dad do tether rides for some sort of "Summer Fun Day" thingy in one of the parks downtown. It didn't really go as planned since the wind kicked up right after we stood the balloon up and did a test ride (I was the Guinea pig passenger, lucky me). I got a bit of a work-out pulling the thing down so it didn't hit any trees or power lines. Anywho, I always get asked questions about the balloon, and hear all sorts of comments about it (I'm the pilot's son so people either ask my dad or me for some reason, even when the rest of the crew is standing there and can answer just as well as I can). If anybody ever gets to go to a balloon fest or anything like it, here are some things NOT to do, and some answers to FAQs.
Stuff NOT to do
Do not make any remark about damaging the balloon, it doesn't go over well with ANY of the crew. Even if you're joking, that is one way to get asked to leave the area, tampering with ANY aircraft is a Federal Offense. At least in the US. (I was handling the crown line [rope attached to the top of the balloon to keep it from rolling around] during an inflation and a kid looked at me and said "Got a knife?" and then laughed, I probably would have said something to him if I wasn't busy stabilizing the balloon.)
Stay clear of the handling lines. This is both an annoyance to the crew and a safety concern. A hot air balloon is the equivalent of several tons when fully inflated, it only takes one gust of wind to put a heavy load on the end of a rope with YOU tangled in it.
Watch what the crew is doing. When the balloon is getting ready to stand up, STAY CLEAR. Balloon crews have a hard enough job trying to stand up and stabilize the balloon (normally it's pretty easy for us since we've done it so many times, but the winds can change in a second), we don't want to be looking out for spectators as well. We do, out of habit, but the most we can do is yell, and if somebody isn't paying attention we can't go tap them on the shoulder. I've seen parents leave their kids in their strollers right behind the basket and stand there with a "deer in headlights" look on their faces as the balloon tips back and stands up. The same goes for when the balloon is coming down.
Be gentle with the balloon. You are free to get up close and touch the balloon, but be gentle. I've caught kids trying to punch or jump on the balloon before, I found their parents and told them to get some measure of control over their kids or leave. Hot air balloons are amazingly strong, but DON'T BE STUPID!
Be respectful of other people's property! This is a big one. When the balloon lands, we do so only with permission from the land owner. Balloon crews are generally very respectful of other people's property. But if you are spectating and decide to follow a balloon crew on a chase, be respectful of other people's property. A few years ago, at a balloon fest in my area, there was a balloon that landed on a farm. The land owner was very gracious, and the crew packed up the balloon without causing any problems. The spectators on the other hand, trampled a large portion of the farmer's crops and ruined them. The next day another balloon landed at the same farm and was met with a 12-gauge and an enraged land owner. If you are spectating, please stay in or near your car, and do not get in the way of a balloon chase crew.
FAQs
1. The balloon has no control over which way it goes other than to ride the different wind currents at different altitudes. We also can not fly in winds over 5-7 mph and usually only fly in the morning or evening.
2. There are 18 lines connecting the basket to the balloon, these are constructed of Kevlar and any ONE of them is strong enough to hold the entire rig together.
3. The balloon can not burn, the most they will do is melt a little if the flame from the propane burner touches the fabric, and it will seal the fabric so the hole will not become bigger. The fabric is made from flame-resistant rip-stop nylon.
4. The balloon will still fly even with a hole in it. I've seen a pilot torch an entire panel (several square feet of fabric) out of his balloon and then take off on an hour-long flight with it (not really a smart thing to do, but it does show you how safe a balloon is).
5. A Balloon has instruments on board just like an airplane. There is an altimeter and other indicators to give information about the balloon.
6. Balloons can go fairly high, the most I've ever seen on a regular flight is about 14,000 feet I think.
7. Yes, the balloon is heavy. When it's deflated and packed in the bag it weighs anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds. The basket can weigh around 600 pounds.
8. No, we don't normally give out free rides "just because", the cost of propane is not cheap these days.
9. A typical flight will last around an hour.
10. Yes, we can fly all year round, winter flights are quite beautiful.
11. If you are looking for a ride, generally a pilot who flys for a hobby will have cheaper prices than one who flys for a living.
12. If you would like to help with the crew, a hobbyist pilot will be more likely to have an opening for you. Pilots who fly for a living usually have paid crew members who travel with them, so they already have all the help they need.
13. The burner we use to heat the balloon is fueled by liquid propane, which is stored in tanks on board the basket.
14. Feel free to come up close to get some pictures, you can get some very cool ones by looking into the balloon from the mouth. Just please be mindful of what the crew is doing around you.
15. Most chase crews utilize Citizen Band radios or Two-way FRS or GMRS radios to communicate with the balloon. We use a mixture of both, with GPS locators built in to the Two-ways. (The radios with GPS are called "Rhinos" in case anybody's interested). Some crews will use Aircraft radios or cell phones to communicate as well (we use both of those as back-ups).
16. If you have any questions, ask the crew! We don't bite, and we are always happy to help people understand ballooning more thoroughly. If you would like to help us, just ask! Especially if it looks like we could use some help holding the basket down.
I think I got everything, if anybody has some questions, feel free to ask them!
Now, here's a short video I put together from some footage of a balloon fest I went to. It's not very long, only about a minute and a half. It was just something quick I did for a school presentation/project.
Balloon Festival
Some Ballooning Facts
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