About Hot Air Ballooning
Although Hot Air Ballooning holds a certain amount of mystique, it is actually quite safe, affordable, and enjoyable. Hot Air Balloons are certified by the FAA (In the USA) as an aircraft. And because of this are regulated as any other aircraft is. There are required maintenance and inspections, that differ depending on the use of the balloon (Commercial or private). The pilot’s responsibilities are the same as any other aircraft. A “Normal” flight would include one or more preflight weather briefings. It involves a launch site evaluation, landing sites evaluation, and balloon preflight. There would also be a passenger briefing. A pilot’s briefing is done if a group is flying together.
The Preflight
In hot air ballooning, the layout and preflight happens after the pilot has released a “Pi-ball”. This is done to gauge the low altitude local winds at the time of launch. (A Pi-ball) is a helium balloon about eight-ten inches in diameter. The Pi-ball allows the pilot to see the wind direction and speed right at the site. After the hot air balloon is laid out, the pilot and crew begin the cold air inflation.They use a portable fan that runs on gasoline or propane. The crew holds the mouth of the balloon open so the fan can fill the envelope with cold air. During this inflation, the pilot will carry out the envelope preflight and inspection and connect any control cables as necessary.
The Inflation
When this is complete the pilot lights the burner, heats the air in the balloon, and manages the crew as the balloon stands up as the air becomes hot.
The Pre-launch
Once the balloon is standing, the crew applies weight on the basket. This helps keep it on the ground according to the pilot’s direction. Now any passengers are boarded, and the balloon flight is ready to begin. When the pilot is ready, he adds more heat from the burner using short 5-second burns, making the balloon lift and climb.
The Montague Event
The Montague Balloon Fair is an annual event in the lovely valley north of Mount Shasta, CA. It is held each September, and is hosted by the local rotary club. Pilots, crew, and spectators all gather for the weekend event.
On Friday and Saturday mornings,there is coffee and doughnuts available for the pilots and crews. The balloon launch happens at dawn. There are aircraft displays, vendors, parades, lunch, dinner, and more! The rotary hosts the dinners and the proceeds benefit local youth. This event attracts people from all over the country. Awaited each year by many, it is a great crowd pleaser for Shasta County, and Montague. I have flown at this event twice, and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend each time. Many of the pilots offer a ride to one of the local participants after a drawing to win a ticket for a ride. Some of the pilots carry local officials or news people and some carry children.
The Adventure
The first year I attended this event as a pilot, I had a very exciting day, and Ballooning is not normally exciting. It usually is very calm and peaceful. After the weather briefing, and all the crew instructions and setup, I launched my balloon with one young woman as a passenger.
I had taken my time inflating my balloon intentionally so that I could watch a few other pilots lift off. This allows me to evaluate what the winds were doing. We launched and began a slow, meandering flight at low level to the west. I was trailing the other balloons that were in a group about two miles ahead.
The flight went well, and the passenger was asking questions and enjoying the ride. As we got further west, we watched several of the other balloons descend. They turned south for landings in a large fallow field.
I made the decision to follow their lead because I was not familiar with the local area. As we descended to the west, we were 15 minutes or so behind the other balloons and a wind had come up in that time. We descended as we turned south, just as the other balloons had done, however the wind was now picking up and we were approaching the field fast at a moderate angle.
The wind accelerated as we crossed the leading end of the first field, which caused me to miss the landing. We continued south toward the second of three fields in a row. As we passed the second field at 27 miles per hour, I was getting a little worried. The passenger was having a great time and not aware of the high wind issue.
I gave her a briefing on high wind landings, and how to hold on and protect herself at touchdown. As we crossed the threshold of the third and last field before the hills, we were doing about 25 miles per hour. Our angle of approach was very shallow. As the basket touched the ground, the balloon leaned forward away from the wind due to the drag of the basket on the field’s surface. I had opened the balloon top to deflate the balloon as we touched, but the wind was so strong the envelope collapsed partially creating a huge sail effect.
We bounced and dragged for the length of the field, which was considerable, and finally came to a stop against a barbed wire fence at the far end of the field. Luckily the balloon envelope was above the fence with the suspension cables draped across, so the envelope deflated on the ground safely. The basket was leaning over against the fence and was filled with about two feet worth of dirt.
I climbed out and surveyed the scene and helped my passenger get out. I asked her if she was Ok. She smiled and ecstatically screamed, “Let’s do that again!” I was startled but happy I had not scared her and made an enemy for ballooning.
My crew showed up a few minutes later panicked thinking we had crashed and were injured. We all packed up the balloon and returned to the airport to tell the story and share others flight adventures.
The Lesson
Although the event went well, and the flight and wind landing I had were safely completed, I learned a couple lessons that day. I had performed the high wind landing exactly as I should have and got the balloon and passenger on the ground safely, but the lesson was clear. I had failed to notice that to the north of my flight path to the field was a mountain pass. The leading balloons had landed just before the wind came up and I was caught in the high winds coming through that pass.
The lesson here is to be thoroughly familiar with the area you intend to fly over, and get local pilot input. In addition, the need to be keenly aware of the changing conditions is vital. I had allowed my plans for landing to be affected by the desire to land near the other balloons without considering the terrain first.
I have many flight hours since then, and have made many safe flights and carried many passengers. To this day that flight and lesson stick in my mind every time I fly.
