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Balloon Flying Menu > Preparing For Flight > Crew > Types
of Flight
The type of flight is important
to the crew, so they know the goals of the operation; the possible
time aloft; the probable direction(s) of flight; probable altitudes;
communications, if any, to be used; and useful maps or charts.
Balloon flights can be classified into several
different types: paid passenger, instruction, race, rally, advertising/promotion,
and fun.
Many balloon pilots defray the cost of the
sport by offering paid passenger rides. The crew should know
that these passengers are paying for the privilege, and may
have been promised a certain type and length of flight.
Instructional flights require that the crew
follow the direction of the instructor, so the student may see
and participate as much as possible. The crew should work closely
with the instructor and student and not take over any portion
of the operation, thus denying the student the opportunity to
learn.
For races, crew responsibilities may be different.
The pilot may have only a single goal in mind and will zero-in
on that goal. The crew’s job is always to help the pilot,
but in the case of the race flight, the crew should try to relieve
the pilot of some of the routine tasks so he or she may concentrate
on the competition.
Many rallies, require pilots to carry passengers.
Sometimes passengers can be part of the inflation crew. In any
case you and your crew should treat them graciously as they
are, one way or another,
BALLOON GROUND CREW INFORMATION SHEET
FIGURE 2-2.—Balloon Ground Crew Information Sheet.
ELEMENTS OF CREWING
Timeliness
The crew should arrive on time. The pilot should not have to
start out the morning with the stress of a late crew.
Dress
The crew should dress sensibly with long trousers and long sleeve
clothing made of natural (non-synthetic) fibers, sturdy boots
or shoes, and gloves. Before the burner is used, long sleeves
should be down, gloves on, and hair protected.
Public Relations Skills
The crew should smile, wave to farmers, people on tractors,
law enforcement, anyone else who is watching the balloon, and
be polite at all times. The regular crew should know about the
balloon, the pilot, pertinent laws and regulations, be able
to correctly answer questions, and be a good representative
for ballooning.
Media
The crew should be polite when dealing with the media, and refer
questions to the pilot. Anything said to the media may become
public record. There is no such thing as off the record.
Postflight Responsibility
The crew should remember that there is a balloon to pack-up
and a vehicle to drive. The landing site should be cleared and
vacated as soon as possible. Make sure you do not leave a mess.
SPECIFIC PROCEDURES
Inflation and Launch
• Keep your back to the flame.
• Never wrap a rope or line around your wrist or any part
of your body.
• Keep feet off the balloon and clear of cables and lines.
• Keep chase vehicle clear of launch site and flightpath.
• Do not stand in front of a moving balloon.
• Never turn your back to a balloon that is launching.
• Do not drive on runways or taxiways at airports.
Chase
• Drive first; watch the balloon second.
• Park off the road to look when watching the balloon.
• Do not block narrow roads or driveways.
• Do not trespass.
• Do not climb fences.
• Do not enter locked gates.
• Do not sample crops.
• Keep chase vehicle on paved roads if possible; avoid
raising dust on dirt roads.
• Leave gates as you found them.
Landing and Recovery
• Try to find landowner to ask permission to land and
deflate.
• Do not drive into a field until you have permission
or tried to get permission.
• Take only one vehicle to the landing site. Ask others
politely not to enter.
• Drive carefully so you do not damage a field; drive
along rows rather than across.
• Stay clear of equipment and machinery.
• Do not dally. Get balloon out immediately.
• Seek landowner if there is any crop or field damage.
• When possible, always tell the landowner “thank
you.”
FIGURE 2-2.—Balloon Ground Crew
Information Sheet.
paying for the benefits of the event. In unknown
territory, you should provide the chase crew with maps, and,
if desired, a local person to act as guide.
A typical flight briefing may be “I intend
to make a 1- hour flight and I have about 2 hours of fuel on
board. From my weather briefing and the pibal, I should travel
in a southeasterly direction, but if I go west I will land before
getting to the freeway. I will probably do a lot of contour
flying, but may go up to 2,000 feet to look around. Let’s
use channel one on the radio. There is a county road map on
the front seat.”
As stated before, the optimum size inflation
crew for a sport balloon is four people—the pilot operating
the burner, two people holding the mouth open, and one person
on the crown line. Many pilots prefer a larger number of crewmembers;
however, it is important to be aware that too many crewmembers
may often be working against each other due to lack of
coordination.
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