How to crew for a hot air balloon

Ballooning is not an individual sport. The ground crew is an essential and integral part, and nothing is more valuable for a good and successful flight than a well trained and well instructed ground crew. This is an shorter version of a chase crew guide that I put together to help train volunteer crew for a balloon event. My sources were an outline by Peggy, who does repairs and crews, and my own 18 years of personal experience.

Ballooning on Antelope Island, Northern Utah

Step 1 Balloon Terminology

There are several different makes of balloons and each brand has a slightly different set up. You should familiarize yourself with the balloon you are working with so you can identify it on a chase. Some of the different kinds are Aerostar, Balloon Works, Cameron, Thunder and Colt, and Lindstrand.


Bag: A heavy canvas like container that holds the envelope, stuff sack

Basket or Gondola: The wicker carriage that holds people, fuel tanks, and other flight equipment.

Burner: Apparatus that changes liquid propane to vapor and supplies ignition for flame

Chase Crew: People who assist the pilot in launch, flight, chase, landing, deflation and pack up

Chase Vehicle: Vehicle used to carry balloon to launch site and to retrieve it at landing site

Cold Inflation: The process of filling the envelope with cold air

Crown: Top of the envelope

Crown Line: Rope attached to the top of the balloon used to control inflation and deflation

Drop Line: A rope connected to the basket that is dropped to a crew person on the ground that can pull the balloon to a suitable place to deflate

Envelope: The fabric part of the balloon

Equator: Middle section of the envelope

Fuel Tanks: Containers where propane is stored for use during inflation and flight

Hot Inflation: Heating the cold air with burners until the envelope will stand vertical

Inflator Fan: A fan used to blow cold air into the envelope

Landowner: A person who owns the property on which you are trespassing. You should get permission whenever possible. Do not drive through crops or try to go through locked gates. Do not cut fences. Stay on the edge of a field to cause the least amount of impact.

Load Tapes: Vertical and horizontal straps that run between fabric panels and that the fabric is attached to

Mouth or Throat: The opening in the bottom of the envelope

Red Line or Vent Line: Rope attached to the top cap or valve. Used to let out hot air during landing and deflation

Radio: Used to communicate instructions from pilot to crew

Skirt: Fabric connected to the throat to aid with cold inflation. Some balloons have a partial skirt called a scoop

Suspension Lines: Cables or ropes that connect the envelope to the basket

Tie Off: The rope that anchors the basket to the chase vehicle to keep the balloon from dragging on a windy inflation

Top Cap or Valve: A parachute in the top of the balloon used to let out hot air to maneuver to different levels and to deflate the balloon

Weigh Off: Lightly holding on to basket at launch to control direction away from objects




Eden balloon festival (northern Utah)

Comments

[colincox1]

What a great article, and a BIG Thnaks for giving me permission (but with acknowledgements) to use it for the training of some crew in UK.

Best regards Colin

[Shiseiji]

Very nice. I crewed for over five years till I had to move. Note on the take-off site: The pilot generally picks the site, not the crew. Often based on the wind and what landing sites are down-wind for the current conditions (in the east we often landed in locations a person from the west found initially daunting till they learned the unique flying conditions). Hardest thing to learn was patience and to not get ahead of the balloon if at all possible till close to landing time (when you want to try to talk to the land owner). Roads don't always follow the wind and if the vehicle/trailer rig is long it pays to consider the road network :-)  As the world's laziest crw member I always tied hard to get the rig as close to the balloon landing as possible, especially if it was just me and the pilot! Sometimes the pilot will allow a "taxi" closer to the chase vehicle, sometimes it is a long heavy haul (and then the stone walls in New England don't look so pretty).

Fastest talking I ever did was to a Law Enforcement officer responding to a 911 call ensuring the officer we were fine, the sound of the burner was wasn't a failing "engine," what they were seeing was "normal" (uh, kinda), and "legal" (well, FAA does have some regulations about distances and heights that, uh, might have been bent but the wind had shifted and we were running out of landing options). Crewing has many responsibilities.

Check out the http://www.blastvalve.com/ site and see who is working in your area. Call and ask about coming to watch/learn and you may get a chance to help but it may take more then one trip to show you are serious. In my experience #1 way to hack off a pilot and crew is to start asking about crew rides. Every pilot is different and some are better then others. My pilot always bought breakfast for the crew (most don't), and if there was only one paying passenger, with the client's permission would take a crew member for the flight. But it was a gift, not a "right." Being willing to come out and solo crew(oh fun) in marginal weather (meaning we didn't want to call a client as the flight had a 70% of not going) I earned five hours of logged time (all commercial balloon pilots are also instructors) when the weather turned out OK for a lesson. The I bought breakfast and would offer to pay for fuel (my pilot knew I was broke). Was one of the best five years of my life.

[just mike]

Yeah, the launch site is the pilot's descision. I just added that because you should make yourself aware of what you're in for. its nice to be active for the whole process so you know whats going on and what the pilot is thinking.

patience is key. nothing more anoying than a crew chief the drives around in circles all morning. and I think I could rival you for laziest in the world. the less work you have to do the more fun you're having right. the "laziest" way is usualy the most efficent.

I swear I've had that same conversation with a police officer! some people think balloons land at airports and dont know flames are normal, uuh manditory. one time a fire truck and ambulance showed up at an elementary school demo we were diong. the balloon was teathered but one of the kids model tissue paper balloons (instructable comming soon) hit power lines and someone thought it was a real balloon further away.just imagine the fast talking that followed.

I've found that with the smaller commercial opperation (2 to 4 passengers at a time) the pilots can't afford to pay as much and are more likely to offer crew rides to gain loyalty. with the bigger companies probably better off to just buy a ride or lesson. ether way a crew ride is ALWAYS a gift coustomers ALWAYS have priority, and it would be concidered rude to stop comming out after you get your ride.

Sence i wrote this instructable I've gotten my pilot's licence and I'm just a few hours and a check ride away from my commercial raiting. you should visit Utah and check out out WIDE OPEN landing sites. 

[Shiseiji]

Big congrats! The pilot I crewed for actually moved to CA partly for those big open spaces. But with the general down-turn etc. I believe his aircraft have gone out of annual and are for sale. I live right outside DC now and just don't care to drive :90 to get to where people fly. This really brought back some goos memories. I wish you the best!

[rainbowdancer]

I have been an avid balloon watcher for years and am now looking for a crew in New Jersey to work with. I crewed once or twice, but now I really want to get involved. If anyone can help, I would appreciate it!

Rainbowdancer

[just mike]

sorry I don't know anyone on the east coast. Balloonists, by nature are very approachable.  the best thing to do is get online and see who is selling rides in the area, call them up and ask if they need crew. If they need help, and If you're a good worker you can earn a ride. most pilots I know will give rides to new crew members after three or four flights. also any commercial pilot is certified to give flight instruction. just let the pilot know what you want to get out of it and he or she will most likely work it out with you, but you will be expected to work. If they don't need help ask where the launch field is and go watch. or chase them down when you see them flying. The key to getting on a crew is to make yourself available. the more you hang out around balloons the better chances you have of getting in one. All balloonists love to see new people getting excited about the sport.

[maxpower49]

i would love to be on a hot air balloon we just had the balloon festival up here in dansville NY and they asked me to help with a balloon for a glow and it was a pain to fold up the 600 LB top me and a bunch of other kids helped it was fun but it was hard work but i would still love to go for a ride or even pilot one but do you have to have any licence to be a pilot

[just mike]

Balloons are type certified just like air planes and helicopters. that means you need all the same kind of training to get a pilots license. logging hours with an instructor, pass a written test, an oral test and a flight test. the good thing about all that is that you have all the same rights as other aircraft. like flying for hire. taking passengers and flying over congested areas. unlike ultra-lights which don't require a license, (still a good idea to get some training) the fastest way to get your license is to go to a balloon flight school like the one I work at in park city Utah. Any commercial rated pilot is qualified to give instruction, so it would probably be easier for you to find someone close by and ask how much they would charge for lessons (or work it off by crewing). it is kind of an expecive sport to get into, but still a lot cheaper than air planes or helicopters. its kind of a lot of work too as you found out, but with a good pilot/crew team not so much that it isn't fun

[desertdog]

Very good description. Having crewed on many flights, I appreciate the brief but concise instructions.

[dacker]

Very nice and comprehensive. My 10-year old and I volunteered every Sunday AM a couple seasons ago. It was a lot of fun (except getting-up at 4am!)

[just mike]

Cool, where did you fly? 4am sucks, but it's always worth it to get out of bed

[dacker]

We crewed for Vista Balloon, based out of Newberg, OR, which is five miles from my house. They fly about five balloons (and can call-in some privately-owned ones for busy days) with capacities of up to eight passengers (plus pilot).

After all balloons were back, they put on a pretty good brunch, including $25 bottles of champagne! ;-)

[just mike]

it looks like a great place to fly. I go out mostly in Park City, UT. I have crewed for one of those big operations. 3 balloons with up to 12 passengers each. those big balloons are a lot of work, it almost takes the fun out of it. my favorite is the southern Utah adventure flights with Skywalker Balloons

http://www.skywalker.at/pictures.htm

[crestind]

Very cool Instructable!

[Weissensteinburg]

Outstanding instructions!

[benthekahn]

Good job. Ballooning is fun for sure.