hotairballoonist

How can I put my information about becoming a crew member here in this forum?
 
Become a member. 
 
Click on the yellow Create Account box in the upper right hand corner of the webpage.  Choose a membership and fill out the information and follow the directions.  A Paid Membership will give you the ability to interact in many areas of the site.  You can select from many different memberships. 
 
You can also get a FREE membership by clicking on the Registered Guest Membership.  The free membership will only allow you to post a topic in this Category.  You will not be allowed to post topics in other categories.  For more permissions to participate in other areas select the paid membership that suits your needs best.
 
Once you have a membership return to this category and please view the two sample topics here.  Use these sample topics as a guideline for creating your topic..
 
Here are the different memberships available.  Just click on the one that best suits you and it will take you directly to that membership.
 
Have fun.
 

Welcome to CNY Hot Air Balloon Rides! Your Hot Air Balloon Flight Expert!
Our family has been in the balloon business since 1977! We are a local business with roots here in CNY.

We provide Hot Air Balloon flights in the Central New York area mornings and evenings, each day weather permitting. 

Come and share our passion for Hot Air Ballooning, its not just a ride but an experience!

Beside passenger balloon flights, we also can provide:
School Presentations Banner Advertising for your business Tethered Hot Air Balloon Events Balloon Festival event development and management Special Shape balloon development and piloting
 
Come fly with us for an experience of a lifetime! 
To schedule a flight please call 315.263.6124 or use the Contact us page please.
 
http://www.cnyballoonrides.com/

Looking for A ROAD Warrior.  Long distance driving.  Must have valid DL.  Clean Record and be over the age of 24 for insurance.We will be traveling with a large corporate balloon so professional CLEAN CUT look is a must.  Plan on 6 to 8 months of travel from April to possibly October.  Continental US only.  NO SMOKING.  Pay is 32K  You will work like a dog 14 hours a day for this but it will be a great adventure.  Previous crew experience is a plus but not a requirement.  LTA Rating is a bonus.  Commercial rating even better.
 
Contact Jeff at 407-421-9322 or Info@thompsonaire.com 
 
THIS IS NOT A REAL AD!  This is just a sample of what a crew ad should or could look like. 

Balloon Rides
Phone: 813-243-9507 Fax: 813-388-2332
sales@americanballoonrides.com
www.AmericanBalloonRides.com
 

Balloon Rides
https://www.aerogelicballooning.com/
1-866-Fly-Tday (359-8329)
 
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We have all seen this but has anyone thought it thru?
 
Do you spread out your balloon before the inflation?  WHY? 
 
Lets talk about the inflation.  In simple terms "Inflation" is the process of putting air into the balloon.  So lets think about this. 
 
I have a water pitcher with a gallon of milk in it and I have a standard plastic gallon milk jug.  Who can pour out the milk the fastest?  Yes the Pitcher because the mouth of the pitcher is much larger than the gallon milk jug. 
 
So what does this have to do with the balloon you ask?  The smaller the mouth the longer it takes to put the air in.  The larger the mouth the more you can put in. 
 
When you first start to inflate your balloon the balloon is empty.  As you put air into the balloon a bubble begins to develop at the top of the balloon.  The rest of the balloon is laying flat.  As the bubble at the top of the balloon grows it extends down the balloon toward the mouth of the balloon.  When the bubble reaches the mouth of the balloon it begins to enlarge the opening.  The bigger the opening in the mouth of the balloon the more air you can put in and the further back the inflator fan can sit.  SO.....
 
If you spread your balloon out on the ground it will take longer for the bubble to reach the throat of the balloon because it will have to fill the entire area you have spread out on the ground before the bubble will start to head to the mouth of the balloon.  Spreading out the balloon will actually make the inflation time longer.  If you wish to help the balloon inflate the part of the balloon that could benefit from you pulling it out is the bottom third of the balloon near the mouth.  The formula for Force is area X pressure.  The fan has a static pressure.  The middle of your balloon has a large area so the force (area X pressure) is greatest in the middle of your balloon and least at the throat.  If you want to help your balloon inflate faster help the part that has the least force, just up from the mouth of the balloon.
 
JT

First thing you will need to do is create  your "Topic Title".
We recommend that you use the Brand, size and Location. as your Topic Title.  For Example,  Cameron Z90 Butte MT.  This will separate your item from others and help target the right people looking for what you have for sale.
Other items to list,
Hours TT, Price, Location, Shipping options, Last Annual, Burner Type / options, Basket year (if different from envelope) other items that come with the balloon. Ropes, Radios, Trailer, Covers, Ect..
Don't forget PHOTOS. You can post up to 20MB of photos to your ad.  Easy to do and they look like this.

Most important is your location and how to contact you!  Ad your phone and your email and any other contact information you want.
Another great way to add your contact information is to create a signature line in your Client settings area.  We have a video about creating signatures.
Visit the Download Center and go to the Video Tutorials category for more "How To" video's.

Excellent explanation!
 
Another benefit of the no-spread method of inflating is that your crew will have a much easier time holding the mouth open, since the air filling the balloon tends to hold open the mouth automatically after a certain amount of air has entered the envelope. A very exaggerated example of this is the "blow it out of the bag" technique (or a more refined alternative: strategically removing envelope straps from a fully-snaked-out envelope) which concentrates the volume of air at the bottom portion, which keeps the mouth size at or near maximum diameter through the entire inflation process. I do not practice either of those methods, but simply start the fan(s) when the balloon is snaked out but not spread out in any way. One or two crew members are only necessary to hold the mouth up for a minute or two until enough air is in the non-spread balloon such that the mouth holds itself open. A skirt makes it necessary for the crew to hold the mouth for much longer, and in many cases, all the way through hot inflation. One notices that most all commercial advertising and ride balloons have scoops. This is not a coincidence.
 
Pilots who go through the needless effort of spreading their envelopes out prior to inflation also force their mouth crew to perform a much harder task if there is a moderate or stronger amount of wind, due to the tendency for that bubble of air to retreat to the top of the balloon before allowing the lower portion to fill out last. The lower half of the balloon (including the mouth) is tightly-stressed along the vertical load tapes, low, and flat (oblong) with much more force required of the crew to hold the mouth up and open because of the stress on the load tapes. Flapping of the fabric in the roof of the mouth is another negative side effect of spreading the envelope prior to inflation. This can damage the fabric over time. In one case, I have even witnessed a lower panel tear away and up from the Nomex during inflation of a balloon that was close to the end of its service life and inflated in that manner.
 
Any envelope spreading efforts are best practiced after the balloon has enough air in it (at least 40-50% full, otherwise the mouth risks closing up) that one can walk underneath one side, fluff a significant amount of air underneath that side near the equator (to use as an air cushion to protect the fabric from anything on the ground), and walk the bottom of the envelope fabric back out to the side entered from. Repeat the process on the other side once and you can get almost all the loose fabric spread out with minimal ground contact, avoiding abrasions and possible tears. A modified technique to this that I learned from another large ride balloon pilot is simply to lift the bottom of your mouth, skirt, scoop, etc. in order to deliberately let air from your fan(s) blow underneath the envelope as it's about 30-60% full. The air will form a giant cushion underneath, and the envelope will actually spread itself out even quicker than with manual intervention, without even having to leave the basket! This affords a quicker inflation with less risk of tearing the fabric on unforeseen gremlins.
 
One final note: There is almost never a person on the mouth of my balloons by the time the burners come on. Use your fans, wait until the balloon is completely cold-packed if it's windy, and sneak some heat into the balloon until your cables are taut before you go full-blast (if that's your style).
 
Happy flying!

We have all seen this but has anyone thought it thru?
 
Do you spread out your balloon before the inflation?  WHY? 
 
Lets talk about the inflation.  In simple terms "Inflation" is the process of putting air into the balloon.  So lets think about this. 
 
I have a water pitcher with a gallon of milk in it and I have a standard plastic gallon milk jug.  Who can pour out the milk the fastest?  Yes the Pitcher because the mouth of the pitcher is much larger than the gallon milk jug. 
 
So what does this have to do with the balloon you ask?  The smaller the mouth the longer it takes to put the air in.  The larger the mouth the more you can put in. 
 
When you first start to inflate your balloon the balloon is empty.  As you put air into the balloon a bubble begins to develop at the top of the balloon.  The rest of the balloon is laying flat.  As the bubble at the top of the balloon grows it extends down the balloon toward the mouth of the balloon.  When the bubble reaches the mouth of the balloon it begins to enlarge the opening.  The bigger the opening in the mouth of the balloon the more air you can put in and the further back the inflator fan can sit.  SO.....
 
If you spread your balloon out on the ground it will take longer for the bubble to reach the throat of the balloon because it will have to fill the entire area you have spread out on the ground before the bubble will start to head to the mouth of the balloon.  Spreading out the balloon will actually make the inflation time longer.  If you wish to help the balloon inflate the part of the balloon that could benefit from you pulling it out is the bottom third of the balloon near the mouth.  The formula for Force is area X pressure.  The fan has a static pressure.  The middle of your balloon has a large area so the force (area X pressure) is greatest in the middle of your balloon and least at the throat.  If you want to help your balloon inflate faster help the part that has the least force, just up from the mouth of the balloon.
 
JT

Apex Balloons is one of the most personal, dynamic, exciting and experienced hot air balloon companies in the country. We have been providing safe, enjoyable hot air balloon flights in various regions of the United States for more than fifteen years. We offer hot air balloon flights in the Phoenix & Scottsdale Arizona area with the same commitment to service that our guests have come to expect. We schedule and fly hot air balloon rides in Phoenix, Arizona seven days a week from October through May, with balloon flights launching daily at sunrise, weather permitting. Late afternoon sunset flights are available during the cooler months of November through March.
 
We are not a large hot air balloon company - in fact, we are entirely owner/pilot operated - and we firmly believe that allows us to offer a more personal experience over the "big box" balloon companies out there that operate almost on an assembly line basis, handling many dozens of passengers daily. We prefer to operate on a smaller scale, which allows us to offer a much more personalized and unique hot air balloon ride experience. Despite our small size, we are an established hot air balloon company with many years of experience and the capability to make any special request come to life. Thousands of smiling faces have joined us in flight for an unforgettable experience that can hardly be surpassed. Check out what our past balloon flight guests have said about their flights!
 
Owner and chief pilot Jon Radowski is proud of our absolutely immaculate safety record throughout our history in hot air ballooning, and strives to make your balloon flight as safe, as enjoyable, and as memorable as possible. When you call to ask questions or schedule your flight, you'll talk directly to one of our pilots, not a secretary or answering service who doesn't have first-hand knowledge of the realities of hot air ballooning in Arizona. Click here to read why else we firmly believe our balloon flights and service are the best available.
 
Please visit our website for many more photos and detailed information about our hot air balloon flights in Phoenix. When you are ready to make a reservation, you may do so conveniently by choosing your desired flight date and time through our online reservation system. We look forward to providing a positively special life experience that will be a fond memory and topic of conversation for the rest of your life!
 
Soft Landings,
Jon Radowski
Owner / Chief Pilot
 
  
  

Balloon Rides
http://redrockballoons.com/index.html
928-284-0040
idetails@redrockballoons.com

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Here is a link
 

History of The "Balloon"

On the 19th of September 1783, Pilatre De Rozier, a scientist, launched the first hot air balloon called 'Aerostat Reveillon'. The passengers were a sheep, a duck and a rooster and the balloon stayed in the air for a grand total of 15 minutes before crashing back to the ground.
 
The first manned attempt came about 2 months later on 21st November, with a balloon made by 2 French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. The balloon was launched from the centre of Paris and flew for a period of 20 minutes. The birth of hot air ballooning!!!
 
Just 2 years later in 1785 a French balloonist, Jean Pierre Blanchard, and his American co pilot, John Jefferies, became the first to fly across the English Channel. In these early days of ballooning, the English Channel was considered the first step to long distance ballooning so this was a large benchmark in ballooning history.
 
Unfortunately, this same year Pilatre de Rozier (the world's first balloonist) was killed in his attempt at crossing the channel. His balloon exploded half an hour after takeoff due to the experimental design of using a hydrogen balloon and hot air balloon tied together. (no need to worry! Technology assures safety!).
 
 
Science Behind it
      If you actually need to get somewhere, a hot air balloon is a fairly impractical vehicle.You can't really steer it, and it only travels as fast as the wind blows. But if you simply want to enjoy the experience of flying, there's nothing quite like it. Many people describe flying in a hot air balloon as one of the most serene, enjoyable activities they've ever experienced.
 
      Hot air balloons are also an ingenious application of basic scientific principles.  Hot air balloons are based on a very basic scientific principle: warmer air rises in cooler air. Essentially, hot air is lighter than cool air, because it has less mass per unit of volume. A cubic foot of air weighs roughly 28 grams (about an ounce). If you heat that air by 100 degrees F, it weighs about 7 grams less. Therefore, each cubic foot of air contained in a hot air balloon can lift about 7 grams. That's not much, and this is why hot air balloons are so huge -- to lift 1,000 pounds, you need about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.
 
 

Just a little poll where you can tell us what you take onboard with you in flight.

Balloon Rides
https://southernskiesballooning.com/
southernskiesballooning205@gmail.com
864 650-6512 864 986-5458

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Hello Jeff.
I admit I was a bit skeptical when I received an email without a name saying I had signed up for an account. Once I came here and looked around though, I think that this can be a great thing. There is too much trash, politics, non-ballooning related stuff going on on the Reflector and many folks are tired of that. I will be interested to hear more from your father regarding ideas for the BFA's involvement here. I do see some potential opportunitites.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks,
 
Drew Egerton
BFA Board of Directors
At-Large Director

Just a little poll where you can tell us what you take onboard with you in flight.

pbtsmith@lobo.net
505-604-2865
Albuquerque, NM
FAA Designated Pilot Examiner

Beth Wright-Smith is now a pilot examiner for private commercial and add-on balloon certificates.

Navigation Structure at HotAirBalloonist.com
The MAIN (or Forums) page is where you will find all the Category's
Here is a description of the different levels in the Forum
We have Category’s > Sub-Category's > Forums > Topics.
 
Category:
A "Category" is a basic area of conversation or information. 
For Example “Equipment Sales”.  Equipment Sales would be a Category.
 
Sub-Category:
There are lots of types of "Equipment" for sale in the Balloon world so inside the Category “Equipment Sales” you may have several other “Sub Categories” like Baskets or Burners or Full Systems and so on. So "Full Systems" would be the "Sub Category" inside the category Equipment Sales. 
 
For example. “Equipment Sales > Full Systems
This would be  "Category > Sub Category
 
Forums:
Forums are found inside the Sub Category’s like “69K or less or 70K to 90K and so on.  These would be specific forums that members would create topics of disscussion inside. The "69K or less" is the "Forum."
 
For example. “Equipment Sales > Full Systems > 69k or less. 
This would be  "Category > Sub Category > Forum"
 
 
Topics:
 Inside the “Forum” is where you find the “Topics.”  There is no limit on how many “Topics” can be inside a Forum.  If you had a balloon for sale and it was an Aerostar Aurora 54 you might create a topic called Aerostar 54 Mint.
The “Aerostar 54 Mint” would be the “Topic.”
 
“Equipment Sales > Full Systems > 69Kor less > Aerostar 54 Mint”
      This would be  "Category > Sub Category > Forum > Topic"
 
Topics are written by the Members of HotAirBalloonist.com.
In this case the ”Topic” would be the actual balloons the members would have for sale.  Each “Topic” can be replied to by other members asking questions or making offers to purchase. 
All “Topics” are created and controlled by the member who made the topic in the first place.  So when you list a balloon for sale you have the ability to alter the topic or add content to the topic or even remove the topic when the balloon is sold.
 
Please keep in mind that anyone who visits HotAirBalloonist.com can see your topic.
The general public who are not members of HotAirBalloonist.com can view all of your information.  Only Members can Reply or ask questions about your topic.  So include your contact information like phone or email in the topic you create so everyone can get in touch with you.
 
Also remember the FOLLOW THIS feature!
Any time you post a topic or make a reply to a topic you can click the little box FOLLOW and when someone else posts a topic or a reply you will get an instant email telling you there is new information about the topic you are interested in.  You can follow entire categories, topics, events, reply's, files, just about anything on the site.

Balloon Rides
https://stillwaterballoons.com/
651.439.1800
stillwaterballoons@comcast.net

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Ride Operation
www.balloonsunlimited.com
703-898-1157
fireflyer@me.com
 

High 5 Ballooning
New Hampshires premier and only full time, full service balloon company servicing all of New England

Come enjoy a hot air balloon ride with High 5 Ballooning, New England's premier hot air balloon ride company. Walk on board New Englands only basket with a door. No need to struggle over the side of the basket to fly with us. From the thrill of lift off to the last bite of our delicious post-flight picnic (sunrise flights only), you will be treated to an experience that will leave you with a memory that will last a lifetime. Float through the sky on an aerial adventure and see breathtaking views of the White Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, Boston's skyline and the beautiful Merrimack River Valley. Enjoy our BOSE in flight music system and marvel at awesome views as your hot air balloon ride floats along the gentle winds.
See nature's wildlife from a lofty perspective, as you never have before. Picture the balloon passing over a lake as we slowly descend to gently touch the basket on the surface of the water. As we float above the trees, you'll be close enough to pluck a pinecone or leaf as a souvenir of your flight.
Our year round services provide spectacular views ranging from snow covered lakes in winter to beautiful mountains blanketed with the colors of fall foliage. All within a short 35 minute ride from Boston, MA. Flights are offered at sunrise and sunset seven days a week, year round, weather permitting
At the conclusion of our morning flights we set up our picnic table and invite you to sit down, relax and sip champagne mimosas as we prepare a delicious complimentary picnic. Before departing you will receive a personalized hot air balloon ride, first flight certificate which is suitable for framing, as well as a souvenir balloon cup. Give yourself or someone special a gift with a memory that will last a lifetime.
 
For any additional information please contact us at:
603-893-9643
or visit our website at
www.high5ballooning.com
Please come fly with us

What is the meaning of the different colors?  I located a tag that looked like my house, it was red.  When I entered my address, the same tag turned blue with the symbol of the house.  How cool! 

Balloons Unlimited, Inc. (PG1R399K)
Robert Thomas
59 River Road, NewMarket Airport
New Market , VA 22844
703-327-0444
703-327-0554 Fax
Email: fireflyer@me.com
Website: http://www.balloonsunlimited.com