For many years the balloonists in Lubbock, Texas hosted their rally in September. By then the cotton has been harvested, so there are no crops waiting to be damaged. Flying conditions are seldom optimal, but the Texas hospitality makes the weekend unforgettable. Lubbock is always windy. The only saving grace is that most fields are a mile square. There is plenty of space to drag and stop.
One year I was flying a new Springtop Aerostar RX7. I liked the venting far better than my old side-vented Velcro top Raven, but it didn’t match a parachute top. Deflation sometimes left much to be desired, too, especially during a rip-out landing when the balloon was turned the wrong direction. A Springtop is one-third vent, very much like a parachute. The other two-thirds of the opening is anchored in place with flat butterfly springs and is used to deflate the balloon. A rip out landing with the balloon facing backwards results in ripping out the bottom 2/3s of the crown and deflation is slow, to say the least. The first time this happened we dragged for 300 yards through tough six foot tall mesquite bushes. Without turning vents I was at the mercy of mother nature to turn my balloon whichever way she wished. To deal with this, I pulled hard on the vent line before takeoff, and tied a big knot in it. Then, just before landing, I pulled the vent line again, and wedged the knot in the uprights, so my hands were free to pull the red line. This is still not as effective as landing facing forward, but it helps.
The day before the rally, a rainstorm had passed through Lubbock so many of the fields had standing water in them. The early winds were light and we had an uneventful launch. A few minutes after we were airborne, the wind began to blow and we quickly gained speed. No problem, I thought, there were miles and miles of landing sites. An hour later we were 45 miles from the launch site.
In the distance I saw the Crew driving madly to catch up and noticed that the roads and fields as far as we could see (and in that part of Texas that’s a long way!) were covered with water. The area had gotten lots more rain than Lubbock. Ahead were two sets of 75 foot tall hummer type powerlines about 300 yards apart. Between them was the last passable road and the only dry land for miles around. The winds at ground level were fairly calm so I decided to land but hoped to keep the balloon inflated so the Crew could find me. I needed to drop fast.
Many years past someone had said that a Velcro top could be partially ripped out to create an immediate drop and then would almost reseal itself. Could a Springtop do the same thing? Now seemed to be the time to find out.
I briefed my passengers for a hard landing and as we passed about 10 feet above the first set of hummers started pulling red line. It takes a mighty pull and many yards of red line to completely rip out the top. I had pulled almost half the top loose when we felt the basket drop out from under our feet and we began falling to earth. I released the red line and immediately reached for the blast valve. A long burn slowed our descent. The top almost resealed, leaving only a 2 ft. opening. We made a standup landing between the powerlines at the end of the last dry road for 20 miles. The Crew quickly found us and we deflated on dry ground.
I experimented with the technique and found that a Springtop can be pulled half open and will almost reseal when the red line is released. I have yet to see more than a two foot gap. The escaping hot air pushes it shut. A burner blast also helps it reseal. It is possible to continue flying with the crown partially open but should be done only if necessary. The hot air rushing past will degrade the fabric rapidly. I have not found a need for, nor do I recommend, pulling more than half the top loose.
I now teach the technique to my commercial students. It has salvaged a few bad situations where a very quick descent was needed. My teaching method is to pull 4 or 5 springs loose at 400 feet AGL. The basket falls away. A long burn as you release the red line will stop the descent before hitting the ground. After a good landing or two, the Crew begins lining up for a go at the new carnival ride! Once the technique is mastered, we fly an hour or so with the top dislodged just to show that it can be done.
This technique gives the Springtop pilot a fast-acting, controlled descent well in excess of a parachute top’s capabilities. Use it only after practicing in an open area on a calm day. It can result in a descent greater than terminal velocity and, if done improperly, may cause system damage or serious injury.