Tethering
This month Balloon Life’s Special Report examines the subject of tethering. Balloons were designed to be flown free. So, why tether?
As giant billboards, balloons can be setup quickly almost anywhere. The message can remain in front of people for hours, then taken down and moved elsewhere.
A balloon on tether can give people a small preview of free flight and ballooning.
Balloons are a relatively basic aircraft. They simply float in space, peacefully. External forces, such as wind, can quickly lead to dangerous balloon situations.
When I was a balloon student pilot, I was warned about the force of wind on a tethered balloon. One incident related to me described a tether where a sudden gust of wind generated enough false lift that the balloon lifted the one-ton truck to which it was tethered up onto a curb.
About eight years ago I was helping with a tether for a grand opening of a new winery. The corporate 105,000 cubic foot balloon was tethered for all the arriving guests to see. It was a little windy but manageable. The balloon was tied off to a van and two small cars. There were five people in the basket, Including the pilot. At the top of its tether, the balloon was hit by a gust of wind. This generated enough false lift that the balloon rose higher, dragging the van and lifting the two small cars up on their front ends. When the balloon descended, the pilot ended the tether operation.
Breaking Loose is a report of a balloon tether accident that happened almost 15 years ago. The engineering study of the accident examines some of the forces on a balloon when exposed to strong winds. The amount of force that is exerted may surprise you.
Tethered vs. Moored Balloons is a reprint of an article that appeared in the October 1994 issue of FAA Aviation News The article details the legal required for manned tethered flight versus that of a simple moored balloon (14 CFR part 101).
Tethering can be hard on the equipment. Indeed, a few balloons have been torn apart while attempting to tether in high winds. Several balloon manufacturers have considered tethering stressful enough that they have recommended that two hours be logged in the aircraft logbook for every hour of actual tether time.
Rope and other tether lines can be hazardous. It is important to keep the tether operation area clear of spectators any time the balloon is in the air. Lines should never be wrapped around a hand or in such a position that they could become wrapped around some part of a person’s body. This is important to remember whether you are tethering, preparing for free flight, or to deflating the balloon.
Passenger Safety Followup
After our last issue on passenger safety closed we received the following from Alan Noble at Cameron UK. “The British CAA has made pilot restraints mandatory for pilots of ride balloons after a number of incidents in which the pilot was ejected on landing. The pilot has a belt around his waist which can be connected by a simple snap link to another belt of adjustable length that t is firmly fixed through the basket floor. Camerons build higher sides for rides baskets - optional on sporting baskets - and strongly suggest cushion floor and side wall cushions. Cameron stainless steel fuel tanks also have padded top rings as standard. For larger baskets we offer an 8 pole burner suspension system because this much reduces the chances that a basket can dog house on landing. Stainless steel shields to keep radiant burner heat away from passengers are now also standard on our big UK burner frames.”
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