You like the quiet, don't you? The really quiet. You like how the low angle rays of rising sun peek mischievously over those hills on the eastern horizon. There's something about the stillness of the air that reminds you of something startlingly new. And the crisp feeling of oxygen as it fills your lungs is almost primordial. Well, not really. What you're experiencing is winter flight.
Flying during the season when most mammals have gone underground to await warmer days might seem like more challenge than you're willing to deal with. After all, whenever you go out in any extreme weather or under unfamiliar conditions, you take on added risks. Therefore, planning for a winter flight, especially one of extended distance or duration, will begin like any other flight, with a concern for the weather.
Unlike the usual balloon flight on a warm and sunny day, one factor that demands your attention in winter is temperature. The same factor, super-chilled air, that allows for great gas mileage, is also exceedingly dangerous for pilots and passengers. Both current and anticipated temperatures during the flight will have effects on lift, limit the pilot's endurance, and contribute to draining battery power for instruments and radios. Also, winter road conditions will impact chase vehicles as well and determine the type of clothing everyone must wear.
If you're planning a winter flight, take the following considerations under advisement. Remember, no checklist is a substitute for experience and common sense. If, after readying your balloon for flight, weather conditions change, don't be afraid to change your plans.
The Weather
Temperature is critical. Not just the ground temperature, but the temperature you
will be flying at. Unless you fly into an inversion layer, where temperature increases the
further you get from the ground, it will be getting colder with every foot of ascent.
Temperature will affect your crew. It is important to remember that the people working the mouth on the fan side will be bearing the brunt of a full gale. Forgetting to wear gloves during inflation could lead to serious frost bite. Crew members standing before the fans, and not wearing a wind breaker, could easily become hypothermic.
Good weather information will include an accurate forecast of precipitation. Don't rely on what you hear on the radio or see on television. Those newscasters rarely know any more about the weather than what they read on the Teleprompter. Invest in a weather radio. They rarely cost more than $20 and are sources of up-dated weather information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When considering the possibility of rain or snow, bear in mind that precipitation sometimes doesn't fall to the ground.
If your flight is going to be a long one, don't forget to call ahead and check on road conditions and possible closures. You might be awfully embarrassed to land and then discover your chase vehicle can't get to you because the highway is closed. And speaking of the chase vehicle. Make certain that it is properly equipped for winter driving conditions. This means proper traction devices and emergency gear.
Be aware that weather conditions during the winter can change quickly and drastically. Pay attention to what the weather trend has been for the preceding days. For instance, don't be fooled by a change to mild conditions. A period of cold followed by a noticeably warm day indicates another storm is on the way.
Your equipment
Remember the space shuttle disaster? Continuous cold weather wrecks havoc on
O-rings, causing them to leak. Different rates of contraction of the metal housing and
rubber O-ring gaskets in the blast valves is a major source of equipment failure. As the
system warms, a leak caused by different rates of contraction will go away. If you flew
last winter and noticed this problem, don't expect it to have gone away this winter. Take
your blast valve in to a qualified repair shop and have the valve serviced.
Fuel lines also take a beating in cold weather, becoming brittle and then leaking. Checking your system with the "sniff and smell" method may not work as well as during the summer because cold weather can dampen the senses as well as slow the rate of vaporization from a leaking propane tank. Too, a stuffed nose and nasal congestion, both common winter afflictions, make the sniff method less effective. Always do a thorough pre-flight check using soap bubbles to look for leaks.
Low temperatures will also lead to low propane pressure. Where you may normally fly with 100-160 psi in summer, the freezing and below temperatures in winter cause the pressure in your tanks to drop beneath 50 psi. That's probably not enough to get the balloon airborne. Depending upon the system you fly, your option to raise the tank pressure is to either heat them or charge them with nitrogen.
Winter is also a good time to think about adding methanol to your tanks to protect against water contamination. Many authorities feel that the potential for internal tank condensation is greater during the winter due to the great range of heating and cooling from heat tapes and vaporization cool down during flight.
The colder temperatures will also have an effect on the performance of your balloon and the burner. Remember, cold will cause low vaporization. When you first open the blast valve and run propane through the cold pre-heat coils, the fuel will not vaporize and you will be burning liquid propane. You can recognize when this happens because liquid propane will burn as a yellow fire ball rather than the thin blue flame that you are used to seeing. Once the coils warm, the fuel vaporizes better and burns more efficiently. This is important because that yellow fireball can result in a "flame thrower effect" completely filling the mouth of the balloon for the unprepared pilot ready to start a hot inflation. Crew members holding open the skirt and/or throat of the envelope itself could be burned!
To minimize this danger, first test your burner and warm the coils prior to laying the basket over and connecting the cables. Then, make your first inflation burns short and perform test burns to again warm the coils for best performance.
Because cold will drain battery power, make sure you begin every flight with a full charge. Consider bringing a back-up battery and make provision to cold-protect both the back-up and the battery in use. Make an inventory of all the batteries you need (radio, altimeter, etc.). Try placing your batteries in an insulated lunch sack until they're needed.
You'll need to pack more food during winter weather flights than during the summer. Cold weather oftentimes depressed appetite and thirst but if you pack energy-rich foods and hot liquids in a thermos, you should be all right. Avoid caffeinated drinks as they lead to dehydration and you'll be losing enough moisture just in the steam that escapes with your breath.
Your clothing
Nothing could be worse than to be trapped, standing in freezing or sub-freezing
temperatures for hours without adequate clothing for warmth. For the pilot and
passengers on a long distance winter flight, clothing is an important consideration.
Remember that movement will be restricted and the flight could cover an extended
period of time. Look into buying insulated boots to wear with wool or polypropylene
socks. Long underwear, also of polypro, is a good idea. Dress the upper body in layers,
with an eye towards reducing bulk, and top everything off with a wind breaker. Leave
the ball cap at home and bring a hat that can be pulled down over the ears. For the
hands, mittens are warmer but gloves allow for some finger dexterity.
For the crew, the concern is slightly different. Their exposure to the cold will usually be of shorter duration, about an hour or less, given that much of the chase should be spent in a heated vehicle. But remember too that a certain amount of dexterity is needed to perform various tasks and thus some typical cold weather gear may not be suitable. Stay away from ski clothing; it's fashionable but not functional.
The chase and recovery team:
Of primary concern to the chase and recovery team is to be there when the pilot needs you-at takeoff, throughout the flight and upon landing. If your flight plan is to cover great distances you may wish to consider establishing two crews. One, for launch and chase, the other to be on hand at the anticipated recovery area.
Driving conditions will be another concern and contingency plans should be made for blocked roads, lost communications, or vehicle breakdown. A lost balloon phone number is a must! Maps of the area to be covered should already be on board and a chase route plotted in relation to the anticipated flight path of the balloon.
Communications could become critical if visual sight of the balloon cannot be maintained at all times. Just a light snowfall can hide a balloon from a chase crew. Radios should be double checked and a backup carried if possible.
Finally make certain there is a first aid kit and a few blankets in the chase vehicle. Plan on a pre-flight review of first aid treatment for cold injuries such as frostbite and hypothermia.
Going beyond
Most of what you've read so far applies to any winter flight, long distance or not.
Flying in the cold, whether across town or across country, requires certain precautions
on the part of a safe and prudent pilot and crew.
What about the flight of a more adventurous nature? Perhaps you'll be crossing mountains, forests, lakes or other inaccessible areas. In those instances, you will want to add a variety of survival gear to your equipment on board the balloon.
This will include matches in a waterproof container, a flashlight (again with extra batteries), an extra blanket or two, food, a signaling mirror and a compass. A life jacket is a good idea if your route crosses large bodies of water. A flashing beacon locator signal and rescue flares (the type that can be shot into the sky) will be convenient if you land in particularly wild areas. The cost for these types of items can vary widely and they can be purchased either individually or in ready-made survival kits.
The proliferation of "wireless cells" have made it possible for people to bring telephones along on flights. Use these as back-ups, not as primary communication devices because there are still, and always will be, many blank areas where cell phones won't work.
Winter is a beautiful time of year and a great time to go flying. The views afforded the pilot and passengers, especially in snow country, can be breathtaking. But a winter flight gone wrong can quickly turn into a battle for survival, and it's a battle you don't want to lose.
Copyright © 1996 Balloon Life. All rights reserved.
