What's right?
Editor: I have long enjoyed your excellent magazine, but I feel that a couple of items in the December 1996 fall a bit short of your magazine's usual excellence.
Mike Rose ("A Guide to Crewing for Hot Air Balloons") continues to defend his unfortunate and ill-considered opinion that T-shirts and shorts are acceptable attire for balloon crew. Unfortunately, it seems these days that even some very senior pilots are dressing that way to inflate and fly their balloons. I think we should all remember that if a propane line or fitting breaks or comes loose, the resulting spray of cold liquid propane could cause freeze burns on unprotected flesh, and an ignition source could cause a flash fire. Long sleeve natural fiber shirts and pants and leather gloves can help a pilot and his crew keep their wits about them just long enough to get to the tank valves before a minor problem becomes a major catastrophe. Unless you are so macho that you can withstand the spray of cold propane on bare flesh (I certainly can't), you should be wearing long sleeve shirts and pants around the mouth of the balloon. The crew can always take off the long sleeve shirts after the balloon is off the ground and wear T-shirts for the chase if that's appropriate for conditions.
Peter Stekel's "Planning for Winter Flight" suggests that cellular phones can be used as backups for chase crew communications. Using a cellular phone in flight is strictly against FCC rules, because a cellular phone "at altitude" could activate multiple cells. Any mention of cellular phones should include the caveat that their use should be limited to calls made during interim or final landings while the balloon is on the ground.
One final comment... The cover photo and the photo accompanying the Laughlin RiverFlight article should be convincing evidence why we need a change in the FAA Minimum Safe Altitude regulations as they apply to balloons. The river landings looked wonderful, and made me wish I had been there. But unless there was an event waiver in effect for this rally, most if not all of these balloons were in violation of the existing reg. We shouldn't have to submit a NASA form after most of our truly wonderful and thrilling flights!
James E. Ellis
Harvard, Massachusetts
Mr. Rose responds. As I said when I began this series, there will be as many different opinions on how to do things as there are pilots. To clarify my opinion regarding acceptable attire I would like to point out that I never said shorts were acceptable. I do not dictate wearing apparel to my crew except gloves. I suggest everyone wear long pants as I do, but I do not require them to wear long pants. After they have become experienced crew, if they choose to wear shorts, that is up to them. By then they know what they are getting into. I also do not require them to wear long sleeve shirts, especially when it is 95 to 100 degrees in the Texas sun. The danger of crew people being sprayed by cold liquid propane as described by Mr. Ellis is almost non existent. As I specifically pointed out in my article, my propane system is not charged until the balloon is cold inflated and I am ready to burn. When I charge the system to begin the hot inflation I am the only one in danger of being sprayed with propane. The crew people are on the fan, the mouth and the crown line, none of which is near enough to come into contact with escaping propane. I do not have crew people on the basket during inflation because I always use a tie down with a quick release to hold the basket.
Wes Rinker
Editor: I am writing to advise you that we here in Centralia, Illinois and ballooning throughout the United States lost a very dear friend in December with the death of Les Rinker, pilot of the Flying Baseball.
Eight years ago when the Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce got involved in sponsoring a Hot Air Balloon Festival, we did not realize or understand how attached we would become to so many pilots throughout the United States.
Wes, the nomad he was, became almost a permanent fixture in our community. He trained several local pilots and took up residency here for a few months until his illness forced him to move to be nearer his son. As we look out at the ice and snow and prepare for the annual event, there is a true feeling of loss among all of us. We know, though, that Wes is in heaven telling us he is free of pain and still "flying high!"
Mary H. Heitzig
Greater Centralia CoC
Centralia, Illinois
Wes Rinker was an avid balloonist and baseball enthusiast. Memorials may be made to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of America, 100 W. Clarenden Ave. Suite 2200, Phoenix, AZ 85013. Editor