The crown line is a long rope attached to the very top of the balloon. On some balloons there is a wicker ring attached to the end that is tied off to the basket after hot inflation. On other balloons the crown line is somewhat shorter and left to hang free after hot inflation. During the cold inflation the line is stretched out downwind from the top of the balloon and used to steady the balloon during the inflation. It is very important that the person handling the crown line wear gloves to avoid any possibility of rope burns.
Proper handling of the crown line is one of the most important, and most neglected, tasks during inflation. It is not a difficult job, however, it seems to be the most misunderstood. Many pilots simply do not instruct their crown person properly. Often this crew person is sent out to do the job with little or no idea as to what is expected of them. Further, they frequently feel lonely and left out and do not feel that they are part of the team. The pilot needs to instruct the crown person on the importance of the job and make them feel as though they are part of the team instead of some kind of outcast out at the end of the rope.
The purpose of the crown line varies depending upon the conditions at the time of inflation. If it is windy the crown line is used to keep the balloon from rolling around on the ground. The crown person will move from side to side, in the opposite direction that the balloon is rolling, and try to stop the movement of the balloon. In some high wind inflations two people are often assigned to this job to add additional weight and help keep the balloon steady. One caution here is to be certain that you do not over compensate for the wind or you will end up as the cause of the rolling. In a windy situation with a lot of rolling around the crown line should be held tightly, however, you should never wrap the rope around any portion of your body. Extreme care should be taken to assure that the rope does not catch on your hand, arm, leg or body. When the hot inflation starts the balloon is easily capable of picking the crown person up off the ground and causing injury if he or she gets tangled in the crown line. Also, the crown person should make every effort to stay on their feet. Do not allow the balloon to drag you across the field as this will result in brush burns and other possible injury.
If done properly, one method of handling the line in windy conditions is to hold the ring or end of the line in one hand, allow the line to pass behind your body and then forward to the balloon. Using this method you can simply sit back on the line to keep it tight. This method takes all the pressure off your hands and arms and places it on a portion of the anatomy that is usually more padded. DO NOT, however, cross the loose end in your hand over the line in front of you that goes up to the balloon. This could easily result in you getting tangled in the rope and dangling in the air after the hot inflation. If you don't think this can happen please allow me to relate a personal experience. My balloon had gotten wet when I got caught in a sudden downpour. In order to dry it out I did a "fluff & blow" cold inflation on a sunny but windy afternoon. I tied the basket off to a well-secured concrete post set in the ground and tied the crown line to the back of my pickup truck. The cold inflation proceeded without a lot of difficulty so I decided to add a little heat to quicken the drying process. The small amount of heat combined with the wind passing over the balloon caused lift that was strong enough to pick the rear end of my pickup truck 3-4 feet off the ground.
Next month we will continue to discuss handling the crown line by examining a relatively calm inflation process.
As I stated at the beginning of this series, the descriptions of how to crew are from my personal experience; how I was taught and how I teach crewing. Your pilot's experiences may be different and thus you may receive different instructions. Because they differ does not mean they are wrong. Just use common sense and be safe. As always, please forward comments or suggestions to me at P. O. Box 830011, Richardson, Texas 75083 or e-mail: balloon@flash.net. (New E-mail address.)