PostFlight - February 1998 - Letters to the Editor

RTW lemmings

Editor: The renewed lemming like quest to be the first to float around-the-world in a free balloon has spawned some participants who never paid attention to their chemistry or physics classes, or never studied history. The old saying "Those who ignore history are doomed to re-live it," couldn't be more appropriate.

If they had, they would not be making mistakes in selection of material, application, and operation, that were solved fifty, a hundred, and two hundred years ago, starting out with Prof. Jacques Charles, who up-staged the Montgolfiers by using hydrogen and warm air (sic) on December 1, 1783. He also had a gas bag that was probably better than some being used today and went on to improve the Gravesand heliostat, the Fahrenheit aerometer (sic), and invented the thermometric hydrometer. He was taking the guess work out of it. And anyone who studied Charles' Law would not have made the mistake of applying too much heat, too fast and burst their balloon. A fellow named Pilatre Rozier, who was in the first manned flight of the Montgolfiers hot air balloon with Marquis d'Arlandes, proved the law in June 1785, and he and another guy named Romaine fell to their death.

Also, today's adventurers are ignoring some innovations by the Swiss family Piccard, Auguste and Jean, and American Donald Piccard. In particular, they should be using multiple inner gas bags for the helium and adhere to proven foils for the containment of the inner bags. The theory is if one large balloon is replaced by `n' smaller balloons that total the same volume, the weight is reduced by a factor equal to the third root of `n'. In other words, for equal strength, the material of the larger bag must be four times thicker than the smaller bags and weigh four times as much per square inch as that of the smaller bags.

I have three ideas that would vastly improve the chances of circumnavigating the globe, but the cost is inclusion in an effort or `mission'.

By the way, there have been several unmanned balloons circle the globe, some more than once.

Robert Kerans

Schaumburg, Illinois

In a separate phone call Mr. Kerans offered four "improvements": fly in the summer, more sunlight; multi gas bags, like Piccard's 50's Pleiades flight; ballast of water with alcohol to it keep from freezing; and dark color bag. Editor

Another RTW idea

Editor: Back in November 1971 I started Aerodesic Research with a design for lighter than air structures and did R&D consulting on energy systems and transportation since then. In 1982 I suggested, as a stunt, to several companies that they sponsor a balloon to circumnavigate the globe. Then I tried individuals with ballooning experience. Then I tried several dozen companies advertising departments. In fact, I've talked to almost every contestant in the race and all of the sponsors. They all said no, they couldn't afford it, and then went ahead and spent 10 to 30 times as much doing it wrong. They should have hired the physicist who had the idea, or helped sponsor him. We could still do this.

The difference in design is that I am using a torus, its solar heated, and an inflated tent like structure as a control cabin. Compressed air acts as ballist made up during the day and released at night. The reflective coating is put down at night and raised during the dayfrom inside the lifting bag, and the structure is very flexible. It can be lighted like the various advertiser's products and be seen from the ground track. Hence the idea of the stunt in the first place. Flying at 12 kilometers (40,000 ft MSL) gets better use of the jet stream. My plan is to make and test the balloon before setting out and getting exposed to the, possible unfavorable, press coverage. The [sponsor] could have the balloon to use with someone more photogenic and personable to make the trip and get the TV coverage. All for a cost of about $300K in FY1996 with the better plastics and smaller electronics.

The suppliers and test have also changed to keep up with the times. I am not a balloonist as my license is just for single engine, but I know I could get some one to fly it If I could get a chance to build it. I would use the contract and profits to go after a somewhat higher prize, which we are also working on.

The basic size of our design (Donus) is 48.4 meters in major diameter and 22 meters tall with a gross lift off mass (net) near two tons. The compressors only run during the day to compress either cold air (ballist) or the lifting gas (as it gets hot and fills the torus over half way). At night the power requirements are low. The motors and solar panels can be worked on from inside the bag with an oxygen mask and cold weather gear (even solar heated during the day It's still pretty cold most of the time at altitude). Since the baseball seam curve of the jet stream should take about 2 weeks at the average speeds expected I will allow for 3 weeks of life support and other provisions on the trip.

The plastics used have lasted 5 years at a time in the weather and exposed to UVa radiation, the lower temperatures and higher UV doses shouldn't lower this to under a month even in the worst case scenarios. The glues have been tested for cryogenic temperatures and vibration. Since both raise and lower operations have two mechanisms there is a back up while either is worked on if necessary. Neither should fail within 6 weeks using the OEM specs and a model of the conditions expected.

The basic problem with the other contestants is that they are trying to operate on a low margin of efficiency, That is they have little cushion in the designs and are running, or trying to, at 95% of capacity. I had started at 80% and then lowered it to 50% by increasing the design.

To keep the heat in, we are using a triple walled skin with air pockets in it. Much like a thermopane window. Outside is a reflective skin of MgO that is rolled up during sunlight and lowered at dusk. All controls are electric and run off solar batteries and storage cells near the center.

You can cool off the bag to lower or increase the ballist by turning on the compressors. You can raise by letting go the ballist, but not by heating the gas, as that is solar and takes time. A reserve of lighter gas can be added to the lifting bag mix and letting go of extra heavier gas, but only for a few raises in emergencies such as getting the right vector to go forward and not circling back and avoiding Libya and the like. A laptop pc can run everything from energy accounting to the email.

Jim V. H. Hill

Aerodesic Research

Cerulean Freight Forwarding Company

Oroville, Washington

Mr. Hill's letter is edited from several pieces of correspondence that he sent to Balloon Life. Editor

Veteran Day to Remember

Editor: In his article, A Veterans Day to Remember, Paul Hiffmeyer described the emotional experience of seeing the military balloons tethered over the Viet Nam Veterans Moving Wall at the Ridgecrest Balloonfest this past November. As owner/pilot of the `ARMY' balloon, and as a 22 year Army veteran still on active duty, I couldn't agree more. It truly was an emotional experience that I am honored to have been a part of. Attached is a photo of the military balloons tethered together to share with your readers who weren't able to experience the magical moment first hand.

MAJ Kevin N. Knapp

Owner/Pilot

The `ARMY' Hot Air Balloon

Vine Grove, Kentucky

Droplines

Editor: I'd like to thank James Ellis for his letter on Landing with a dropline in the December 1997 issue. When I began this series I made it clear that I was not writing the "Bible of Balloon Crewing." I can only speak from my own experiences and here in Texas it is seldom necessary to use a dropline when landing. In fact, on the rare occasions that I have seen it used it was often very dangerous. Imagine a balloon screaming into a field at about 18 to 20 mph, just missing your deflated envelope on the ground, grazing the side of your chase vehicle and the pilot throwing his dropline and yelling, "HELP - GRAB MY DROPLINE!" This happened a few years ago at the Mesquite Balloon Festival. The pilot was a well traveled individual flying a special shape advertising balloon and he should have known better. Even if you had gloves on when you grabbed this guy's dropline you were going to get your hands burned or you were going to get yanked off your feet and dragged along the ground. I know because one of my newer crew people grabbed this guy's dropline and both happened to him.

I know that in New England you often need your dropline in a routine landing, however, since I have never flown there I don't feel qualified to describe those conditions. A friend who used to live in Plano, Gary Morgan, moved up to New England back in the early to mid 80's. He came back for a visit and described some of the conditions he faced when flying there. He described one flight where he was becalmed over trees. He brought the basket down to tree top level and pulled himself to an open spot using tree branches. He explained that he had a dropline, however, the forest was so thick that it would have been useless had he thrown it to the crew.

I want to thank Jim for describing some proper uses of droplines when flying in New England. The descriptions in his letter were excellent. Maybe he could be convinced to write a full blown article for Balloon Life about dropline landings in New England. I encourage anyone else who has a better technique or method for any part of the balloon crewing experience to write an article and send it in to me or editor Tom Hamilton. This series of articles on crewing was not to define right from wrong - it was to be educational. Feel free to send your comments or criticisms and I'll do my best to work your ideas into future articles.

Mike Rose

balloon@flash.net

Allen, Texas

Burning rubber

Editor: A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing viable. Mr. Winker states that it was well known that there were differences of opinion between me and then President of Raven, Ed Owen. There certainly were! Primarily regarding using load tapes on sport balloons (He didn't want to spend the extra $26 per balloon Dick Plato estimated it would cost for that important safety feature.), redundant burners and wicker for non-resilient energy absorbing basket construction. In fact, there were probably as many differences of opinion at Raven in those days as there were employees. Ed Owen, the hockey player, was reportedly put in by the investors to stop the obstructionist bickering and dissension among the founding fathers at Sioux Falls. But more importantly, Mr. Owen and I disagreed about sport ballooning. After Ed Yost's Raven balloon burst on launch in competition at Reno, the company policy was to withdraw from any competitive events. He used the trite quotation "What if SOMETHING happens?"

As I did not request or get transfer or reinstatement of my government security clearance after the move from The G. T. Schjeldahl Company to Raven Industries I have no reason to know the technical manner regarding the end of the "Government" hot air balloon contracts. (I don't find Jim's quote " ..the Raven sport balloon program died..." anywhere). But it did end. There was no further reason, other than sport, for Raven to continue and I was fired.

Jim's statement "If Don Piccard had not existed, the sport would nevertheless be alive today through Raven's efforts, though probably in a different form." is pure conjecture. I put that Raven would, indeed, have started a "Sport Balloon Program" without me for the same reasons it started one using me. But also that they would have terminated it for the same reasons at the same time.

Mark Semich would have appeared and done his thing. In the absence of my pop top he might even have created his own. Tracy Barnes would have still been a major influence. But he still would have pursued the barnstorming and resisted competition, just as the cadre of gas balloonists in Europe and the U.S. resisted proliferation of that sport. (Bill Meadows had to practically force Tracy to sell Bill his first balloon - the Piccard "Kitty Hawk".) Perhaps if I had not had the St. Paul Winter Carnival race Tracy would not have gone on the shopping center circuit as the "U.S. Champion Balloonist," but have stayed in school and graduated as did Jim Winker.

In regard to "Graceland," Paul Simon said "Yes, anybody COULD have done it, but I did." But they probably would have done it differently. I know that Barnes and Semich would have done it differently. My direction and promotion of this new sport was as a result of my peculiar and unique previous exposures: European sports lore as described by my father, scientific experimental flights of both my parents, free spending U.S. Navy wartime ballooning, civilian surplus city gas ballooning (my Balloon Club of America). When I got to Raven, they never even landed a balloon without jumping ship. There were reasons for that, and Tom, if you wish, I can devote a future column to them.

Anthony Smith reminisces about the battle I fought with the establishment in "The Aerostat" of the British Balloon and Airship Club. It was an uphill battle with the Raven people, the existing balloon community and, especially, the general public. We had to legitimize Hot Air Ballooning as a sport and as a gentlemen's sport, not a carnival charlatan's exhibition.

We had to build them in a different manner and operate them in a different manner to utilize their new and unique characteristics. And we did. (Netted gas balloons were just too much work and just too damn expensive. This new device of Ed Yost's made a revolution possible.)

I was given (and later sued for payment for) the inventory of wicker fronds and the fabric for the first AX-2. I was offered the existing inventory of a few hot air balloons "at cost" which I declined as those costs were much too high. At that time Mr. Winker was not an officer of the company and was not involved in sport balloons as far as I could tell. I was "Manager" of the sport balloon program. I presume that I would have known.

While Ed Owen wanted to fire me for "Burning Rubber" the length of the shop floor in my Morris Minor and ruining the linoleum tile, he never threw ash trays around his office at me as he did with at least one other during a departure exit interview. (If I had driven my car slowly off the loading dock, it would have hung up, so naturally I had to make several maximum accelerations across that shiny floor. So it wasn't my fault that some sophomoric engineer had arranged for storage of my car in my office while I was off on the job.)

When I left, Ed Owen told me he was letting me go because I had been hired to run the sport balloon operation and they were terminating it. After I left South Dakota, Raven forwarded sport balloon inquiries to me, including the watershed contact from Dale Gates that turned the tide for Don Piccard - Balloons. Raven has also published owner/pilot sketches in their newsletter that show unequivocally that they were not in the business of sport balloons. They have reported in their publication that they told one inquirer from Louisville, at least, to "come back later, as they may get back into the business."

Don Piccard

Balloon@msn.com

Minneapolis, Minnesota