by Jon Radowski
It was one of those breezy Sunday afternoons this past October, the second day of the Lehigh Valley International Airshow, near Allentown, Pennsylvania. A host of world-renowned names like Patty Wagstaff, Gene Soucy, the Northern Lights, and other performers had either taken to the air already, to the awe of the large crowd, or were waiting on the ground near their aircraft. I was stuck manning a souvenir stand - a most undesirable position while at an airshow. Being a balloon crew person usually means I take my camera, gloves, and logbook to places or events where any balloons are likely to show up. I HAVE to be prepared always, or I'll mentally kick myself if any big bubbles come across me when I'm not...
Back to the airshow - While setting up the tent earlier in the morning, I had noticed a conversion van with a basket on the tailgate drive right past me on the taxiway. Always one to know a balloon when I see one, I watched where the van parked and continued on my souvenir duty. After a few hours of frenzied selling, I used my lunch break to take the chance to walk over and introduce myself to the balloon's crew chief. She welcomed me warmly, and soon it was like I was part of the regular crew. I asked when was the most likely time to return for inflation, and made my way back to the souvenir tent. After working more than my regular share of duty, I asked my advisors for an extended break. They complied because they know I have balloons in my blood.
Walking back over to the inflation site, I saw the green, yellow, and orange Aerostar 105 already laid out and connected to the basket. I had come at just the right moment, because the wind had died down enough to allow us to begin inflation. I was given the left side of the mouth. We did not want any spectators getting injured, so the crew chief elected to keep everyone back past the van and a good distance away from the crown line. The inflation harness on the Stretch basket was connected to the van tailgate by a long nylon strap. Two other cars were being used as tiedown spots for the proposed tether flights. The fan-master pulled the starter cord and the inflator popped right into action. The fan in question was a cage model, running at 8 hp. I took my side of the skirt and stepped on the ring, holding it wide open. The pilot stepped inside the balloon and attached the pyro cable as the crew chief and another person attached the velcro tabs up top.
Pretty soon the envelope really started to fill... But wait - someone must have mentioned how calm it was! Whatever happened to provoke the wind gods must have been very nasty... The wind started to take the envelope and slowly cavitate one side until it nearly touched the other. Then a huge gust took the green-and-yellow clamshell and started dragging it to the right - directly towards the fan! Everything happened so quickly it couldn't have been avoided - the basket began to roll and twist, stretching the nylon strap taut. All of a sudden, the strap hit the fan and it rolled and flipped over onto its face - still running! I ditched the mouth as the pilot pulled the top out and hauled the rope into the basket faster than you could breathe. Upon reaching the fan, I immediately killed it, righted it, and dragged it far away from the basket - nearly to the van. Soon everyone was hard at work un-twisting the basket and cables, and the strap was un-strapped from the van. We relaxed and immediately thought how close to disaster this could have been - What if the cage had come off, what if the blade or hub snapped, what if... Whew, were we lucky!!!
After packing up and answering the inevitable questions from spectators ("Why aren't you flying? Is it too windy to fly? Why can't you guys go up?"), I realized that I had to report back to my souvenir tent... I had to go back, but I just didn't want to. Reality set in, and I guessed that it was time to go. I said goodbye to the crew, and hoped that I could meet them again at some other festival or event, and walked slowly back over to the tent...
We all know exactly what happened - everyone was doing their best to maintain control of the balloon as the gusts hit, but we forgot about the fan. Even I forgot about that noisy beast as I strained to keep the mouth open and unobstructed.
There should be a crew member manning the fan during every inflation, not just windy ones. That person is responsible for keeping the fan out of the way of the basket (but never moving it while it is running at high speed), shutting it off after the envelope starts to lift off the ground, and dragging it back to the chase vehicle after it is no longer needed. In this instance, the nasty combination of wind conditions and an unmanned fan caused a whole lot of panic for all of us on the crew. We were thankful nobody was near the fan as it tumbled along. Someone could easily have gotten injured that day, and it is a wonder nobody did. I have a greater respect for what the wind can do, and now understand why seemingly "pointless" precautions are taken.