Several of your ballooning accessories
are powered by batteries. These include radios, camcorders, cellular telephones,
GPS receivers, flight instruments and gauges, remote temperature sensing
equipment, and night position lights.If the onset of winter cut your flying season short, you may not have made any extra efforts to properly store your system. This article will outline some steps to ensure proper storage for the rest of the non-flying season, and to properly prepare the system for flight.
Batteries
Several of your ballooning accessories
are powered by batteries. These include radios, camcorders, cellular telephones,
GPS receivers, flight instruments and gauges, remote temperature sensing
equipment, and night position lights.
Equipment that is powered by individual removable cells should be stored with those cells removed. During periods of disuse, some of the cells will develop leaks. Leaking cells can cause expensive corrosion damage to the electronics they power. Store the removed cells in a cool, dry place, and store the electronic equipment in a similar cool, dry place. Keep sealed lead-acid (gel cell) batteries fully charged. Nickel-Cadmium batteries discharge in storage, but they will tolerate a full discharge. Charge and test any rechargeable batteries before you plan to use them. Buy new alkaline cells for equipment that uses them.
Periodically charge the special batteries found in cellular phones, aircraft radios, and camcorders according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Envelope
The envelope should have been stored in a cool, dry place where air can circulate around the entire bag. The bag straps should have been loosened to allow the envelope fabric to relax and fluff up. If it was not properly stored, you should make sure that it has not become damp by sitting on a concrete floor that can wick moisture up from the ground. If it has become damp, move it inside and spread it out as well as you can. Roll it to expose more damp fabric as the exposed fabric dries. When you pack it up, leave it packed loosely in the bag. Store the bag on top of two wooden pallets so it is at least 6 inches above the floor and air can circulate under it.
Basket
The basket should also be stored
above the floor. The moisture from a concrete floor can damage the basket
floor and skids. Check to see that there is not a collection of dirt and
straw inside the scuff leather. This dirt traps moisture that can rot the
scuff leather, the floor, and the wicker. This dirt can be removed if you
remove all fuel cylinders and instruments from the basket and turn the basket
upside down. Pound on the scuff leather with a rubber mallet or a piece
of round wooden closet pole. Continue pounding the scuff leather until all
the dirt has come out.
Brush the suede with a suede brush. Clean and treat scuff leather with a wax or cream that will protect the leather without excessively softening it.
Move the fuel cylinders and clean
any dirt from beneath and behind them. Inspect the tank shoes and replace
them if they are worn through. Check the floor under the cylinders for damage.
If there is only a slight amount of abrasion, sand the floor lightly and
coat it with the appropriate marine urethane or spar varnish. Check with
your repair station if the damage is more extensive. Cover the bottom ring
on the cylinder with a split 1 inch heater hose or with 2 to 3 layers of
duct tape to protect the floor.
Check the ends of any fuel hoses that may be exposed. If the fuel hoses are open, they may have insects or spiders inside. Disconnect the hoses from the burner, and blow compressed air through them to remove any dirt or bugs. Reconnect the hoses to the burner, and cover any exposed ends with caps, plugs, or plastic bags. Insects or dirt that are blown into the burner or pilot light passages can cause you to miss flights and pay hundreds of dollars to your repair station.
Reassemble your fuel system. If your cylinders use quick disconnect fittings, lubricate them with silicone spray or the manufacturer's recommended lubricant. Take it to an area clear of overhead trees and test the fuel system for leaks. Use your nose, ears, and Windex glass cleaner. Windex will create bubbles if you have a leak that could be a problem. Other leak detection solutions are designed for finding extremely small leaks. They work, but I don't recommend them because they will usually leave a sticky residue all over your fuel system.
Test fire the burner. Make sure the blast valve operates properly. Perform 20 quick burns (1/2 second) and see if the flame shuts off completely. Check the pilot light flames. If they are too small, too large, or erratic, there could be a problem. Check with your repair station if anything doesn't look right.
Accessories
Check your safety line (quick release) system.
Are all ropes or webbing in good condition? Are all splices or stitches
intact?
Check your drop line. If you have only a rolled webbing drop line, I would recommend adding a rope as a primary drop line. While the rolled webbing looks neat stowed in the basket, it has two serious shortcomings. First, it is an extreme hazard to anyone below it when it is dropped, because it accelerates as it unrolls (due to conservation of angular momentum). One crew person was disabled for 6 months with a head injury caused by a webbing drop line. Second, it is a nuisance to roll up again.
Make a drop line from a length of 3/8 inch nylon rope and a canvas bag. The drop line should be several feet longer than the height of trees in your flying area. 100 to 150 feet will work in most areas. The bag needs to be big enough for the rope to be stuffed into it. Sew a canvas loop into the bottom of the bag, and tie one end of the rope to the loop. Connect the other end of the rope to a carabiner. Stuff the rope into the bag. The next time you need the drop line, connect the carabiner to the suspension structure, and throw the bag out. It comes down slowly enough that it will not hurt anyone on the ground.
Check your fire extinguisher. Are all mounts in place? Are all pins in place? Is the pressure correct? You don't want to have a passenger bump the extinguisher and accidentally discharge it in the basket.
Check your inflator fan. You should have prepared it for storage by changing the oil and spark plug, pouring oil down the cylinder, and adding fuel stabilizer to the gasoline. If you did not, you may find gum in the fuel system. Check some of the back issues of Balloon Life for articles on fan care.
If you have questions or find problems with any of your equipment, contact your repair station for advice.
