This Strong-Arms-Saturday is brought to you by Greg Esser in Washington, DC:
My uncle brought his hot air balloon down to Baltimore for the
Annual Preakness Hot Air Balloon Festival. Some friends and I
volunteered to crew for the balloon and help him get off the ground.
Sharon Weeks, David Zurbuchen, Josh Stafford, Lindsey Getches, Jessica
Lavassuer, and Andrew Boddorff helped at various points. We had
early morning flights on Friday and Saturday and 6pm flights on Thursday and Friday.
Crewing for the balloon entails hauling out the envelope (balloon),
basket, and frame and stretching out the envelope on the ground. A gas
powered fan is used to cold fill the balloon and then propane burners
are used to heat the air. During the inflation, two people need to hold
open the throat of the envelope while one person untuckes the extra
balloon fabric and then transitions to the crown line (a rope tied to the
top of the envelope) where they control the envelope during inflation.
All tasks are complicated by even the most docile of breezes. After the
balloon is hot and inflated, it takes off in short bursts of flame and
the 'ooohhhs' and 'ahhhhs' of the expectant onlookers. We pile into an
SUV and try to follow the balloon on the ground. After about 45 minutes
of following on the ground, the balloon lands and then we deflate
and pack it up. This involves pulling open the top vent to allow the hot
air to escape and then squeezing out the air manually. Afterwards we
pack the balloon into a special bag and sit on the bag to get the
last couple of air pockets out. Most of the activities are aided heavily by
pairs of strong arms. Enjoy some of the pictures we snapped during the
adventure!
Looking up into the balloon.
The crew sitting on the balloon packed bag.
What exciting things do you have planned
for
Saturday? Feel like snapping a picture of your own Strong-Arms-Saturday, send me a picture and I'll post it along with a little story and a link to your website or blog (if you have one): E-mail Me!
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