Clowning around?

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CharlieK

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CharlieK
What are the rules for landing balloons in the 'hood? Apparently they tried to convince everyone it was a planned landing though, broke out the table and champagne to celebrate a successful flight. I reckon successful means nobody got hurt, right? They came close, but didn't clip the powerlines. I'm told they were frantic in their haste to fold up and stow the balloon...

Balloon1.JPG Balloon2.JPG
 
I've seen that happen before. Once in a neighborhood just like your pictures, another time in the front parking lot of an apartment complex. We were going to see a movie one evening and drove right past the apartment complex parking lot as the crew was trying to round up the balloon off the parked cars - I think sunset caught them and they needed to get down...now!
 
I've done a handful of balloon rides (don't ask) and I've been told each time that that's the customary thing for them to do.. land somewhere and have champagne. I guess it's the way the French used to do it. Once we landed in an empty field.. another time though we did infact land in someone's backyard in NH. They weren't home, but the pilot (?, what do you call them?) left a basket with a note, champagne, and some other tchotchkies

I can't figure out the appeal or romance of balloon flying. Oh well
 
Also, when you said "'hood" I thought you meant that in the colloquial sense... as in, areas with a "high police presence"
 
Couple of balloon pilots in the family. Yes, they are called pilots, and carry an FAA pilot certificate to that effect. I've crewed a couple of times for the inflation and takeoff, but haven't stuck around for the chase and landing.

I'd love to fly one... as long as someone else did the packing and cleanup. Seems to me like an awful lot of time, effort, people and vehicles for the amount of actual flying you do. On my nephew's solo flight, I think they were probably six or eight hours of labor in for half a dozen people for an hour or so of actual flight time.
 
Am I way off base? Or is my thinking correct? The balloon is subject to distance requirements, other than congested areas, 500 feet above the surface... 1,000 feet above the highest in a congested area, with a 2,000 foot radius. So, if they really did "plan" to land there, on a city street, with nearby houses... they should answer for their crime. However, if it was an emergency landing, and no persons or property was damaged... They are good to go!? Possibly need to explain the nature/cause of the emergency...?
 
I've chased before and had a blast. Flight time can vary according to conditions and location, as well as launch time. We've launched at sunrise and only landed due to low fuel for the burner.

Worst landing, was due to a major wind speed change and had to get now now at all costs...Landed in a pipe yard, on a rack of pipe. Yard security wasn't happy with us, but after a few minutes discussion, they let us load the basket in their truck along with the envelope and get it out of there as quick as possible. Fastest packup was when we landed on a highway due to a passenger getting tangled up in the crown line and partially pulling it. We had the basket off the road and the envelope quick rolled in about 5 minutes. Took us an hour to lay it back out and pack it correctly at the balloon field.

It's quiet flying like a glider til you hit the burner...:D
 
CharlieK said:
Am I way off base? Or is my thinking correct? The balloon is subject to distance requirements, other than congested areas, 500 feet above the surface... 1,000 feet above the highest in a congested area, with a 2,000 foot radius. So, if they really did "plan" to land there, on a city street, with nearby houses... they should answer for their crime. However, if it was an emergency landing, and no persons or property was damaged... They are good to go!? Possibly need to explain the nature/cause of the emergency...?
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I think you’re being a little too dramatic for no reason at all. If they didn’t cause harm to anyone, than what’s the issue and problem that you have? I sense that you’re trying to find a rat in the woodpile here. Move on.
 
>>
91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General.

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:
<<
 
Jeff Oslick said:
So, it's like owning a sailboat?
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Kenny Phillips said:
Or an old airplane.
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Worse, IMHO. I actually thought about buying one, they're not terribly expensive. Of course you've got to have a large van or pickup or trailer or something to haul that sucker around in. But it's not like you can wake up, decide, "Hey, it's a nice day, screw the lawn -- I'm going flying". Every time you want to go fly, you've got to round up several people to help, and they'll be committed from takeoff minus an hour or two, to landing plus an hour or two. I decided that A.) I really didn't want to fly a balloon that badly, and B.) I don't have that many friends and family members I'd want to put to that much inconvenience. I may just not have the proper mindset to be a balloonist.
 
More balloon pilots than I expected around here.
A couple/three times a year they land on the field next to my house. The kids always got a kick out of helping them take down and pack up when they were still at home. Now it's just me.
 
Crimes, oye.

Do you realize that balloons go where the wind takes them? Sure they sort of plan a landing area, but its not the same as a powered aircraft. I bet you would have actually enjoyed the event and learned something had you gone over a struck up a friendly conversation . . . especially if you like champagne!
 
Ryanb said:
I think you’re being a little too dramatic for no reason at all. If they didn’t cause harm to anyone, than what’s the issue and problem that you have? I sense that you’re trying to find a rat in the woodpile here. Move on.
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Naw, not trying to find a rat in the woodpile. The issue that I have, if you really want to call it an issue, (I'd prefer to call it interesting) is that I'm told the news brought up the "issue", saying that there is no law against it, and its perfectly fine to land wherever they want.


keen9 said:
Crimes, oye.

Do you realize that balloons go where the wind takes them? Sure they sort of plan a landing area, but its not the same as a powered aircraft. I bet you would have actually enjoyed the event and learned something had you gone over a struck up a friendly conversation . . . especially if you like champagne!
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Yes, saying Crimes was being overly dramatic and being silly... If'n ya didn't pick up on that, well...

I realize that balloons go where the wind takes them, and that they sort of plan a landing area... I also believe that landing on the street in the neighborhood means that a plan went south, whether they simply lost control... or they had a problem.

I don't like champagne... but if I was there, I would have helped them with anything they needed, and when everything was stowed, I would have asked them a million questions, and I would have loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, I'm a couple of states away...
 
Ryanb said:
I think you’re being a little too dramatic for no reason at all. If they didn’t cause harm to anyone, than what’s the issue and problem that you have? I sense that you’re trying to find a rat in the woodpile here. Move on.
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Concur, I don't think a reg violation, if there was one, is a "crime"; I think in this case it'd be a civil matter, and the FAA could fine 'em, or take other cert action. No criminal action. But I'm not a aviation attorney, and could be wrong.
 
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