Crazy Mooney Pilots??

Snaggletooth

Snaggletooth

Line Up and Wait
Joined
May 9, 2009
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665
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Texas
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Display name:
Dustin
I was out at BYY today waiting on my CFI to return from a Fly-in, and I started watching these guys in two Mooney M20's and a Baron making low passes over the runway near a group of people that were holding a bunch of balloons. Curious as to what was going on, I asked one of the guys watching them and he said they were "practising for a flier drop and balloon burst competition" I've never heard of such a thing, but it was amazing to watch these guys make low passes trying to pop balloons with the props of their planes.

Yall ever hear of such a thing?
 
Sounds similar to the TP toss where you climb to 3-4,000', toss a roll out, then see how many times you can cut the ribbon on the way down.
 
I've always wondered about those balloon burst and tp cutting contests. Aren't folks concerned that they will get a latex balloon, string or TP sucked into an air intake? Or wrapped around a prop or aileron?
 
AdamZ said:
I've always wondered about those balloon burst and tp cutting contests. Aren't folks concerned that they will get a latex balloon, string or TP sucked into an air intake? Or wrapped around a prop or aileron?
Click to expand...

With my Mooney (not sure of other models), a balloon or TP could paste itself over the air intake at the front of the cowl, but that would just open up a spring-loaded port in the engine compartment that would deliver, albeit unfiltered, engine compartment air to the engine. There would be a significant loss of MP, so I imagine that anyone who indulges in these risky games would immediately take measures to land.

As for wrapping around the propeller, same thing. If you continued to play until enough material wrapped the propeller to make a difference in performance then you would be fool-hardy indeed.

I think it unlikely that a string or piece of balloon could get caught in an aileron enough to make it an issue--pasted across the pitot, yes.

Doesn't the FAA have rules about these things? This is the first I've heard of it.
 
My dad used to bust balloons with a T-34 as part of the Armed Forces Day Activities back in the "Olden Days"

Barb
 
Balloon pop is a standard event for every contest we have. Each pilot gets three tries at helium filled ballons released on his call. I've popped two out of three and hit the third without popping it. That wasn't good enough to win.
 
No....

AdamZ said:
I've always wondered about those balloon burst and tp cutting contests. Aren't folks concerned that they will get a latex balloon, string or TP sucked into an air intake? Or wrapped around a prop or aileron?
Click to expand...
 
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