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Ground
crew member Corporal Michelle Lomas-Travers enjoys a laugh
while helping to prepare the balloon for lift-off.
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Balloon
pilot Flight Lieutenant Greg Ferguson shows excited children
from MacGregor Primary School over the balloon after landing
on the school’s oval.
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Right
of way ... the balloon floats over suburban streets on an
early morning flight.
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Packing
down the balloon’s envelope are Flight Sergeant Lyn
Clements and Warrant Officers Steve Mountstephen and Geoff
Dorward.
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A
jet of flame bursts from the burners as more gas is released
to give the balloon extra lift. The temperature of the air
inside the envelope is 80-100 degrees Celsius.
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Warrant
Officers Geoff Dorward, left, and Steve Mountstephen hold
open the envelope as the balloon is inflated.
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The
picturesque view from the ADF Balloon as a host of colourful
balloons brighten the skies over Canberra during the week-long
National Balloon Festival.
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Story
by LS Rachel Irving
Photos by FLGOFF Terry Gordon and LS Rachel Irving
In the blink of an eye we are away – up, up and away that
is. On a beautiful autumn morning in the nation’s capital
I am gliding above the city in the Air Force-piloted ADF balloon
and it is magnificent.
It is quiet, it is still and there is a feeling of absolute calm
and serenity as we drift away towards Canberra’s Black Mountain.
My pilot, former Orion pilot Flight Lieutenant Greg Ferguson,
says he has a great job and I am inclined to agree.
The worries of life are left behind the minute you leave the ground,
even though I have to admit the thought of being suspended in
the air in just a cane basket did give me a moment’s hesitation.
Today we would be flying at 400 feet, leaving from Old Parliament
House and tracking north west, our direction determined by the
flight of a small test balloon, which is released to roughly calculate
speed and direction.
“It’s not the most technological way of flying but it’s
always peaceful up here,” FLTLT Ferguson says.
There are two envelopes (the large inflatable part) used by FLTLT
Ferguson. One is the ADF balloon we are flying today which features
images of HMAS Anzac, an Australian Light Armoured Vehicle and
an F/A-18 Hornet. The other is purely an Air Force envelope.
Flying as part of Canberra’s week-long National Balloon Festival,
there are plenty of other balloons around, some more unusual than
others, including a giant frog, a football and a house, making
spectacular viewing.
It is a surreal feeling to be floating above people’s houses.
It makes you feel like an intruder or perhaps part of a dream
as you drift above while people are waking, bringing in the paper
and saying goodbye for the day. You, meanwhile, look on as though
you are invisible. It is only when people call out “good
morning” to you and wave, that you realise they can see you
too.
The only interruption to the peaceful flight is the occasional
blast of heat from the burners, which burn LPG at a rate of 1-1.5
litres per minute, dependent on conditions. This burn rate allows
for a flight time of about three hours.
The burners also bring out the dogs, who bark madly as the balloon
floats above. FLTLT Ferguson tells me that there is a theory that
the main burners create a high pitch frequency that we humans
can’t hear but dogs can.
“We have a liquid burner and the theory there is that if
you burn the pure liquid you get a less efficient flame but it’s
quieter than the main burner. When we fly over houses and livestock
we use the liquid burner and for that reason we call it a cow
burner.”
The downside to the liquid burner, which doesn’t disturb
the dogs, is that the pilot has to use twice as much gas to achieve
the same results.
The balloons, which are used primarily as an ADF public relations
tool, are used throughout each year at a variety of events, including
the V8 Supercars, Brisbane’s Riverfire and in towns such
as Burke.
But it’s the charity events that FLTLT Ferguson says are
the most rewarding.
“The best experience would be doing the Camp Quality week
each year before Christmas at HMAS Creswell,” he says.
“This is for kids with cancer and we take them up each day.
That is the most rewarding thing that I have done.
“Things like the V8 Supercar racing are great to go to but
they are not as rewarding as charity events or the small towns
where people have never seen a balloon before.”
Flying a balloon is weather-dependent and so lends itself to frustrations
when the conditions are not conducive to flying.
If the balloon is to be tethered (tied to the ground), then FLTLT
Ferguson says that the wind speed can only be around seven knots,
otherwise the balloon can end up on its side and that is too dangerous.
“Flying in the country you probably don’t want to go
up over 10 knots and in the city not much more than eight knots
of wind. The reason for that is the higher the ground speed you
have when you’re touching down the greater the landing area
you need and that has to be a consideration in the city,”
he says.
To get the balloon off the ground, FLTLT Ferguson has a ground
crew of reservists from No. 28 (City of Canberra) Squadron to
help. Today we have been assisted by Warrant Officer Geoff Dorward,
Flight Sergeant Lyn Clements and Warrant Officer Steve Mountstephen,
who have been busily tracking us in their vehicle. They track
the balloon both visually as well as keeping UHF (line-of-sight)
communications with the pilot.
The team helps inflate the balloon and is there the moment we
land to deflate and pack the balloon. Of note, WOFF Dorward left
full-time service in 1986 but, together with his Reserve time,
is in his 45th year of service.
As my time above the capital draws to an end, FLTLT Ferguson raises
the balloon to search for a landing spot and sees an oval ahead.
As we touch down, a throng of school children appear from nowhere,
thrilled that a balloon has landed near their school.
One of them tells me, “This is way better than school.”
Air-raising facts about the balloon
How big is the balloon? The Air Force has two balloons
– one that is 90,000 cubic feet and the other that is 105,000
cubic feet. Hot air balloon size is measured in terms of internal
capacity in thousands of cubic feet.
How hot is the air inside the balloon? Normal operating
temperature inside the balloon is 80-100 degrees Celsius.
What is the balloon made of? The lower balloon section
is made of Nomex material and the upper surfaces have an internal
coating of polypropylene over the rip-stop nylon, both of which
are heat resistant.
What fuel is used to provide the flame from the burners?
Standard Liquid Petroleum Gas.
How long can the balloon stay aloft? The tank configuration
in the Air Force balloons allows an approximate flight time of
three hours, though factors such as air temperature can affect
this.
How do you steer? You don’t! Pilots rely on the different
wind directions at different heights to ‘steer’ the
balloon.
How do you change height? The pilot can introduce more
heat to raise the balloon or let the balloon cool to descend.
Air can be released from a vent at the top of the balloon for
a faster descent.
Why do balloons still use cane baskets? The cane baskets
still provide the best compromise between durability and flexibility
for landings.
