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A
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Aerostat : |
A lighter-than-air craft. A hot-air balloon is an aerostat. |
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Aerostation : |
The science of lighter-than-air flight. |
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AGL : |
Above Ground Level |
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Ammonia (NH3) : |
Type of balloon that uses ammonia as its lifting agent instead of helium, hydrogen or coal gas. Becoming very popular in 1990's. Much less costly than flying other gas bags. Has approximately 0.5 lifting power of helium. Popularized by Tim Cole and Dennis Brown of Colorado. Ammonia gas is readily available in agricultural areas and smells a bit.
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B
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Balloon : |
a general term for an aerostat. |
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Balloonatic : |
Fanatic balloon enthusiast. One who eats, drinks and sleeps
ballooning. Why else would one get up at 4:30 in the morning to stand out in
the cold and do hard manual labour? Why? Because they're a balloonatic!
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Barnes Basket : |
A triangular shaped basket used primarily on Balloon Works
balloons. Named after its originator, Tracy Barnes.
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Basket : |
also referred to as the gondola; the part of the balloon used to
carry the pilot and passengers, fuel tanks, and other equipment. Constructed
from wicker and light wood base, or in the case of high-altitude and
long-distance craft, pressurized materials.
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Biner : |
a "D", or "O" shaped locking metal clamp used to connect things
together (in particular, load cables to baskets, or tie-off lines to
retrieve vehicles).
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BTU : |
British Thermal Unit. The quantity of heat necessary to raise the
temperature of a pound (0.45Kg) of water by one degree Fahrenheit (0.56
degrees Celsius).
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Burner : |
device used to ignite and project flammable fuel (usually propane
gas) up into the envelope to heat the air in a hot-air balloon. Burners come
in a variety of configurations and powers (which are measured in BTUs,
usually in the millions).
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C
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Carabiner : |
a "D", or "O" shaped locking metal clamp used to connect things
together (in particular, load cables to baskets, or tie-off lines to
retrieve vehicles).
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Certificate of Airworthiness : |
A balloon has to be regularly checked to make
sure the fabric isn't getting too weak, the basket isn't unravelling etc. If
your balloon's OK you get one of these and are allowed to fly.
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Chase : |
also referred to as the "recovery" or "retrieve"; the process by
which the aerostat. is tracked during flight and retrieved afterwards by
crew on the ground or in another craft (like a boat).
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Chase Crew : |
the crew that chases the balloon - also known as the retrieve crew. |
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CNT : |
See Convergent Navigational Task. |
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Competition Ballooning : |
there's lots to competition ballooning, and lots of
terms that aren't yet included here. Follow the link for more details.
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CNT : |
Convergent Navigational Task. A ballooning event where pilots attempt
to fly from a designated distance to a single point, usually a scoring 'X'.
Also known as Controlled Navigational Trajectory Event, or a Fly-In task.
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Cremation Charlie : |
Some one who sacrifices himself during a flap inflation
to stand inside the envelope and hold it up so that no valuable rip-stop
gets burnt.
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Crown : |
the top of the balloon envelope. |
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Crown Line : |
a rope which, at one end, is fastened to the top (or crown) of
the balloon envelope, and at the other end, is used by a member of the crew
to help stabilize the balloon during inflation and deflation. It is usually
a good 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) longer than the balloon is tall.
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Crown Ring : |
the ring of metal at the top of the envelope to which all the
load tapes are attached.
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D
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Drop Line : |
a rope, belt or other line attached to the balloon (usually the
gondola) on one end. Normally furled or stowed during flight, it can be
released by the pilot and secured by ground crew members who use it to
maneuver the craft into or through tight areas.
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E
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Envelope : |
the portion of the balloon which holds the heated air (for
hot-air balloons) or gas for gas balloons. Constructed of cloth such as
ripstop nylon or nomex, or other light, relatively impermeable material.
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F
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Fan : |
see inflator fan. |
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FAA : |
Federal Aviation Administration |
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First Flight Ceremony : |
Those who have endured it need no explanation. Those
who have not should know that its origins are cloaked in mystery and
shrouded in the most sacred rites of ballooning. Suffice it to say that the
ceremony involves various liquid refreshment (usually champagne). Once
having successfully survived the ceremony, the Initiate has been officially
inducted into the Noble Fraternity of Aeronauts.
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Flap Inflation : |
before the days of inflator fans, the only way to get cold
air into the envelope prior to turning on the burner was to flap the top
side of the mouth up and down. Once a small amount of air had been put
inside the envelope, the pilot would periodically burn to heat the air as
the mouth was flapped open. Clearly this might burn the inside of the
balloon higher up, so necessitated a Cremation Charlie.
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Fly-in Task : |
A ballooning event where pilots attempt to fly from a
designated distance to a single point, usually a scoring 'X'. Also known as
Controlled Navigational Trajectory Event, or a Navigational Trajectory Event.
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G
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Glows : |
are done at night; the balloon is secured to the ground and
illuminated when the propane is fired.
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Gondola : |
see basket. |
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Greasy Spoon : |
a road side cafe typically serving bacon and eggs, and all
the wholesome things balloonists like to eat on the way home from a lovely
morning flight.
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H
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Hare and the Hounds : |
a non-competitive balloon is chosen as the hare. When
the hare lands, he places a large X to mark his spot. The hounds must then
try to drop a bean bag on the X. The closest to the center gets the most points.
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Hesitation Waltz : |
competition for which multiple judge- declared goals are set. |
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Hopper : |
an aerostat; the pilot sits in a chair or harness underneath the
envelope, as opposed to standing in a basket.
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I
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Inflator Fan : |
Hot air can't be directly put into the envelope it first has
to be filled with cold air using the inflator fan. Only then can this air be
heated using the burner. Before fans, the balloon had to be flap inflated.
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J
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Judge Declared Goal : |
competition for which a single target is set and all
balloons fly from the launch site with the aim of dropping their markers as
close as possible to the goal.
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K
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Key Grab : |
a competition for which a key is placed on top of a pole; the
first one to get to the pole and grab the key wins the prize. The key is
sometimes a key to a truck, car or motorcycle.
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L
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Landowner : |
The person, business or organization which holds the title to
the property upon which the aerostat launches and/or lands.
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Landowner Relations : |
Extremely important for ballooning activities,
especially considering the limited control over landing location. Ideally,
the pilot or chase crew should secure permission from the landowner before
landing on their property. The wishes of the landowner take precedence
during landing and recovery, within the limits of flight physics and safety.
Landowner relations also apply to low overflights of landowners property.
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Load Tapes : |
reinforced vertical seams along the length of the envelope,
connected by the load cables to the basket. The actual load-bearing parts of
the envelope.
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M
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Mouth : |
The opening at the base of the balloon envelope through which the
flames from the burner passes to heat the air inside the envelope. This is
sometimes referred to as the 'throat' - but by who I don't know.
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MSL : |
Above Mean Sea Level
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N
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Nomex : |
fire-resistant material that the scoop and bottom section of the
envelope are made of.
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O
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P
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Pilot Declared Goal : |
is the same as the JDG, but the pilot chooses his target. |
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Poles : |
the stabilizing struts between the basket, the burner mount and the
load cables. On some balloons the poles are actually load-bearing elements;
on others they simply act as stiff or slightly flexible guides for the
actual load-bearing elements and connections from envelope sensors to the
instrument console. Also referred to as "burner supports", "supports" or
"flexi poles" there main job is to stop the burner knocking you on the head
during landing.
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Prohibited Zone : |
a restricted operation zone where balloon launchings and
landings are prohibited by the landowner. In some cases, a minimum altitude
restriction may also exist.
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PUT : |
short for 'Pilot Under Training". |
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PZ : |
see prohibited zone.
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Q
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R
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Red Zone : |
see prohibited zone. |
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Rip-stop Nylon : |
the material that makes up most of envelope. |
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Restricted Operations Zone : |
a land area on or over which balloon operations
are restricted by the landowner. Also referred to as a prohibited zone (PZ)
or a sensitive zone (SZ).
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Retrieve Crew : |
see chase and chase crew. |
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Rosiere : |
Type of balloon that uses both gas and hot air. Sometimes called a
hybrid. See the Unfortunate Facts From Ballooning History page for what
happened to the first attempt. Nick Saum home built unit in mid 80's and set
many World Class Records. Flying AM-2 went 340 miles in 17 hours. Took off
at approx. 5 PM and landed 11 am next day. Later took same balloon to over
18,000' MSL. for alt. record Takeoff was about 3900' MSL. Cheyenne Wells, Co
to Syracuse, KS USA. Ground temp was 25 F, so don't you know that got a
little chilly. Steve Fossett is one of the latest to use this type of
balloon. He flew from Seoul, ROK to Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada in Feb.
1995 Over 5400 miles solo. Best Trans- Pacific flight yet. That flight took
102 hrs and 15 minutes. (Camerons make the best ones, of course).
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S
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Scoop : |
a specialized-shape skirt which, on American balloons, narrows to an
inch or two on one side and widens to extend all the way from the top of the
poles to the base of the envelope proper, forming a tilted mouth. The idea
of the scoop is to provide better control of the aerostat's orientation.
Ideally, the front (or main part of the scoop) will always be kept in the
direction of travel. It may also aid in keeping the envelope full.
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Sensitive Zone : |
a restricted operation zone where balloon launchings and
landings may be allowed by the landowner under special circumstances. In
some cases, a minimum altitude restriction may also exist.
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Skirt : |
the cloth segment of the envelope below the load cable connections,
frequently detachable, often made of Nomex or similar fire-resistant
material.
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Splash and dash : |
a fun and exciting maneuver balloonists make when flying
over a body of water. Balloon pilots have precise control of their altitude,
which allows them to bring the bottom of the basket to the surface of the
water. This provides a unique opportunity for passengers to take a photo of
themselves in the reflection cast off the water's surface. If the wind is
calm when a splash and dash is done in a river, the current will move the
balloon, causing them to float gently downstream. When the pilot has had his
fun, he will simply add heat and back to the sky they will rise. A balloon
flight can be compared to a magic carpet ride, and a splash and dash is like
walking on water.
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Spotter : |
someone who delights in collecting balloon licence numbers, badges and anoraks. |
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Supports : |
see poles. |
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SZ : |
see sensitive zone.
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T
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Tether : |
the securing of the balloon to the ground and raising it up to 150
feet.
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Throat : |
See mouth. |
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Thumbs Up : |
The signal from a launch director that the airspace above is
clear and you have permission to launch. Any digit other than the thumb
means something entirely different.
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U
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V
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W
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Weather Rock : |
Any smooth stone thrown at the weatherman when he tells you
it's going to be unflyable again.
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X
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Y
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Yellow Zone : |
see sensitive zone.
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Z
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Zebedee List : |
the for sale/wanted list for second hand balloons and balloon equipment.
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