They work really well, yesterday's turns around the pattern didn't give me much of a chance to play around with them, but I have time set aside for at least two cross country hops in the coming week.

After that we'll change the Queen's oil and check the Oberg filter for any signs of bearing metal, it just felt so good to get her back where she belongs, and the round of applause from the tower made my grin even wider.

She really wanted to fly during the taxi tests, I have to get used to the extra 50hp put out by her new engine, climb out is much brisker now...and she wasn't exactly a slouch before.

When's your next chance to play "Bird Man", you have to be itching to get your balloon off the ground I imagine.

 

No clue.....

I just got a refile on my airworthy cert from Big Brother..... Reg is older than 10 years. If I don't, I loose my N reservation.

Mines easy to remember too.

 

What are the airworthiness regs like on balloons, do you have to have the envelope inspected at certain intervals along with the basket and burners?

Call me dumb, but I honestly forgot that you have N-Numbers on lighter than air...ummm...aircraft.

 

100 hour / annual for non-commercial

50 hour on commercial

Envelope:

Has to pass a 50lb per sq inch pull test on the nylon fabric 3 places on each color pulled both vertically and horizontally.
(pull 50lb before fabric tears)

porosity test (how much air passes through the fabric...again 3 times on each color)

Every square inch of the fabric is visually inspected for holes/tears (patch if small enough / replace the panel if too big to patch)

Load ring at top must be checked for wear and sharp edges (don't want it cutting the load tapes)

Temperature tells (turn black if over-temped) checked for over heating the top 1/3 of the envelope

Parachute top (used to vent out hot air for descent and level flight control) checked for tears holes.

Attachment tabs checked for connections (need to hold the parachute in place until balloon is hot and standing

Parachute centering lines checked for wear and connections

Parachute pull rope (red line) checked for connection to the parachute top and for burns etc.
Load tapes checked for stitching and fraying

Steel cables checked for fraying kinks sharp edges

Connections to basket uprights checked for cracks/wear (depends on the balloon manufacturer.

Basket/Gondola:

Visual inspection for holes in the wicker, broken wicker stays and holes in flooring

Visual and mechanical check of metal uprights (what connects the basket to the envelope and holds the burners)
for locking pin connections and function, cracks, breaks bends, kinks in the tubing.


Burner:
remove and replace o-rings for pilot valve and blast valves
check evaporation coils for cracks / breaks / leaks
Check connection point to the upright frame
check spray holes for obstructions leaks damage
check valves for seal and function

Fuel Tanks:
Visual inspection for damage/dents/cracks
Visual inspection of the interior of the tanks
10 year pressure testing as required (hydrostatic)

Fuel hoses:
Visual inspection for cracks, leaks, fraying
Visual inspection of connectors to tanks and to burners
10 yr mandatory replacement as required

Instruments:
Replace all batteries (date and initial)
Inspect and calibrate as needed

Inflation and shake down flight (Owner sign off on logbook if all ok)

 

Wow, quite the checklist, very thorough.

I'd go into everything checked on the Queen during her annual(100 hour inspection), but the checklist runs to 190 pages including special instructions under FAR 43.9, plus there are the 50 hour inspections required due to an airworthiness directive issued in 1950 that is still in effect....Having the vertical stabilizer depart in flight would be no fun at all!

Her annual which was done during the engine replacement usually requires 8-10 days to complete, the 50 hour inspections usually takes 3 days to complete.

The joys of flying an aircraft built in 1949, and upgraded to a newer specs in 1950, can be increased by having a great A&P mechanic who understands the intricacies of an old "Piston Pounder"....She's not easy to work on like a "Modern" Cessna 172.

 

That's just what I can think of off the top of my head.... there is more but I'd need the /inspection manual in front of me to get it all. It takes 2-3 days on mine.

 

Only 2-3 days, I was imagining longer given the size of the envelope. I'm assuming, that the envelope is checked by partially inflating it with a blower so you can walk around inside it.

 

Actually; we go from top to bottom stretching out the gore (panels in a row top to bottom) and visually check each for holes including pinholes

2 of us working in unison and confirming ok or marking holes and noting on a check sheet for patch or panel replacement.

move back to the top... rotate to the next gore and repeat until you have gone all the way around.

The partial inflation is done to check the parachute lines and tabs.

 

Hmmm, sounds like its as much fun as checking every one of 2,000+ rivets in the Queen's fuselage and wings. For the uninitiated non-pilots who may be wondering, an annual inspection on an aircraft like my Cessna runs $10,000 give or take, think about that when you fork over $50 for your state's annual inspection on your HHR.

I'm assuming Doc, that you're looking at $5,000 to $7,000 for an annual.

 

OUCH!

Mine runs around $350 barring repairs.

Here are 4 gores with my fabric pattern.




Mine is a tri-panel gore allowing for a spiral of colors in 3 steps.

Pattern repeats 3 times around.

Each gore has nine sections - 3 colors that step up and right

each panel in each gore must be inspected and concured.