Ballooning Terminology

Aeronaut - A traveler flying upon a hot air BTU - British Thermal Unit. The amount of heat or required to raise the temperature of one pound Aeronautical Decision Making - Systematic of water one degree Fahrenheit. Burners are approach to the mental process used by pilots rated by BTU output. and crew to consistently determine the best - The ability or readiness of a balloon course of action in response to a given set of to fly circumstances. Burn - A common term meaning to activate the AGL - Above Ground Level. Used in altitude blast valve on the burner and produce a full measurement. Example: 100ft AGL is 100ft flame to heat the air in the envelope above ground level Burner(s) - burning appliance mounted Altimeter - Required instrument that measures above the basket which heats the air in the altitude envelope Anemometer - An instrument used to measure wind velocity. Can be handheld or mounted also Carabiner - A locking coupling link used to referred to as a wind meter connect things such as ropes and cables. Also Annual - FAA required airworthiness inspection known as a “Biner” of the balloon completed each year or 100 Ceiling - Altitude above ground of the lowest hours level of scattered or overcast cloud layer ATC - Air traffic control Checklist - A systematic and sequential list of all AWOS - Automatic Weather Observation operations that must be performed System. Continuous broadcast, via radio or Cold Inflation - Inflation of the envelope with telephone, of weather conditions at a specific ambient air using a gas powered fan airport Cold Packed - When the fan has filled or “packed” the envelope with enough ambient air Balloonmeister - Person responsible for all to allow the start of hot inflation. Usually safety and ground-based balloon activities at a around 70% of the envelope air capacity. balloon event or competition Commercial Operation - Balloon operation that Basket - Component of the balloon that carries is done for hire. passenger, fuel and related equipment. Commercial Pilot - Pilot who is licensed to fly Usually made of wicker woven around a frame for hire or provide flight instruction and a wood base. Also known as a gondola Contour Flying - Flying very low over terrain BFA - Balloon Federation of America. A national while following the terrain’s contours association for balloon pilots, crew and Controlled Airspace - Airspace designated as enthusiasts. class A, B, C, D or E within which air traffic Blast Valve - Valve handle below the burner control service is provided to which controls primary burner function Crew - Ground based flight team essential to Bowline Knot - Pronounced Boh’-Lin. A the safe launch, flight and recovery of the common and sometimes required knot that is balloon easy to tie and untie and will not slip Crew Chief - Experienced crew member Box Winds - Winds at different altitudes that assigned by the pilot to direct the crew and flow in opposite directions allowing box like manage ground activities. movement of the balloon. These may allow a Crown - The top portion of the balloon pilot to return to launch site. Most common in Crown Line - A handling line attached to the mountain areas. load ring used by crew to control the envelope during ground handling Dawn Patrol - Flight at dawn prior to sunrise Glow - See Night Glow Dope-on-a-Rope - A short flight that keeps the Going Hot - Ready to start hot inflation balloon tethered to an object using a single Gore - Vertical strips of panels sewn into a strip. rope or the dropline instead of a full 3 or 6 Gores are connected to each other with load point tether setup tapes to form the envelope Downwind - Ahead of the balloon in the High-Wind Landing - A landing that is in wind direction it is travelling. speeds that is faster than your ground crew can Drop Line - Rope or webbing attached to the run! Generally a landing in winds over 6mph basket which a pilot deploys to crew for Hot Inflation - Adding heat to the cold inflated assistance in maneuvering the balloon through envelope using the burner to stand the balloon tight areas or to more desirable landing areas. upright

Envelope - The fabric portion of the balloon Igniter - A handheld spark generator used to system which holds the heated air mass ignite the burners pilot light Envelope Bag - Heavyweight fabric bag used to Inflator Fan - Gas powered fan used for cold carry, protect and store the envelope inflating the envelope Equator - Horizontal line around the widest or Instruments - Mechanical or electronic devices center point of the envelope that give the pilot required information about Equilibrium - The temperature at which a the flight. Required instruments on a balloon balloon is standing, self-supporting and able to are the altimeter, pyrometer and be stabilized by crew with light hand pressure variometer/vertical speed indicator on the basket. Lift and gravity are balanced at this point. Knot - A measurement of speed equal to 1.15miles per hour. Wind forecasts are given in FAA - Federal Administration. Division knots. of the Dept. of Transportation that oversees and regulates aircraft and pilot operations and Launch Director (Zebra) - Event official who certifications determines the order and timing of balloon Fan - See Inflator fan launches at a balloon event FARs - Federal Aviation Regulations Liftgate - A hydraulic tailgate used to lift and False Lift - Unintended lift that occurs from lower heavy objects into a wind flowing over the top of the balloon LTA - Lighter Than Air Flameout - Inadvertent extinguishing of the Load Cables - The cables which suspend the burner flame basket below the envelope Flare - Flight maneuver where the balloon’s Load Ring - Metal ring at the top of the descent is reduced to a path nearly parallel to envelope where the load tapes meet the ground just prior to touchdown Load Tape - reinforced vertical seams or nylon Flight Team - Team of people needed for webbing along the length of the envelope which successful balloon operations consisting of the spread weight and stress loads evenly across pilot, crew chief and crew members the fabric. Load cables connect the load tapes FSDO - Flight Service District Office. A regional to the basket. FAA office. Pronounced fizz-doe LPG - Liquefied petroleum gas, commonly FSS/Flight Service - Flight Service Station. known as Propane or LP. The fuel used in Primary source of weather briefings and flight . related information for pilots Fuel Hose - Black rubber hoses that carry the fuel from the tanks to the burner

Master Tank - Propane tank, usually numbered Private Pilot - A pilot certified to fly solo or with tank number 1, which offers liquid, vapor and non-paying passengers backup services Propane - See LPG Metering Valve - A valve on a balloon heater Pyrometer - Required instrument that system that can be set to allow raw, un- measures envelope temperature vaporized propane to pass through at a specific PZ - Prohibited Zone rate. Used in case of blast valve failure and over noise sensitive areas, including livestock, due to Quick Release - Link to quickly disconnect quieter operation than the blast valve. Also balloon from the tie-off during launch knows as whisper burner, fire 2 or other trade names. Rapid Descent - A relatively fast loss of altitude. MSL - Mean Sea Level. In aviation terms it is the It is subjective, but usually meant to describe a measurement of altitude above sea level. descent of more than 500 feet per minute Red Zone - See PZ N Number - FAA registration number. On Rescue 8 - A belay device that is used as a quick balloons it is sewn into the envelope fabric release mechanism in the tie-off system Night Glow - An event crowd favorite where Rip-out - Where the pilot pulls and pulls on the balloons use the burners to make the envelope vent line to “rip-out” the top allowing for quick glow prior to sunrise or after sunset. Balloon is deflation of the envelope. Used in high wind secured to the ground to prevent flight during a landings and to avoid being drug into obstacles night glow. NOTAM - Notice To Airmen. A notice, Scoop - Half cone shaped fabric funnel at the restriction or advisory issued to pilots by ATC or envelope throat to channel air and heat into the FSS envelope Sectional Chart - Aeronautical map used for Overtemp - The act of heating the air inside the navigation on VFR envelope beyond the manufacturers maximum Solo - A flight with only the pilot onboard established temperature Skirt - Tubular shaped fabric structure at the envelope throat Panel - Various sized portions of fabric sewn Slave Tank - Fuel tank that solely supplies liquid together to make a gore. to the main burner Parachute/Parachute Valve - Large circular Special Shape - An envelope that is different fabric panel at the top of the balloon used to than the standard “teardrop” shape. Special vent heat or deflate the envelope. It is held in shapes can have simple appendages or be place by Velcro tabs during inflation and heat shaped as animals, products or other various during flight items Pibal - Pilot Balloon. A small filled Splash and Dash - When a pilot gently touches balloon released prior to flight to determine the basket to the surface of the water wind speed, direction and stability. Squeezer - Device or crew member used to PIC - Pilot in Command. Legally responsible for deflate the envelope and gather the fabric into the safe and legal operation if the balloon a long streamer for easier packing Pilot Light - A small, constantly burning flame Static Display - A fully inflated and upright within the burner to provide main burner balloon that is being used for display without ignition the basket ever leaving the ground POP - Probability of Precipitation. Striker - See Ignitor Preflight - All preparations, including gathering Surface winds - Speed and direction of the information, assembly, and inspection by the winds closest to the ground pilot and crew prior to flight Tank - Aluminum, steel or titanium cylinder Valve - See Parachute/Parachute Valve used to carry fuel inside the basket Valve Line - The line used to control activation Target Fixation - State of mind where one is so of the parachute valve. It is associated with a focused on a single object that other stimuli and red line, but can be any color. feedback is ignored Variometer - See VSI Telltale - Heat sensitive labels sewn into the top Vertical Speed - The speed in feet per minute of an envelope which discolor when a maximum the balloon is climbing or descending temp is exceeded Virga - Precipitation that falls from a cloud but Tether - A captive flight usually below 100ft evaporates prior to hitting the ground. Can while anchored to objects on the ground. often be seen as gray streaks under clouds. Tethers can be 3 point or 6 point systems, 6 Visibility - The clarity of the atmosphere given point being the safest in miles. Tether Line - Rope or webbing used to restrain VFR - Visual Flight Rules. Flight rules governing and control a . Tether lines are flight stating the pilot must maintain visual attached at the load ring and basket and at to contact with the ground. the anchor object on the ground. Volume - The total amount of air inside an TFR - Temporary Flight Restriction. An area envelope. Often referred to in the form of a 2 or where flight is restricted due to VIP movement, 3 digit number. For example 77 or 77k would special events or natural disasters mean a balloon that holds 77,000 cubic feet of Thermal - Vertically rising and spiraling warm air volume. air that will cause a balloon to go into an VSI - Vertical Speed Indicator. Required uncontrollable ascent. These normally occur instrument for balloon flight that measures the mid-day and over dark terrain like plowed fields rate of climb or descent in feet per minute and parking lots. Throat - The large opening at the bottom of the Weight-On - Placing all of your weight on the envelope. Also called the mouth side of the basket to keep the balloon on the Tie-off - A restraint tied to a large object on one ground end and the quick release on the other end to Weight-Off - Taking you weight off the basket prevent forward movement of the balloon prior so the pilot may determine lift or take-off to launch Wind Direction - The direction the wind is Touch-and-Go Landing - A brief landing where blowing FROM, not blowing towards. If it is said after touchdown the balloon continues flying to be a south wind it is wind that is blowing Track - The plot of a flights course, direction, from south to north speed and timing over the ground or on a map Wind Meter - See Anemometer Turning Vent - A vent that allows a pilot to Wind Shear - A strong and sudden horizontal or rotate the balloon vertical shift in wind direction and speed. Winds Aloft - Speeds and directions of winds a Upright - Vertical poles made of wicker, wood, various given altitudes. Winds aloft forecasts metal or fiberglass that extend upwards from are given at 3000 foot intervals. the basket and hold the burner or burner support frame. They may or may not be a load Zebra - See Launch director carrying component depending on the basket Zulu/Zulu Time - The universal time zone used manufacturer. in aviation. Also called UTC (Universal Time Upwind - Behind the balloon as it travels Coordinated) or GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) forward