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Balloon festivals offer amazing photo opportunities for
spectators and great fun for the participants |
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Festival Schedule>>
Festival
Gallery >> |
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Balloonists' Prayer
The
winds have welcomed you with softness.
The
sun has blessed you with its warm hands.
You
have so flown so high and so well,
that
God has joined you in your laughter,
and
he has set you gently back again into the loving arms of Mother Earth.
— Anon
believed to have been adapted from an old Irish sailors' prayer
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Crewing
Opportunities
With Texas Air Adventures'
Blew Bayou Hot Air Balloon |
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If you are interested in volunteering to crew for one of our future
balloon flights (and helping make others' dreams come true), please contact us at
Texas Air Adventures.
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Potential crew
members may review crew member responsibilities outlined below.
If this sounds like something you'd be interested in doing, please
call or email us. |
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Safety Comes First |
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Don't crew if
you are mentally or physically impaired.
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Wear appropriate
clothing: sturdy shoes, long pants, and no dangling jewelry.
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Always listen and follow pilot instructions, as his first
priority is for everyone's safety
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Take care to not get tangled in any ropes or handling lines
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Don't wrap or tie any lines or ropes around you
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Don't grab on to any ropes while balloon is ascending
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Don't touch
burners as they will be very hot
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Never smoke
around the balloon.
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Know where the
fire extinguisher is and how to operate it.
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Know where to
find the emergency assistance phone numbers.
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Crew Member Responsibilities |
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Pre-launch responsibilities:
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Take care in
being on-time.
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Understand
projected flight path, weather conditions, and other conditions of
note from the pilot.
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Remove bottles,
glass, sticks, or any other items that might damage balloon envelope
from launch area
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Remove balloon system from trailer
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Carefully lay out the balloon envelope and equipment for
inflation, taking care to hold envelope by the "tapes"
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Confirm that
radio communications between basket and chase vehicle are working
properly
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Anchor balloon system to truck,
when requested by pilot
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Hold crown line or mouth, as instructed by pilot
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Clear area
around fan of loose grass and branches
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Turn on/off inflator fan as instructed by pilot
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Provide weight on basket after balloon is standing
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Help pilot
complete pre-flight check-list, when requested.
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Help with crowd control, as needed
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Take care to not
stand in front of basket (in direction of travel)immediately before
or during ascent
Post-launch responsibilities:
Chase responsibilities:
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Keep the balloon in sight as much as possible
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Communicate with the pilot via the radio
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Serve as navigator (read map or GPSS, recommend which roads
would be best to take)
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Help your team drive safely by proactively looking for other
traffic during the chase experience
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Proactively advise pilot of standing water, power lines, and
fences around proposed landing sites
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Arrive at proposed landing site about the same time as the
balloon
Post Landing responsibilities:
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Obtain landowner's permission to enter their property whenever
possible
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Assist the basket to a smooth landing
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Secure crown line and move quickly
downwind with taut line
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Remove air from envelope and help return
envelope to it's bag
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Pack up all items on the launch site (fan, gloves, ropes, etc)
and return them to their proper positions within the balloon trailer
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Pack up the balloon system and return it to the balloon trailer
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Be an active part of the after-flight champagne toast and celebration
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Provide pilot with inputs and
suggestions, from crew member viewpoint
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Hot Air Balloon Affiliations |
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