Plan and Take a balloon flight at the kitchen table

FLIGHT SCENARIO
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Overview
Scenario based exercises encourage
correlation–level learning
Plan and Take
a balloon
flight at the
kitchen table.
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Flight Considerations
Aspects to cover with your student
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Location/Airspace
Weather/VFR Minimums
Balloon weight/lift chart
Navigation
Communications
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THE PROPOSED FLIGHT
Launch site: Lake Chatfield
in southwestern part of Denver.
1) Locating the site (using lat/long)
latitude 39° 34’
longitude 105° 04’
2) Using reference VORs
Mile High VOR, radial 215, 28.5 nm
Falcon VOR, radial 240, 22 nm
Jeffco VOR, radial 160, 21.5 nm
Weather here is usually calm and flights last an
hour or more and you land close to where you
took off.
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Chatfield
Reservoir
launch site
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Denver /
Colorado
Springs
Terminal
Area Chart
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Denver/Colorado Springs Terminal Area Chart
Airspace
• What airspace are you in when you
launch?
• What airspace must be considered?
• What visibility, clearance from
clouds and equipment are needed
for flights in these airspaces?
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Airspace Card from AOPA
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VFR Weather Minimums, FAR 91.155
Visibility
Cloud Clearance
Class B
3 SM
Clear of Clouds
Class C
3 SM
500 ft below / 1000 ft above / 2000 ft horizontal
Class D
3 SM
500 ft below / 1000 ft above / 2000 ft horizontal
3 SM
5 SM
500 ft below / 1000 ft above / 2000 ft horizontal
1000 ft below / 1000 ft above / 1SM horizontal
1 SM
Clear of Clouds
1 SM
500 ft below / 1000 ft above / 2000 ft horizontal
5 SM
1000 ft below / 1000 ft above / 1SM horizontal
Class E
<10,000 ft MSL
>10,000 ft MSL
Class G, Day
<1,200 ft AGL
>1,200 AGL
<10,000 MSL
>1,200 ft AGL
>10,000 ft MSL
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Where to get weather?
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Weather Reports
• Weather service report for KDEN
Low pressure trough running north/south on the
east side of Colorado
Currently at DEN, winds 270@14, 12SM visibility,
SCT200, 20/13, 30.03
After 1600Z, winds 270@20G25, SCT 150
After 2200Z, winds 360@10, SKC
9,000 ft winds 270@19
12,000 ft winds 350@24
Lifted Index +3
Sunrise 6:35 local, or 1235Z
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Denver Weather Info
• How did you get the weather?
– Called 1-800-WXBRIEF
• Ask for briefer or push #1
• Say Colorado
• What is the weather telling you?
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–
–
–
Winds at Denver airport are a bit fast
Winds are to pickup after 10 am
Winds at 9,000 are fast and from the west
Winds at 12,000 are faster and from the north
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It is useful to get
supplemental
weather
information
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Local Airport Weather
• What is the Rocky Mountain (BJC) ATIS
frequency?
– ATIS
Automatic Terminal Information Service
– Frequency is 126.25
• The Centennial ATIS frequency?
120.3
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Local Airport Weather
• Rocky Mountain ATIS
1145Z, 270@10, 12SM, SCT200, 20/12, 30.02
• Centennial ATIS
1135Z, 340@3, 12SM, SKC, 22/10, 30.10
Remember, the temperatures are given in Celsius
What is the temperature in Fahrenheit?
9/5(C°)+32 = F°
9/5(22°C)+32 = 71.6°F =~72°F
9/5(10°C)+32 = 50°F
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ATIS Weather
• What is the Rocky Mountain ATIS telling
you about weather?
– Winds are just as fast at Rocky Mountain
airport as they are at Denver airport
• What is the Centennial ATIS telling you?
– Looks like ballooning weather
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Other Weather sources
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Weatherbug
Weather Underground
Blastvalve
US Airnet
• These are useful but should be used with
wide-eyed caution
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Balloon Performance
Get the balloon performance chart
• How high can you fly your balloon
without over temping it?
Student pilot weighs180 lbs, instructor weighs
160 lbs, fuel is 126 lbs, use max balloon temp.
Use ambient temperature for Centennial Airport
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180
160
126
466
335
801lbs
801 lbs
~8000ft
72°
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Navigation/Communication
* Small balloon, maybe not the right thing Lets use a 90,000cf balloon instead.
Using the Centennial surface winds, where
are you after your 1.5 hours of flight?
Assume straight line of flight, no boxing back, fly at
FAA minimums, winds are the same as on the
ground at Centennial.
Do you plan to talk to anyone on the AC
Radio?
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Chatfield
Reservoir
launch
Landing
site for 1.5
hr flight
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THE ACTUAL FLIGHT
• Once airborne, the wind really was
285@12
• Where will you be in 30 minutes?
• Now you have a communication
requirement. What does the
comm exchange sound like?
– Initial contact
– Subsequent contacts
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Radio Communications
• Identify who you are calling:
– “Centennial Tower”
• Identify yourself
– “this is hot air balloon November One Two Tango Gulf
• After tower response, simply state your position,
altitude and request (intention)
– “located 5 miles west, altitude 6 thousand 300 ft,
intend to land as soon as possible before airport”
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Decision for the Flight
• What can you do to avoid the
Class D airspace at Centennial?
• Go high or land
• Can you go that high to get the
wind you want?
• Can you land in the congested
area?
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Flight Planning
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
while on the ground and in the air.
The initial plan
is seldom
the final plan
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Landing
The decision to
launch is optional;
the landing is not.
Nor is it automatic.
• Where to land
• Passengers prep
• System prep
• System recovery
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Flight Scenario
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