Fundamentals of Level Flight

Objective

• To develop the student's understanding of level flight as the basic balloon flight skill
  

Elements

• Recognition of vertical movement
• Depiction of level flight as a continuous sine curve line and not a straight line
• Recognition of change in ascent and descent rate
• Development of burning rhythm

Equipment

• Chalkboard for pre-flight discussion and display of sine curve flight line

Instructors Actions

• Discuss the basic flight skill required of a balloon pilot to fly level
• Define level flight as the process of recognition of vertical movement. Up or down?
• In flight, require student to announce vertical movement (up, down or level) before firing the burner
• Discuss a consistent firing rate (generally one or two seconds in sport size balloons) to create even power
• Discuss relationship of firing rate, propane pressure, ambient temperature and various gross weights

Student's Actions

• Able to identify locations along sine curve flight line where burner is to be fired and where to let the envelope cool

Completion Standards

• Student should recognize vertical movement, further recognize changes in rates of descent and ascent to identify when to fire the burner to fly level, and understand the benefits of a firing rhythm.

Common Student Errors:

The instructor should anticipate the common student errors associated with:

• The fundamentals of flight

1. Inability to recognize vertical movement
2. Failure to coordinate bums with heat loss; and
3. Excessive cooling and/or over-burning

• Ascents and descents

1. Improper transition from level flight to ascent
2. Failure to level off at specified altitude- and
3. Exceeding performance limitations of the balloon

• Rapid ascents and descents

1. Exceeding design limitations of the balloon
2. Improper response to envelope distortions- and
3. Failure to monitor envelope temperature

NOTE: The most basic flight operation is level flight and it takes an average of five flights before most student pilots can do it smoothly. It is helpful for the instructor to draw a sine wave to represent the path of the balloon in relation to the ground. By placing the balloon along the sine wave (ascending, top, descending or bottom) the instructor can explain that (a) this is the actual track of any balloon and the student will eventually flatten the wave; (b) before pulling the blast valve, the student must first recognize if the balloon is ascending or descending; and (c) fire the burner in uniform length burns of one or two seconds.

Once the flight begins, set the balloon up in level fight and challenge the student to determine the direction (up or down) of the balloon.

It is a natural reaction for a pilot to hit the burner, if in doubt about anything. If the instructor says, "Do you see those power lines three miles ahead?" A student will always hit the burner even if the balloon is already ascending. To cure this kind of knee jerk reaction, have the student report the attitude of the balloon first. Some students just won't offer any comments on their own so the instructor will just have to repeat, "Are you going up or down?"