My First Flying Event
December 23, 1997

Where here I am at my first Flying Event. The Turkey Drop. The object is to be at least a mile away from the field and fly to the target and drop a rubber turkey on the turkey platter located on the "X". I signed in, listened to the weather, and then follow the crowd to a launch site. I pick an area approximately 1.1 miles north of the target. There are a few cactus plants, so the crew covered them with various covers from the envelope, fan, and basket. The inflation is going fine until the fan stops running. Why would the fan stop? I checked the gas, OK. I check the Choke and Gas levers OK. I pulling on the starter rope thinking is flooded. It finally starts. I later find out the oil sensor switch has gone bad. The fix is to bypass the switch.

OK all is well and off I go at 100 FPM up. The field and the other 50 or so balloons are to my South. What a view! OK, first thing to do is check everything again. Fuel running from auxiliary tanks, pilots on, radios working, not a chance the radio never works when the crew is outside of the truck. OK where is everyone going? Most seem to be moving from left to right as I face South. But wait, Tom G. is moving Northeast about a mile in front of me at about 8,000 feet. Ray, my instructor, is moving Southwest about 3/4 of a mile in front of me. The "Dead Cat" Balloon is to the right of the field. OK I want to be Northeast of the field be fore I make an approach. So I find some Northeast air at 6,800 feet. I slowly move Northeast of my launch sit e and watch the crew put everything back on the truck. I have instructed them to go back to the field and wait as I am going to play for awhile. I look at my watch and realize that it is 8:30 AM and the target closes at 9:00 AM. Oh Yea! The target is t he game. Dropping to 5,600 feet I get the Southwest flow. That is going to put me right of the target so I go back to 6,800 feet and pick up a little left then while dropping back I get the right again. I don't want to miss the target. But I just realized I couldn't see the target anymore so I need to go up. While passing through 5,900 feet I feel air bowing in my face from the South. Oh Boy! this means I am going to go South so I go to 6,000 feet and see what happens. I am North of the target and moving about 5 MPH. I am directly in line with the target. Balloons lower are approaching the target from the Northeast. There is one balloon behind me about 7,000 feet. He comes down right behind me. He says go lower for a good shot at the target and I say "no been there done that" it will take me right of the target. He says OK and agrees to follow me. He soon does he own thing and flies away.

OK, I have got the target in sight. I am about 500 feet AGL and drifting South. My mind is working double time, Be Safe, No Target Fixation, Check Traffic, Fly level. I then look for the rubber turkey. I am standing on it. Well rubber Turkey #25 i s time for you to fly. Ok, about 10 feet North of the target I drop the turkey. Oh Kaka, if I am already moving then the turkey is also moving, where did my physics knowledge go? The turkey falls like a wingless bird with a stalled engine but I can see it the whole time falling down but moving horizontal to my flight path. Plop! The crew is reporting via radio that the turkey landed 91 feet from the target. Sounds good to me. The target people called "Pecker Checkers" are being kind or my watch is off as its 9:00 AM and the target is still open.

OK time to land. Where is the crew. I see them on a road traveling south. OK I pick a landing spot on a road. I tell the crew travel on your current road till you come to a T then turn left go about 1/2 mile then turn right then turn right again at next road and stop at the next intersection and bail out and grab me.

In the mean time I am waiting for the balloon to cool down and start falling. Watching the instruments has become a pain as it lags behind the actual movement of the balloon. I can feel the balloon beginning to fall. I look at the instruments and the altitude is beginning to drop. I pick up speed to 300 fpm and then flare out and fly at 50 feet about the ground and then use the weeds to slow my forward progress and I then land on the road. The crew is there, waiting for me. What a great crew!

I managed to score 15^th place out of 34 people who scored. Tom G. and Ray have not only scored better than I but have passed over the target more than one time. These guys are good. Gives me something to work for.

Thanks to MaryLou, Harold, Harold Jr., Robert, Tina, and Tina's son for being excellent crew. For those who may be new to ballooning a person cannot fly without crew. I use at least 4 people, one on the fan, one on each side of the throat, and one on the crown line. The more people the better especially on pack-up.

Well I am 17 hours into becoming a pilot. Hopefully I can complete all of my tasks before the New Year, but it will happen when I can prove to my instructor that I am a safe pilot and know all of the regulations.