Tetherer Hot-Air Baloon Jumps

[RonWelch44 0]

Has anyone used a tethered baloon for jumps with base gear?

[Mac 1]

I believe BR used to do this on their FJC.... I may of course have dreamed that and be speaking total rubbish

[Matt123 0]

Check out the BASE dudes website, http://www.basedudes.be/ theres some balloon jumping there...

[eUrNiCc 0]

A friend of mine went through the BR course about 10 years ago & he did a bunch of tethered baloon jumps. AFAIK a balloon is not an aircraft until it is free of any attachment to the ground.
My question is, can you drop a 1000yd roll of dental floss out of the basket at 2000ft and call it a teather?

Egad, A BASE life defiles a bad age.

[NickDG 23]

Yes, I was working for them at the time and BR used a tethered balloon for first BASE jump training and it was tethered at 800-feet. The balloon owner was a BASE jumper himself and compared to the Perrine bridge it may have been a bit better for first timers as the landing area was large and clear, and the altitude was higher. Of course it wasn't a real BASE jump, and the balloon was very wind and WX dependant, and kind of a pain to set up and take down. But we put a lot of people through that course and it worked fine.

As far as FAA legal, it wasn't. Tethered or free flying, at any altitude over a couple of hundred feet its a registered aircraft and TSO'd gear is required. Of course jumping skydiving gear from 800-feet would only serve to make it a hundred times more dangerous.

NickD BASE 194

[GreenMachine 0]

Good Morning Fellas,

This is a pet subject of mine which I have
researched extensively over the last year
since I became interested in BASE jumping.

NickDG told me that yes indeed balloon jumps
were a very common training method in the
early years --- I think I remember him saying
it was in the 80s around California.

The pros of course are the opportunity to exit
into still air without the risk of an object strike.

The cons are that tethering a balloon is very
difficult because in higher winds the envelope's
fabric acts like a sail applying significant strain
on the tether --- this is why balloons typically
are flown at sunrise and sunset.

Tethering is also hard on the balloon and uses
a fair amount of fuel, which is why many of
the professional balloon operators I spoke with
where sketchy about doing it to their balloons.

Lastly, there is always the FAA regulation that
prohibits voluntarily leaving an aircraft with one
parachute. And yes, all LTA (Lighter Than Air)
vehicles are considered aircraft and are required
to have and bare N numbers.

Note: tethering above a certain height (like 100')
there is a requirement to display bright colored
streamers every 50' so that it is visible for X distance.

Nonetheless I still think it is an AWESOME idea which
is why I bought an old hot air balloon and a collection
of articles & materials which detail how to build your
own balloon.

Check out these links

BALLOON CLUSTERING - using helium
http://www.clusterballoon.org/

CLOUD HOPPER - small personal balloons
http://www.cloudhopper.org/

SMOKE BALLOON - really cool jump ideas
http://travel.howstuffworks.com/hot-air-balloon2.htm
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/sheperd_d.html

Rigger, Skydiver, BASE Jumper, Retired TM

[cpoxon 0]

From Slim's nomination of Fast Al for BASE jumper of the year 2002

Quote

And finally the biggest event of them all which has been confidential til now. Australia's first BASE Balloon Boogie. Al purchased his own Balloon, rope and rented basket. After travelling around outback NSW to discover a property to fly it he flew in a pilot from OS who he had personally gone to meet to set everything up.

The ten or so people who attended the WE made over 200 jumps from 600 - 1200 feet. On the ground a PA system was set up for music during the fervour (courtesy of Al's business). He even organised a fireworks display to finish the day on Saturday night. It was the biggest event this country has ever seen. I have not seen similar in the US either. All jumpers got to practice their aerials without a chance of object strike and landing accuracy was thankfully irrelevant. Al created the safest BASE opportunity for all of us to have a go extending our skills.People learned to go stowed or slider up or to throw that crappy gainer. Sorry Pedro!

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[base1072 0]

yah all the time theres a guy In TF that has one

If u can think of it? It's been done

[pope 0]

Quote

The pros of course are the opportunity to exit
into still air without the risk of an object strike.

Don't kid yourself. There is always a risk of hitting the tether. Believe me you don't want to hit it.
pope

[Calvin19 0]

Quote

Lastly, there is always the FAA regulation that
prohibits voluntarily leaving an aircraft with one
parachute. And yes, all LTA (Lighter Than Air)
vehicles are considered aircraft and are required
to have and bare N numbers.
]

dude, last time i was buried in the FARS ,(trust me, its been lot lately, dont ask) it is illegal for a non-tsod scarachute to be even AVAILABLE for emergency use, so technicaly, if there is a base rig on the back seat of your 172, it would be illegal. huh, i have flown a crew to TF a bunch of times with our gear on the floor.... hmm.....

[GreenMachine 0]

Hey Clavin,

You are right, the FAA definitely requires
a TSO'd reserve for emergency purposes.

Also, 2 parachutes are mandatory for all
intential jumps from any aircraft, balloons
and ultra-lights included.

This is why cut-away rigs have 3 chutes.

Rigger, Skydiver, BASE Jumper, Retired TM