On Mar 4, 1:26*pm, "JGalban via AviationKB.com" u32749@uwe wrote:
Ricky wrote:
Hi,

I may have the opportunity to take a ride in a helium balloon this
summer and have a few questions for any gas pilots here.

* I didn't know there were people flying helium balloons on a regular basis.
If you've got to fill up a big balloon before each flight (i.e. you're not
reusing helium) , that sounds really expensive. *

* Maybe your talking about these guys? :

http://www.couchballoons.com/default.aspx

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-280)

--
Message posted viahttp://www.aviationkb.com

Wow, that was cool, thanks!
No, there are actually gas-filled balloons all over the world & pilots
who fly for sport, commercially and for research & records & such.
Check out this link; http://www.gasballooning.net/
It is said to be much more fun & peaceful than hot air because with
hot air balloons you are interrupted by the loud burner.
Gas flights are also much longer, typically several hours or sometimes
more than a day, which interestingly brings up the necessity of
position lights on a balloon....Regs. say red on left & green on
right, correct? I've seen some "dawn patrol" hot air flights at
balloon festivals where they take off just before light and land at
the balloon festival/race field as the sun is rising. Makes for a lot
of beauty and is pretty popular with the crowd (sometimes small at
6:30 a.m.). Well, what I think I remember is that hot air balloons
have their red & green nav. lights hanging by string/rope on the sides
of the envelope. Now, I know that balloons rotate as they fly, some
competition/commercial models have a special vent which the pilot can
use to rotate on command for competition or advertisement purposes.
Now, I wonder how they circumvent having their position lights change
position while in flight? Makes more sense to put them on the basket
but I suppose they couldn't be seen by an aircraft above the balloon.

Ricky
As you guessed, gas ballooning is very expensive because helium is the
gas of choice, although hydrogen is becoming increasingly poular (!)
with gas pilots.