25/01/12 We've done some updates on our website. Visit Competition Flying page to discover how exciting ballooning can be! Find out more about our 2012 plans and book your place on board for Easter Training Weekend in Barnoldswick or Kirkby Lonsdale Balloon Meet
07/11/11 2 flights in 3 attempts. Saturday in Midlothian and Sunday in Crieff. We hope it is not the end of this season! CLICK HERE TO SEE GALLERY
25/10/11 It's been some time since our last flight. We keep an eye on the weather very carefully but when it's not windy, it's raining so there is nothing we can do. It is the time to have next season organised so if you keen to help come along, join the Club and help.
28/09/11 Saturday 01/10 8.45am Peffermill Sports Centre! Balloon inflation and theory for everyone!
26/09/11 Trip to Isle of Bute was highly successful. High winds didn't allow us to make a flight but some tethering has been done.
14/09/11 PUB NIGHT OUT!!! Meet current and new Club members on Tuesday 20/09 in Pleasance Bar and on Thursday 22/09 in Big Lebowski. Both meetings are from 8.30pm
13/09/11 Meet us during Freshers Fair on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th in the Centre of Sport & Exercise, 46 Pleasance
07/09/11 It's only two weeks to the Braid of Bute venue. Click here to find out more
06/09/11 Club is getting ready for a Bristo Square inflation to celebrate Freshers Week. Meet us next Sunday from 3pm
The club currently has its own balloon named Lord Mellvile. Were able to offer cheap flights for members partly through a subsidy from the Edinburgh University Sports Union and partly by the committed efforts of some Club members who turn up regularly to help with flying and participate in fund-raising activities. It is their involvement that enables us to fly so many students for the first time.
Many just take the opportunity to fly and are never seen again, but some do see beyond this chance and continue to participate in the sport of ballooning for many years. Ballooning isnt just about watching the world float by beneath you; its about participating in a team to get the balloon in the air, navigating your way about the countryside to follow the balloon until it lands and then celebrating the day in a nearby village hostelry!
Keen participants can even go on to receive flying instruction and gain a pilots licence; all club pilots have gained their licenses this way and some now fly professionally in far away places such as Kenya.
But obviously, most students who first turn up want to get into the air as soon as possible and the club will typically get you into the air by your second trip with us. We try to give priority to those who get most involved with the club.Edinburgh University Hot Air Balloon Club was founded in 1969 by a small group of enthusiastic students, with the intention of providing an unusual and rewarding sport for all members of the University.
The first balloon Godolphin flew in October 1970 and was one of the first hot air balloons registered in Britain. The Club quickly became recognized internationally when two pilots trained within the club, Dick Worth and Ian Jacobs, set a new world altitude record of 23,000 feet in Godolphin.
In 1974, Godolphin was retired to the British Balloon Museum in Newbury and was succeeded by Obelix which had the cartoon character emblazoned in full colour on its envelope. Obelix gave good service until early 1979 when, to take account of the Clubs increased membership, a larger balloon was purchased. This balloon, the James Tytler, made its maiden flight in February 1979 and was used successfully to train a number of club pilots and to regularly fly Club members.
James Tytler, a graduate of this university, was the first British aeronaut. He made the first historic balloon ascent from Edinburgh on the 25th August 1784 flying the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon. Two hundred years later to the day, the Clubs fourth balloon, aptly named the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon, made its maiden flight. This was the largest balloon ever flown by the club, having a 105,000 cu ft air capacity. Two high-powered liquid propane burners were used to heat this air and the envelope stood 80 feet high. The wicker basket accommodated up to six people.
Principles Of Balloon Flight
Balloons work on the very simple principle that hot air rises, as it is less dense than cold air. A balloon has a set of burners to heat the air, which is then trapped by the fabric of the envelope. As the air is heated, the lifting force eventually overcomes the force of gravity and causes the balloon to rise. The balloon will not rise forever though since the air in the envelope will cool and the balloon start to fall. As the balloon rises the air pressure also decreases. This means that there is less cool air to support the balloon so it will begin to drop again. By varying the temperature of the air in the envelope the balloons altitude can be controlled.
Setting Up The Balloon
To set-up a balloon is fairly simple. First the basket is positioned upwind of the balloons envelope. This is so that while inflating, the envelope will not blow into the basket and get either burnt of torn. The basket has a set of propane tanks, which are used to fuel the burners. The burners are placed on top of nylon poles so that they cannot drop down onto the occupants of the balloon on landing. The flying wires that attach the basket to the burner frame are then connected using karabinas. Next, the fuel lines are put in as the pole covers are fixed and attached to the propane cylinders. At this point the pilot will test the burners by piping fuel from the tanks to the burners through the fuel lines. The fuel lines are strengthened heavy-duty rubber so they cannot break.
While the pilot is doing the burner test the rest of the ground crew will begin to take the canopy out of the bag and position it downwind of the basket. Once the pilot has finished the burner tests the basket is tipped over in the direction of the canopy. The 4 sets of flying wires making 8 wires altogether are attached to the 4 basket karabinas. The clubs balloon is currently an Ultra Magic 90, which means the balloon can contain 90,000 cu ft of air when filled. This means the complete length of the balloon including basket is about 110 ft. Equivalent to a nine-storey building. Next the bottom set of load tapes (the tapes that create the bulges in the balloon) are pulled out so the balloon looks like a flat balloon. Now the balloon is ready to be inflated and all that remains is to pull out the crown line, which will allow the top of the balloon to be controlled during the inflation.
Inflating The Balloon
To inflate the balloon we first need to get some air in so we can heat it up with the burners. If we tried without any air in the envelope all that we would get would be a very burnt canopy. The mouth (the hole at the bottom) is pulled apart and held open. A fan positioned at the entrance then blows cold air in to the balloon, which begins to inflate. While the balloon inflates the pilot and an experienced member of the ground crew will go to the top of the balloon (the crown) and begin to attach the parachute. The parachute is there to allow hot air to be let out, but while we are inflating the balloon we dont want air to flow out so the parachute needs to be shut.
When the balloon is one third to two thirds full the pilot will begin to slowly put hot air in with the burners. The two ground crew on the mouth have to take care not get scorched or tangsled up in the flying wires as the envelope begins to rise. Also there will be two crew at the crown line to control the envelopes ascent. When the balloon is standing upright the pilot will ask for the passengers to get in and the ground crew to keep weight on the basket. When everything is ready the crown line is fastened to the burner frame, the pilot puts on the burners and the balloon rises into the air.
Flying The Balloon
When flying the balloon the pilot will control the vertical motion by either heating up the air in the envelope or allowing it to cool down. Sometimes hot air will be released but normally the natural cooling of the balloon is used. The balloon will only go where the wind takes it although the winds are normally different at different altitudes so there is a certain amount of control available. After about an hour or two of flight the pilot will pick a place to land. The balloon will slowly lose altitude until depending on the wind speed it lands. Either gently vertically if is calm or with a hefty bump and topple over if the wind is stronger.
Landing And Packing Away
Once the balloon is firmly on the ground the pilot will ask the passengers and ground crew to drag out the crown line so that when the balloon deflates it will fall away from the basket hopefully in a straight line. The crew then gathers the balloon into a sausage to remove the air. While the canopy is being packed away the pilot and other experienced crew will pack away the burners and basket. The canopy will be piled into its bag and sat on to get rid of the excess air. When all the air has been remove the bag is sealed and put on the trailer with the rest of the equipment ready to be flown another day.
Put simply, for local weekend flying, join our mailing list, become a member and come along to our meetings and we'll keep you updated about chances to fly.
In the first instance we give priority to book a flight to those who will be first to join the Club.
Ballooning is only possible in light winds and non-thermic air. The best opportunity for such conditions is at the beginning and end of a day. During the summer, even turning up at 7am has sometimes proved too late by the time that we reach the takeoff site! Be prepared for early starts! Please note that if you won't show up for a flight we have to cover outstanding costs from our own pockets or cancel a flight, making whole effort pointless. In the winter, daylight and therefore flying time is restricted so early starts are not a problem (but do be prepared to be up before dawn).
When we go flying we usually meet at the Club garage. You should bring warm outdoor clothes and stout footwear. Food is optional but with a trip typically lasting up to five hours it is recommended although we often stop for a drink and snack. In addition, the Club also organises cheap weekend trips away, either to small balloon meets (e.g. Hull and the Lake District) where you can meet other fellow balloonists, or just one off trips in Scotland, typically the Borders or the Trossachs. We usually stay in hostels or camp if it is warm enough!
The Club also flies abroad in the summer and attends the biannual Metz balloon festival in France host to thousands of balloons and 300,000 spectators.
To ensure the continuing survival of the Club, experienced Club pilots train Club members so that they can obtain a Private Pilots License (PPL) in the balloon category. The amount of training that each trainee requires varies greatly with the students previous aviation experience, general ability and commitment as well as the general weather conditions that prevail through his/her training.
The award of a PPL enables the holder to captain the balloon and fly passengers, although not for personal remuneration other than a contribution towards flying costs. To fly for remuneration, a pilot has to obtain a Commercial Pilots License, requiring significantly more flying experience. Trainee pilots start out at the bottom by spending perhaps a year convincing the pilots and committee that they have enough enthusiasm and commitment to complete a training program that, on average, will take a year. Even during training, much time and devotion is required. Much of it is spent ringing up for detailed weather forecasts, getting together a retrieve crew and persuading a pilots spouse that she really doesnt mind letting him disappear at 7am on Sunday morning to give you a training flight! But the rewards are there. One pilot has been flying commercially in Africa, Canada and now Germany. Another local pilot has just come back from flying in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Others maintain their licenses more locally in between surgery, conveyancing and computing.
The club assists financially with trainee pilots costs. The amount depends on the effort that the trainee pilot puts in, but usually the flying costs are halved and the examination and license fees (amounting to several hundred pounds) are paid. Once trained, the Club naturally expects a trained pilot to help continue the survival of the Club by flying Club members, although at this stage, the flying is free.
The club aims to train one pilot per year. If the urge is there, then get noticed and have a chat with us. If we cant put you off, then well know youre serious!
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in competition ballooning, whether you are a pilot or not:
Hot air balloon pilots from both the UK and abroad are always welcome to attend and help is provided for pilots who havent competed previously (ask us about the incentives available for domestic pilots).
Each pilot is required to provide an observer for each event. Observers go out with different teams and bring back independent evidence of that pilots score. The skills required are map reading, reasonable fitness and a friendly approach. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BECOMING OBSERVER. It is a great way to get involved!
Each pilot also needs crew to enable them to compete effectively. Crews tend to play a vital role in setting the balloon up, transporting the observers to goals and targets, providing the pilot with wind readings and navigation support either from a retrive car or inside the balloon.
A small group of hard working officials organise the events and operate each competition. A good knowledge of ballooning and competitions is necessary but there are occasionally opportunities for others to become directly involved. Skills are organisation and a willingness to do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of the competition.
The Competition Director is in charge of the event, sets the tasks and oversees the scoring.
Get in touch with EUHABC to start your adventure with competition flying in 2012.
BACK TO VIDEO
In 2012 Edinburgh University Hot Air Balloon Club wants to take part in a competition flying. Watch the video from British Nationals 2011, read about competition ballooning and contact us to get involved!!!
A skilled competition pilot uses the winds at different heights to steer to a goal or achieve a task with reasonable accuracy. At different heights, the wind can be blowing at different speeds and in different directions and pilots use this to steer their balloon to where they want to go.
A competition flight will consist of a number of tasks which tend to require pilots to demonstrate the[ir] ability to fly accurately. Pilots are scored, in most instances, by attempting to drop a marker (weighted streamers made from balloon fabric) close to a goal or target. A goal tends to be a road junction - though not a busy one, a target is a large cross usually in a field.
Each task is scored separately and points awarded with the overall winner of the Grand Prix event or National Championship being the pilot who has amassed the most points at that event. Each competition follows a set of rules published by the International Ballooning Commission.
Flights might comprise of a mixture of the following tasks (this list is not comprehensive):
Hare & Hounds: Competitors follow a hare balloon and attempt to drop a marker close to a target displayed upwind of the basket after the hare has landed.
Elbow: Competitors attempt to achieve the greatest change of direction in flight.
Land Run: Competitors attempt to achieve the greatest area of a triangle using three markers.
Pilot Declared Goal: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to a goal selected and declared by them before flight.
Judge Declared Goal: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to a goal set by the Competition Director.
Hesitation Waltz: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to one of several goals set by the Competition Director.
Fly In: Competitors find their own launch areas and attempt to drop a marker close to a set goal or target.
Fly On: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to a goal selected and declared by them during flight.
Minimum Distance: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to the launch point after flying for a minimum set time.
Maximum Distance Double Drop: Competitors attempt to drop two markers far apart in the scoring area(s).
Gordon Bennett Memorial: A target is identified for this task which is outside of a scoring area. The pilot has to drop the marker as near as possible to the goal but inside the scoring area. Markers dropping outside the scoring area, even if closest to the target, do not score.
Source: www.compsclub.bbac.org
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR 2012 TRIPS!!!
Before you book a flight please read all info on LET'S DO IT TOGETHER page.
YOU CAN FIND A MAP TO OUR MEETING POINT HERE
SUNDAY 12TH OF FEBRUARY
BOOK NOW!!!
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SCHEDULED FLIGHTS!!!
In 2012 EUHABC will visit some of the most popular balloon meetings in the UK.
Travel with us to enjoy Britain from above and get on board for just £20 per flight.
Easter Training Weekend - Barnoldswick 6/04 - 08/04 . A great way to start new season. Meet experienced pilots and ballooning newbie's. Attend balloons related lectures to get better understanding of how it works. Who knows it might be a beginnig of your pilot career.
Price £70*. Booking deadline 29/02 . BOOK NOW!
Kirkby Lonsdale 02/06 - 05/06 . Thanks to the Queens Diamond Jubilee everyone in the UK will be able to have a 4 days long weekend. Join us on our second trip to Cumbria to enjoy relaxed flying in a beautiful scenery.
Price £85*. Booking deadline 31/03 . BOOK NOW!
Can't do it this time? No worries more dates will be announced soon including competition events!
*Price includes transport and camping (2 nights in Barnoldswick, 3 nights in Kirkby Lonsdale). Price is estimated (no one knows how much fuel will be in April) and may vary by max +/-20%. Every flight will be charged extra and will cost around £20 (again fuel price dependant)
Please copy, paste text below into "message" area and provide all informations required:
Full name:
Matriculation number:
Telephone number:
Type in a name of the trip you interested in, in a "subject" area.
We will contact you by email to confirm booking and to tell you all details.
FLIGHT
Type in the date of a flight you want to book in a "subject" area.
We will contact first 3 people by phone to confirm booking.
If you were unsuccessful this time we will contact you by email but don't worry there will be plenty possibilities for you to fly soon.
Each member is required to pay a membership fee of £10, which is valid for one year. You can become a member simply by sending a cheque for £10 (payable to EUHABC) to our address which you can find in a contact section. Please remember to add your name, email address, telephone number and marticulation number.
The cost of your first flight is £45. This covers the cost of running our vehicle and your share of the propane used on the flight. Flights can last between 30 minutes and 2 hours, although typically last around 1 hour. The duration depends on the weather conditions, landing sites and the preferences of the passengers. Subsequent flights cost £30 for active club members.
We accept cheques (payable to EUHABC).
Note that the current commercial rate for ballooning is between £150 and £200 per hour!
Edinburgh University Hot Air Balloon Club (EUHABC) would like to present an advertising opportunity on our balloon envelope.
You can get your name or logo on the side of our hot air balloon which will be involved in flights and displays as well as the biggest balloon festivals in the UK.
EUHABC is a non profit organisation so you can be sure that all your sponsorship will be used to cover Club expenses and promote Hot Air Ballooning amongst students.
Our new balloon has been designed to be able to carry additional artwork giving you the chance to get your name seen on one of the most eye-catching and exciting ways possible at a fraction of the cost of commissioning your own balloon but with the same effect. You can even arrange for photo sessions featuring the balloon for you to use on your own material or website. Please contact us for details!
You can also hire this balloon for displays, tethered flights or a single flight. It's always a huge attraction for local festivals and galas, company events etc. Email us to find out more!
Join us on our Facebook page to see photos, videos and more
Club President William Kingston
euhabc_gmail.com
Edinburgh University Hot Air Balloon Club
Edinburgh University Sports Union
48 Pleasance,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9TJ
