The 2012 Gas Balloons are up, track them here.

[meach]

The fat lady has sung.

 

 

I did notice the replies and the views perked up when the balloons entered the eastern US...I guess that made it seem more 'local' to more people.

 

Anyway, thanks guys.

 

 

 

For anyone just tuning in, here is the tracking map again:

 

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/GasTracking/2012/app_map.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was fun following their path and trying to predict which way the wind was gonna take em. I even went to the weather service maps to look at wind conditions. Once taught a high school Meteorology class (I'm a retired HS science teacher)

 

Its rare to hear much about balloons here in the east, I did see a cluster of white & orange party balloons that had escaped while out flying my rc planes last weekend, they were pretty high up.

 

While riding my vtx out west couple years ago with my brother on his HD we were riding early in the morning headed toward Buena Vista from C.Springs and as we came down into the valley there was a hot air balloon that evidently had just taken off and was climbing just a hundred yards or so from the highway. It was pretty cool, we stopped and watched him/her for a few min., took a couple pictures of the balloon with the cloudless blue sky with snow on the Collegiate Range in the background.

[Trader]

Interesting that one veered so far north compared to the rest.

Seeing as that was also the shortest flight I guess that was by accident and not by design.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Interesting that one veered so far north compared to the rest.

Seeing as that was also the shortest flight I guess that was by accident and not by design.

 

Yes, the balloon pilots rely on wind reports from the ground crews, who relay atmospheric conditions to the pilots by radio.

 

The pilot makes a decision to ascend, descend, or maintain altitude based on the best information he or she has, and also luck plays a part in the outcome.

 

If a pilot believes that he might have favorable winds at say, 15,000 feet, he might ascend to that altitude from say 10,000 feet, to get that boost. But if the winds at 15k only last for 200 miles or so, or take him in the wrong direction, then he might have made the wrong move, if the others at 10,000 feet are cruising along nicely toward the east coast.

 

This is the reason that the GPS information from the balloons is stripped off the published altitude readings.

 

Each pilot and crew chooses an altitude, and if that altitude works in their favor, they do not want the other pilots to know where that fast lane is. So the information is not released publicly.

 

Since balloons dont have a rudder, or a steering wheel, the only control a pilot has over direction and speed, is his chosen altitude. Some make good choices, some take chances.

 

Well, its all over now...except the pouring of champaigne over the winners. Wish I could be there for that, since the winner is named Cheri and looks to be quite attractive.