Frazier takes Flight: Hot air ballooning in Canutillo skies

CANUTILLO, Texas - On a quiet and cool Saturday morning, a group of hot air balloon pilots and family and friends gathered at Gallegos Park to take to the skies. Coat of Many Colors, with Pilot Vernon Greggerson, and Cap'n Andy Bubba, the pilot of Hubba Bubba, brought their large balloons to the park to take their loved ones, as well as Meteorologist Katie Frazier on a flight.

Pilot Vernon has flown for 21 years as a private pilot. Cap'n Andy Bubba is a commercial pilot. He's been flying for 26 years, 23 years at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, and in about 50 different balloons of all shapes and sizes. That includes a polar bear, a tennis shoe, a computer screen, and an eagle. He is 71 years old.

At 7:15 in the morning, the setup began. The flight crews started by bringing the baskets of the two balloons onto the fields in an open space. Next was the preparation of the basket- getting the cage and the burner unit set up correctly in the basket. Eventually, the basket is laid on its side, pointing toward the balloon- which is known as the envelope. The crew attaches the envelope to the basket.

By 7:30 AM, both pilots and their crews started stretching the envelopes along the field, and carefully began to spread the width of the envelopes out. Next, a fan is placed at the opening of the envelope near the basket to start pushing air inside of the balloons. Two people are needed at the base of the envelope to hold it open, to allow more air to get pushed in. The envelopes start inflating at this step.

By 7:40, the envelopes were half full of air blown in by the fans. Crews ensure that the top of the envelope, known as the parachute valve, is properly in place. They held on to a rope to ensure the envelope is held down tight.

By 7:50, Pilot Vernon began using his burner unit. Giant flames spewed out of the burners into the envelope...the flames had to be at least 10 feet tall! The flames quickly warm up the air inside the envelope, which allows the actual balloon part to become airborne. As the envelope floats in the sky, the basket is still on the ground, and the flight crew ensures everything is properly placed on the basket and the envelope.

Finally, by 8 a.m., the hot air balloons are ready to go. Passengers can climb into the basket (three in Coat of Many Colors and four in Hubba Bubba). Both pilots periodically shoot flames into the envelopes to make sure they stay inflated, and then finally, they are able to take off.

Hot air balloons can fly because the air inside of the envelopes is much warmer than the air outside. It's a simple discussion of density. The warmer air becomes lighter and less dense than the cold and dense air outside. That allows the balloon to take flight. Eventually, the air inside of the balloon will cool down- which is why the pilots have to periodically shoot flames into the envelopes to stay afloat.

The balloons are not recommended to fly in strong winds. Calm to around six mph is the best, and pilots should not fly in anything above the 12-15 mph range. Winds blow in different directions and speeds as you go up in the atmosphere. While it may be calm at the surface, perhaps at 1,000 ft, there may be westerly winds blowing at five. Perhaps at 2,000 ft, there may be easterly winds blowing at seven mph. Pilots need to have a good idea of the weather and wind profile in the atmosphere to determine at what heights they should fly, to move one way or another.

It is common that a hot air balloon will not land in the exact location where it took off from. A chase team is needed to be able to track where the balloon is landing, and to help ensure that the passengers, pilot, and balloon land safely back at the surface.

To become a private pilot, you must have at least 10 hours of flight time training, with certain tasks undergone. To become a commercial pilot, you must have 35 hours as a pilot, where 20 of those hours are in an actual hot air balloon. To find out more details on becoming a pilot, you can click here.