Sample Inflation Checklist for the Yellow Beast.

Prelauch basket preparation prior to going to the launch field.

 

  • Install electrical interface panel
  • Strap in battery pack.
  • Mount both GPS units on map board, turn on and confirm display settings are as desired.
  • Clear track memory on GPSIII. 
  • Confirm the battery level is full on both GPSs and Flytec flight instuments.
  • Mount FlyTec on map board.  Confirm battery level
  • Install FM and Aircraft radio in pouches
  • Run FM and aircraft power cables, connect to interface panel. Connect microphones to radios.
  • Put map lamp on interface panel
  • Connect Overhead light to interface panel.  Coil up and stuff in a pouch.
  • Wire up everything and test.
  • Install Oxygen tank, route hoses on back wall.  Where to put cannulas?  Pressure test and flow test.
  • Tie knife cord to manila rope handle, put knife in red pouch
  • Put pencils, pens, highlighter in the gear wall
  • Install Pilot’s and Co Pilots personal stuff in personal pouch.
  • Put protractor in the map pouch on the front of the technical
  • Put compass in Pilot personal pouch
  • Put current sectional on map board centered as to make sense for launch
  • Place log sheet in upper right corner and use 2 small clamps to keep it in place.
  • AM/FM radio and calculator go in the pouch in pilot corner
  • 2 water bottles in pilot and copilot corners.
  • Connect night-lights cable directly to battery pack #2.  Turn on using the switch on the black box, confirm operation, then turn off.  Put fresh D battery in the strobe if not already done.  Put lights neatly back in the bag in such a way as to deploy easily.
  • Connect Q-Beam to cig-adapter on battery pack #2.  Run cable behind bed and attach Q-Beam to corner carabineer.
  • 35mm Camera in pouch
  • Load misc. gear bag and food bag under bed.
  • Load sectionals
  • Strap sleeping bag to the sleep door
  • Confirm that Footropes and sandbag safety lines are installed.
  • Confirm that toilet paper, paper towels, ziplock bags (gallon and quart) are in the bathroom bucket, then put lid on

 

Envelope Preparations

In a downwind position layout the 40 x 60 tarp long-ways, with the 60 foot direction running the length of the balloon

Use 10 X 16 tarp to lay out all equipment that will be used in flight.

Unpack envelope, roll out and position such that load tapes 1 and 16 are on top

Install deflation port Velcro and attach red lines.  Install safety wire ties on Velcro closures.  Pull excess red line up inside the envelope

Install Valve.

Check Valve operation by pulling at the appendix end of the red line

Attach envelope to basket, 8 load tape carabineers to the foot ropes using load ring. See appendix A for layout.

Spread out envelope

Move blue anti sail lines out of the way

Appendix:

  • Tie one end of the “Gold” Diffuser support line to the diffuser at pipe fitting.  Run the line through the anti-sail D ring at the base of the appendix.
  • Slide diffuser inside appendix such that the bottom of the appendix can be closed around the hose.
  • Wrap the bottom of the appendix tightly around the gas hose and secure with the Velcro at the end of the purple line.
  • Run the purple line down to the load ring
  • When attaching the diffuser, confirm that excess red lines are all inside the envelope
  • The Gold and purple appendix lines should be layed on the ground along the helium hose.
  • The blue anti sail lines and the green appendix line should be on the ground on the opposite side.

 Basket Equipment Installation

  • Put Transponder in pouch on gear wall after attaching the power cable and antenna to the bottom.  Confirm that the paint roller is in the bottom of the pouch.  Lower the unit down in the pouch and make sure the power connectors are not strained.
  • Put MiniDV camera in pouch
  • Load 8 flight bags on floor in pilot corner (by technical).
  • Load 20 Inflation sandbags on floor of basket.  (Be very careful not to spill too much sand).
  • Load 39 Flight Sandbags into basket on top of 20 inflation bags. Do not put sandbags on top of bed.  Some flight bags may be attached externally if there is not room inside to put these bags, or if the risk is high that bags will be spilled.
  • All external inflation sandbags are attached on the manila rope that is weaved into the basket, is located about 8 inches below the upper rim of the basket.
  • Attach Blue tie off line to Basket and truck..  At the basket, the line attaches to the yellow short webbing connected between the two back suspension lines..

 Trail Rope Installation  

Remove drag rope from orange bag and attach to basket using 3 quicklinks.

Check Quick Release is working and secured.

Attach end of drag rope blue line to the center of the tie down harness (yellow webbing).

 

Inflate Envelope

Review Appendix C, “Pre Gas Turn on checklist”

  • Position crew at appointed checkpoints to control crowd.
  • Verify diffuser is in place and secured with handling lines.
  • Begin Helium flow through diffuser.
  • Two crew members will hold down the valve until they can no longer do so.  This is probably the right amount of lift to get the bag to stand up without being violent.

 

DURING INFLATION, AFTER ENVELOPE IS VERTICAL

  • Install Lights on outside of basket, test with power.
  • Attach Q Beam to outside of basket.  Test with power.
  • Install Map Board
  • Connect power to both GPS units
  • Place xponder antenna, coiled, on the black biner that holds the bathroom bucket in place.
  • Install bathroom bucket

 

After Envelope stands up and is inflated:

A.     Lower diffuser using support handling lines – Gold /Purple

B.     Transfer 39 flight bags in basket to carabineers above basket bolster on the outside of the basket.

C.     Inflation bags stay in basket until weigh-off.

 

Clean-up

  • Collect, Dump Inflation bags – Put into storage container.
  • Collect and Store all remaining bins and equipment.
  • Fold and Store all tarps.
  • Clear all area of trash or debris left at sight.
  • Spread any sand piles as to leave no trace.

 

Chase Vehicle Check

  • Confirm gas level
  • Keys!
  • Money
  • Trailer wiring and safety chains
  • Radio Check

 

Appendix A

  

 

 

 


 

           

 

 

Carabineer       1a -  Load Tape 1 & 2

                        1b -  Load Tape 3 & 4

                        2a -  Load Tape 5 & 6

                        2b -  Load Tape 7 & 8

                        3a -  Load Tape 9 & 10

                        3b -  Load Tape 11 & 12

                        4a -  Load Tape 13 & 14

                        4b -  Load Tape 15 & 16

 

Appendix B:         Tracker setup in truck

Connect modem cable to black jack by passenger floor console.  Connect other end to the back of the laptop.

Turn on radio.  Confirm that on the left is 464.550, and the right is 144.390.  If they are swapped, press the Band button.  Get tim if that does not work.

Connect the power cable from the laptop to the cig adapter by the passenger console.

Power up the laptop and launch the icon on the desktop that says “click to start Nerd tracker”.

 

APPENDIX C            Pre-Gas-Turn-On checklist

Red Valve line secured

2 red deflation port lines secured

Purple Diffuser Line in place, Velcro on, line run down.

Gold line attached to diffuser, run through ring, secured at load ring

Tie off in place

All sand bags in place. 

No load tapes fouled on valve

Check wind direction with pibal, confirm that we are lined up with wind

All ropes and lines are clearly not fouled or tangled.

 

Appendix D – Pre-Launch Checklist

Barograph Turned on

2 radios on, final radio check

Night lights are ready to deploy

Transponder antenna is ready to deploy

All carabineers are locked

Calculate Launch load and record bag count and time on log sheet.