September 8, 2007
I was going to fly on the West side of ABQ this weekend to practice what I call
"Short Field Landings" which is where the balloon is high and the pilot lets the balloon come
in at a steep angle to land in a small area. It is easy on a calm day but on windy
days it is really spooky.
Anyway, backing up to last week, a dear friend "Morgan" who was a crew person for me
when I was learning to fly passed away. He was always there for DJ and me, and also
helped Sam and Kathy learn to fly. I got the call last week that Morgan had
passed last week but I didn’t hear much other than there was a brief ceremony at the
flying event at Fiesta field on Saturday. Yesterday (Friday) I was thinking of him
and called my crew and told them I was changing from the West side to Fiesta field
as I owed it to my friend “Morgan”.
It was one of those things that I call my
inner-self and when I listen to that inner-self it always works out..
We got to the field this morning (Saturday) and it was a calm day and I was happy
as we would be flying south towards downtown ABQ and I don’t like going that way
due to the limited landing places. Before we flew they passed out balloons for
Morgan and I meet Morgan's son from South Africa “Adrian”. They gave a brief
talk about Morgan and we all released the gas filled balloons we had been given
in tribute to Morgan. Then one of the flying event organizers came to me and
said “you knew Morgan and he crewed for you”. Yes, I said as I have many fond
memories of Morgan. The organizer then said “Tom I would like to you to fly
Morgan's son so he can spread Morgan's ashes over the field”. Wow what an
honor for me. Later I learned that long before I owned Breezy Rider Morgan
and taken his first and only balloon flight in Breezy Rider. How fitting
to fly Morgan in Breezy Rider for his final flight. I had listened to my
inner-self and it for some reason told me to be at Fiesta field in Saturday..
As we where inflating to fly the wind sheers started and made the inflation a real
challenge. I loaded Morgan's son and Morgan and off we went. I instructed Morgan's
son to start dropping the ashes as soon as we could because we would not be over the
field for long as the winds had come up. He dumped the ashes and I immediately
started looking for a landing place and found one about a mile and 1/2 from the
launch site. I started to let the balloon descend at about 500 feet above the
ground. As I passed through 300 feet the balloon started picking up both downward
and forward speed. I turned on the burner full speed and rode it to the ground
and probably landed at 300 FPM, bounced and opened the top and it still drug.
At least it was a nice open field.
I was talking to my instructor after the
flight and he said I probably encountered negative false life as I was landing,
which means, as you are descending the winds will actual provide lift in the
downward motion as the winds on the bottom of the balloon act like a wing
but upside down thus causing me to drop and actually pick up speed as I was landing.
As Diana and I where watched the NEWS this evening the headlines where “multiple
balloons had issues this morning” and they showed a balloon over a light pole and
another in a tree I didn’t make the NEWS, thank goodness, but it was a tough
landing and I know how to do “Short Field Landings” and it came in handy today
but I will still go practice in the wide open space next weekend.
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