1 / 20

Ballooning in Eurocontrol member states Hans Å kerstedt EAS Ballooning Working Party

Ballooning in Eurocontrol member states Hans Å kerstedt EAS Ballooning Working Party. Numbers of aerostats are similar 95% are Hot Air Balloons 300 pilots fly ~100 Gas Balloons ~50 Airships. Germany 1400 UK 900 France 600 Netherlands 450 Austria 400 Switzerland 450

yvette-hyde
Download Presentation

Ballooning in Eurocontrol member states Hans Å kerstedt EAS Ballooning Working Party

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ballooning in Eurocontrol member statesHans ÅkerstedtEAS Ballooning Working Party

  2. Numbers of aerostats are similar 95% are Hot Air Balloons 300 pilots fly ~100 Gas Balloons ~50 Airships Germany 1400 UK 900 France 600 Netherlands 450 Austria 400 Switzerland 450 Belgium 300 Rest 800 Total 5300 Ballooning in Eurocontrol member states Aerostats Pilots In addition ~20 000 non pilots are engaged, mainly in private flying

  3. BALLOONS Hot Air Gas (Hydrogen or Helium) Rozière (Helium with airborne heater) Other types exist AIRSHIPS Hot Air Gas (small non-rigid) Gas with a rigid framework AEROSTAT TYPES

  4. Hot air balloons • Small one-man balloon • No basket, 400 m3 • Diameter 9 meters • Just for fun and records • Lift: ~130 kg • Big passenger balloon • Up to 17 000 m3, 32 meters • Up to 30 passengers • Passenger rides and records • Lift: ~6000 kg

  5. Hot Air Balloon performance PRIVATE and SPORT BALLOONS • Normally flown at low altitude, <2000 ft GND • Flight duration 1-2 hours, endurance 3-4 hours • Normally below/outside controlled airspace • Good altitude control • May want to fly low for good steerage • Good precision in competition. <1m from goal • World records: 15 000m (49 000ft) – 21 000m (69 000ft), 1700km – 7700km, 24h – 50h

  6. Private ballooning activities • 35% of ballooning is private flying for pleasure and fun • 15% is competition and meetings

  7. Commercial flying • About 50% of all ballooning activity in Europe is commercial activity • Most is done with large hot air balloons • Pilots are usually very experienced • Peak season is May to September • Near large cities

  8. Gas balloons Winners of the 2006 Gordon Bennett race. 1000 m3. 2450km, 67h

  9. Gas balloon characteristics • Typical private balloon volume: 1000m3 • 3-5 passengers • Normally flown below 3000ft GND • Typical duration 4-8 hours, endurance 24-48h • Flying for fun and a few competition • Common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland • A few in France, UK, Belgium, Netherlands • Performance: 6000m – 3400km – 92h

  10. Rozière balloons • Helium & hot air • Expensive • Not for private/sport • Superior endurance • Used for records • Atlantic race 1992 • Around-the-World • 45 000km – 477h

  11. Airships Hot Air airship For fun and sport Gas airship Commercial operation

  12. Competitions and meetings

  13. Meetings and rallies • Annually about 400 events in Europe • Usually weekend events • Generally at low altitude (>2000ft GND) • Alpine meetings - up to FL 150 • Normally in uncontrolled airspace • Typically 15-25 balloons • Some events with several hundred balloons

  14. Official FAI Championships

  15. National and International events • Annual National championships in most nations • Bi-annual European Championships • Normally within a 50x50km area • Up to 6000 ft GND desired • Planned 1-3 years in advance in consultation with local ATC • Event officials include a Safety Officer • Airspace violations controlled and penalized • 4-8 day events. 15-100 balloons

  16. Instruments • Altimeter, Variometer, Map All • GPS 90% • VHF 90% • VHF 8.33 kHz Germany 3-5 %, other 1% • Transponder C less than 50% • Transponder Mode S less than 5%

  17. Threats • Overregulation – cost increases • New requirements • Insurance, 8.33 kHz, Mode S • Reduced uncontrolled airspace • In many countries activities have decreased to 50% the last five years • Most balloons are flown only 20-50 hours annually • Therefore increases of fixed costs (insurance, new equipment, fees) have a very serious effect on cost per flight

  18. Requirements • Simple regulations • No requirements for new equipment for normal flying. No transponder in uncontrolled airspace • Access to controlled airspace with appropriate equipment

  19. Coming large events in Europe • European Hot Air Balloon Championships. August 2007. Magdeburg, Germany. (80 balloons) • World Gas Balloon Championships. July 2007, Dimitrov, (Moscow), Russia • World Hot Air Balloon Championships. September 2008, Hofkirchen, Austria. (100 balloons) • Coupe Gordon Bennett 2007. BelgiumLong distance race, gas balloons. (20 balloons)

  20. Gordon Bennett 2006

More Related