Pilot Tips.

Where are you when landing?

I guess it all depends on whether you have passengers on board or not. If not then it pretty much does not matter as long as you are comfortable and have yourself braced for landing. Where should you be with passengers on board? My suggestion is in the front with your back toward the landing and your face toward the passengers. In this manner if one of your passengers has a fall or begins to fall your able to see them and prevent any major incident. This will also prevent your passengers from extending arms out of the basket trying to catch themselves and breaking an arm. This does not mean that you face away from the landing when your making your approach. But.. When your ready to open the top your work is done facing forward so turn around and keep an eye on your precious cargo. The Passengers.

Keeping your burner fittings in good shape.

Many of us use caps on our burners. Did you know that if you go to the local Hydraulic hose company you can get metal caps? Metal caps will not strip out like the plastic ones. They cost just pennies and will last for a long long time. I also put a little Vaseline in the cap to help lubricate the threads and fittings. I have burners with several thousand flights on them and can still finger tight the hose and it wont leak.

What is the Best GPS for ballooning?

We recommend the Garmin 12 XL It has the no nonsense features you need without the thrills and frills you don't.

GPS 12XL

When your idea of an outdoor adventure means getting way off the beaten path, you demand the most of yourself and your equipment. And when the time comes to head back to civilization, you'll enjoy the peace of mind that the GARMIN GPS 12XL has to offer.

The GPS 12XL is all about performance. It features a 12 parallel channel receiver for amazingly fast satellite acquisition and tight satellite lock even under tree cover. More than just an ultra-reliable receiver, the GPS 12XL is loaded with navigation information including 106 map datums and 7 grid formats, plus advanced orienteering features like user datum/UTM/and user grid formats to define your own map parameters. Store your position as one of 500 waypoints or add it to any of 20 routes. The proximity waypoint feature gives advanced warning of nearby hazards, while the position averaging function helps get the best fix possible.

Packed in a rugged case to handle tough conditions, the GPS 12XL uses an ergonomic rocker keypad for easy one-hand operation and features a user-friendly operating system to keep you on the move instead of pushing buttons. Four AA batteries provide up to 24 hours of use and a variety of accessories can be added like an external antenna and mounting bracket. With the GPS 12XL, getting there won't be half the battle it'll be half the fun.

Pilot tips are written by

Jeff A. Thompson. These are tips from a 30 year veteran of balloon with over 4,500 hours. Flying experience ranging from private to competition to commercial and 18 years of Passenger flight operations. Not all tips will work for everyone but are intended to make you think about how you do it and suggest a possible alternate method. comments may be sent to IFLYHAB@aol.com