!WORK IN PROGRESS! NOT FORMATTED YET!

Balloon Filling:

Overlooks Horizon Procedure

New England Weather Balloon Society's Procedure:

How to Inflate and Tie off Balloon

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• Helium tank handler

  • Responsible for the helium tank

  • Ensures the tank is secured properly

  • Responsible for ensuring the regulator is undamaged

  • Controls flow of gas going to balloon

• Balloon handler

  • Responsible for the balloon and ensuring its handled properly

  • Ensures the correct amount of gas enters the balloon

  • Ensures the balloon is tied down properly before filling begins

• Photographer

  • Takes close-out photos

  • Takes event photos

• Tracking/Chase/Manager

  • Responsible for checking GPS lock on the ground

  • Responsible for calling in a NOTAM

  • Responsible for alerting an airport if the balloons in flight predicted landing is near or on there grounds

• PR person

  • Explains what we are up to to strangers that may walk up

...

Outline:

• Tank prep

  • Tank arrives at site

    • Details to be flushed out at a later date

  • Tank is checked to ensure it is in accordance with the RIT gas tank handling guidelinesguidelinese

  • Regulator is attached, again following the training provided by RIT

  • Tube from regulator to balloon setup area is laid out

• Site prep

  • The launch site needs sufficient open area down wind to clear the tree line

  • The launch site needs to have sufficient distance from inhabited areas that in the first 1000ft of accent the balloon does not pass over a dwelling

  • A tarp is layer out and steaked staked down

  • Four steaks are planted and line of sufficient length for anchoring the balloon is attached

  • The payload area is established, this could be a table or on the ground depending on the site and type of payload

• Balloon prep(done with nytril gloves)

  • Balloon Is laid out on the tarp

  • Anchor strings are slipped around the neck and loosely tightened

  • Filling adapter is attached to the balloon

• Payload Prep

  • Payload is strung up according to the line order

  • Payload is layed out in strait line away from the launch pad

  • Close out is completed in accordance with the payloads prep procedure

• Balloon filling & Handling

  • The tank operator and balloon operator must have good & immediate contactcommunication(withing earshot) or radio

  • Balloon handler puts the fill tube into the balloon and makes sure its not going to fall off

  • Balloon Handler watches for the scale to reach zero(to know the correct amount of helium is in the balloon.

• Balloon Tie off

  • Balloon is tied off

• Launching

  • Safety are removed

  • Launch procedure blah blah

Procedures

Transportation

Tank Prep

• When the tank arrives at the site it is secured with ratchet straps to (IDK, what can we get in the field that could restrain a tank properly

• A regulator is attached to the tank

  • Correct pressure rating

  • Correct gas type(ie. don't use a hydrogen regulator with helium)

  • Undamaged threads on both side

• The helium tube is run to the launch tarp

  • Ensure not a tripping hazard, don't let the tube hang. Have it run along the ground

• Turn the valve of the tank on

  • Turn it slowly

  • Turn it all the way on

Site Prep

• Site requirements

  • The launch site needs sufficient open area down wind to clear the tree line

  • The launch site needs to have sufficient distance from inhabited areas that in the first 1000ft of accent the balloon does not pass over a dwelling

• Lay out a tarp big enough for the balloon and some hand tools

  • So the balloon is not scratched or in the grass

• Add steaks

  • 4 steaks to hold down the tarp

  • 4 more to be a safety catch for the balloon

• (Optional) table setup, helpful for payloads generally

  • Table space is generally used for payload and holding tools

Balloon Prep DONE WITH GLOVES

• Layout balloon

  • Balloon should unroll, don't spend to much time making it perfect, the less you touch the balloon the better

• Backup ropes

  • Put the backup ropes over the neck of the balloon and very loosely tighten them with a slip knot

• Attach inflator

  • Attach the inflation tube to the neck of the balloon

  • Check it will not slip out easily

  • Tighten backup ropes above the flare in the inflator to keep the balloon grounded

Payload Prep(All payloads will be different, these are more guidelines to follow)

• Follow Payload Procedure

• Check battery's are charged

• Check payload is “armed”

• Check payload has GPS lock and is transmitting/Decoding on receiving station

SONDE Trackers

• Sondes cases have had NWS stickers removed

• Sondes are powered on using fresh energizer ultimate lithium AA out of the pack

• Sondes are checked to have lock and be decoding on ground station laptop

Line prep

• Tie line items to the line/inline

• Ensure the line items are attached in the correct order

• Double check knots

• Check all carabiners are taped shut