debris and trash and to check for obstructions to inflation  or takeoff. Layout and assembly differ by balloon type, but  should proceed according to the balloon’s flight manual. For  quick fill balloons, layout should be downwind, similar to  hot air balloons. A crew briefing should be performed and a  crew chief should be designated. Safety must be emphasized;  new crew members must be given specific instructions and be  assigned to a more experienced crew member for guidance.  Gas balloon launches still tend to draw a crowd and some  form of crowd control may be required.  [Figure 11-9] Additional areas of specific interest to gas balloon pilots are  the regulation for currency for night flight according to 14  CFR section 61.57(b)(1): “…no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft  carrying passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after  sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise unless within the  preceding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs  and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning  1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise.” NOTE: This is similar to the currency for day flight and only  applies to flights with passengers. It does not prohibit night  flight when only pilots are on board.  Also of interest are the sections on aircraft lights (14 CFR  section 91.209) for night flight; the use of supplemental  oxygen (14 CFR section 91.211), and the use of transponders  (14 CFR section 91.215). During the planning stage of the flight, the objectives of the  flight should be established. Possibilities include: training,  pleasure, competition, record setting, new equipment  checkout, or possibly scientific investigation. Then, the  expected flight parameters should be developed. These  include the number of pilots and passengers, balloon  parameters (type, size, and lifting gas to be used), launch  time and location, expected duration, required weather,  maximum altitude, and predicted landing zone. If a fixed  date has been selected for the flight, an initial meteorological  assessment should be made approximately three days out  and subsequent weather developments are used to make a  “go/no-go” decision. If the flight date is flexible over an  extended time window, continual monitoring of the weather  is required until proper conditions develop.  A launch restraint should be secured and additional inflation  ballast (weighing several hundred pounds more than the  pilots and supplies that eventually are on board) should be  added to the gondola. The start of gas flow is a critical point in the inflation. A  slow initial flow allows a last minute check of cable routings  and crew positions. Surface weather conditions determine  flow rate after the initial checkout. For quick fill systems, a  partially filled envelope is much more subject to twisting in  wind gusts. A flaccid envelope tends to present a concave  (spoon-shaped) surface to the wind, producing a higher drag  factor and placing more stress on the entire system. Once  the envelope’s shape has filled out to a convex (beach ball)  shape, it is more able to stand by shedding wind gusts around  it. Quick fill systems are much more subject to this effect  than are netted balloons. After this, an equipment list can be developed and a  system weight and ballast calculation should be performed.  Permission to use the desired launch site must be confirmed  and the availability of adequate gas supply and launch and  chase crew must be assured. A concise schedule should be  sent to all crew members, defining when decisions are made  and how these decisions are communicated to the crew. Finally, all inflation and flight equipment must be assembled  and checked out for proper functioning. The chase vehicle  selected should be able cover the expected distance and bring  all participants back home. As described in the section on balloon systems, a netted  balloon envelope is laid out flat on the ground and its shape  during inflation resembles a sphere rising out of the ground.  It always presents a convex (shedding) shape to the wind. A  separate step is required after inflation to install the basket  and attach it to the load lines coming down from the net. When the day comes, all equipment is transported to the  launch site. A site “walk-around” is performed to remove  11-9 Layout and Inflation Flight Planning $_{Figure 11-9.}$  America’s Challenge launch at Fiesta Park,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.