The Competitions
Since the
hot-air balloon cannot be driven as the other flying machines, but only
direct exploiting the different direction of the wind to the various quotas, her
possibility to reach the destination is tightly tied to the ability of the
pilot  in to recognize and
to maintain the correct wind. And it is for this that the challenges in which are risked
the participants are essentially competitions of precision and ability. The
choice of the type of competition is left to the manager of competition that
it will decide only after having verified the meteorological conditions. The 'Task'
will be brought therefore to knowledge of the alone competitor to the last one
moment, adding a further element of difficulty as the
pilot will have only few minutes to decide the strategy of flight and to inform
the ground crew. The illustrated competitions are those more
commonly used and, at times, to make the competition more
interesting, some of them are mixed in a same flight.
Fly
in
A well visible target is fixed on the base field. The pilots will have to choose a field of distant take-off from the base at least three kilometers and in the
direction of origin of the wind. Reached the field of take-off
they will depart and, if the surveys that them had done
will reveal correct, they will very probably reach the
target. |
Pilot declared goal
The pilot, after
to have studied the meteo conditions through the throwing of little helium balloons, will identify on the topographical paper a target
(normally a road intersection), to a non inferior distance to
that least established by the judge and, declared in writing the
coordinates of the target, will depart for centering it mintaining faith to the
declaration. |
Judge declared goal
As
for the pilot declared goal with the difference that the
goal is chosen by the judge. The pilot, using the coordinates
that have been communicated him by the judge, it will have to identify on his
chart the target, then to recognize it from the tall one to be able him
to center. |
Hesitation
waltz
The judge
identifies on the topographical chart a series of targets in the
direction in which the wind exhales and communicates the coordinates of it to the
competing. The pilot, after having underlined them on the paper, it will be
free to choose, in flight, on what
to aim. |
Elbow
The pilot will have
to try to reach a definite target on the paper from the manager
of competition, to throw a 'marker' to identify the reached point,
then to try to return back to the point of departure. It wins who
succeeds in making the most narrow elbow, that is the most greater variation of
direction. |
Hare and Hound
This is one
amusing test that is mainly practised in the assemblies
friendly. A denominated hot-air balloon 'hare', it takes off. The
competitors wait for least once established by the judge of competition
and therefore they begin the pursuit.The 'hare' it will look for of
to disorientate the pursuers continually changing level flight, pretending
to land or trying to make to be surpassed. Later around a time of
flight, the 'hare' it lands and it systematizes a well visible target that him
pursuers will have to center with a marker in
endowment. | |
