If a child were to create a flying device, their fantasy of air travel would probably look something like cluster ballooning – enormous, brightly colored balloons attached to a lawnchair or other form of seating, slowly moving across the sky.
Although there is nothing childish about this sport. In fact, cluster ballooners carefully calculate the lift/weight ratio to work out how many helium balloons it will take to lift their body weight for flight. They also need to understand winds and weather to ensure their homemade aircraft stay safely afloat.
Cluster ballooning is fascinating to watch and ever since Larry Walters captured the world’s attention in 1982 with his solo flight, people have become addicted to watching the sport. We caught up with the foremost cluster ballooner on the planet – John Ninomiya – to find out what it feels like to take to the skies with nothing but a handful of balloons to keep you afloat.
What is cluster ballooning?
Cluster ballooning is an unusual form of ballooning that involves using clusters of gas-filled balloons, rather than a single large balloon, for lift. Usually, these are latex rubber balloons. Most cluster balloonists do not use a basket to ride in, but instead attach the balloons to some type of seat or harness.
Where did this sport/hobby originate?
Ballooning with clusters of balloons has been done as early as the 1930s.
Is cluster ballooning popular as a pastime?
Cluster ballooning is still a fringe sport. There are fewer than a dozen people worldwide who have flown cluster balloons.
How does it work?
Helium gas lifts about 60 pounds per 1000 cubic feet. By computing the volume of each balloon based on diameter, and the weight of the pilot and the balloon system, the number of balloons required can be calculated. Hydrogen has slightly higher lift, but is highly explosive.
What is the farthest distance you have traveled by cluster balloon?
I've flown up to 30 miles. A Brazilian priest, Adelir di Carli, attempted a cluster balloon flight with no training or experience, and succeeded in going several hundred miles; he was killed on his second flight.
How do you take off and land?
Generally, you start off carrying some type of ballast (weight) —like the sandbags you see in pictures of old-time gas balloons, although I carry pouches of water for that purpose. You take off by releasing some of that ballast; the balloon becomes lighter and you begin to rise. To rise faster, you can release more ballast. To level off or start to descend, you burst balloons.
The ability to ascend and descend is important for controlling the direction of the balloon. Although the balloon can only fly in the direction that the wind is blowing, there are generally different wind directions at different altitudes; so by ascending or descending you can control your direction somewhat. This is the same type of directional control used by a hot-air balloon.
At landing, you descend to a hundred feet or so, and level out (by releasing ballast). When some appropriate open area is available, you burst some balloons and descend to the ground. You usually have a ground crew following you during the flight, and by coordinating with them on the radio, you try to get them to the place where you expect to land in advance of your arrival — having someone on the ground to assist at landing is very desirable, especially in windy conditions. If winds are light, you generally land very lightly on your feet.
What happens if the wind suddenly picks up?
Generally, I try to fly in the early morning or late afternoon, when the winds are calm. High winds make it difficult to land the balloon accurately in some open area; and cause you to drag along the ground once you've landed.
What altitude do you fly at?
Most of my flights are at 3-4,000 feet. The highest I've been is 21,400 feet, which required oxygen and a transponder, as well as approval in advance from air traffic control.
How long can you stay elevated for?
It is possible to stay aloft for many hours. The main drawback to this is that, as the day progresses, winds usually increase, and there is much more turbulence, due to heating of the ground and air, that can make the balloon uncontrollable, and make landings dangerous. The other risk is that, when flying longer distances, the balloon would pass through congested areas, like cities, or airspace reserved for airports, both of which are prohibited. For that reason, most of my flights are limited to a few hours duration.
Can anyone cluster balloon?
The legality of cluster ballooning depends on what country you're in. In the U.S., the aviation rules allow for single-person lightweight aircraft that do not require airworthiness certification; the cluster balloon can be operated under these rules, which are the same as for hang-gliders and paragliders.
In Canada and many EU countries, there is no broad provision for this special type of aircraft, so a cluster balloon would have to be registered as a conventional aircraft, and would be subject to a variety of requirements designed largely for airplanes.
Would you say cluster ballooning is a green activity?
It is a green activity, when done correctly. Releasing all of the balloons at the end of the flight, or for a parachute descent, as some cluster balloonists have done, is not very green, since the balloons will end up as litter. I'm careful to either burst and properly dispose of my balloons at the end of a flight, or whenever possible, deflate them for re-use.
Cluster ballooning has also been used to raise awareness of environmental issues. Although cluster ballooning is not very practical as a form of mass transportation, it serves to raise awareness of lighter than air travel, which in the form of airships may play an important role in the green transportation of the future.
How would you describe the sensation of cluster ballooning?
It's really an amazing sensation. It's rather strange and fanciful, flying with a bunch of huge, brightly colored toys — like a child's dream of flight. And it gets you some strange looks when you fetch up in someone's back yard. But more than that, being carried aloft by something so fragile and light, you feel as if you've become a part of the wind and sky.
Please tell us about your 2009 Tour.
My 2009 tour planning is still in progress. I'm hoping to do 6 - 8 flights, in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. Some of these flights will be part of my States of Enlightenment project, in which I'm trying to fly with helium balloons in all 50 states of the U.S. — I'm at 41 states right now, and hope to add Connecticut, Missouri and possibly a few others this year.
All images are of John Ninomiya.
Visit: http://www.clusterballoon.org/
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