Hot Air Balloon - at Titiwangsa Lake Gardens

My friends FJ and Shannon run Skyevents, an event management company.  One of the activities that they promote, is the Hot Air Balloon ground crew training workshops.  This is part of their efforts to create awareness among the Malaysian public of the Hot Air Balloon as a sport and recreation activity.

The workshops are usually conducted once a month around the KL/PJ area.  With the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta being an annual event, there is much need for ground crew to help the many balloonist that come from various parts of the world.  To actually fly the balloon, one would need to have a pilot's licence - the balloon is an aircraft. 

I've attended their workshops when they first started promoting it about a year or so ago.  Nowdays, I just drop by whenever I can to lend support.

I was at Taman Titiwangsa last weekend for one such workshop.

 

The banner advertising the event at Taman Titiwangsa.

 

  

Participants registering for the workshop.  Registration starts at 7.30 a.m.

 

All equipment have been laid out in the middle of the field.

 

FJ, the pilot, posing for me next to the banner.

 

  

The workshop begins with a briefing by FJ.  The participants are then divided into 3 groups - assembly, inflation and tethering.

 

  

Sadoon, one of FJ's assistants for the workshop, demonstrating how to climb into the basket.

 

Sadoon, briefing the tethering team on their responsibilities.

 

FJ in charge of the assembly team....

 

... while Ala'a, another of the assistants, takes charge of the inflation team.

  

  

  

  

  

  

The inflation team lays out the envelope (that's what they call the balloon) ready to be inflated.

  

While the inflation team was getting the envelope ready, the assembly team was fixing the burner to the basket.

 

  

  

  

When the burner is in place, the pilot tests it to ascertain that it functions properly.

 

  

  

When FJ is satisfied, the basket is attached to the envelope.

  

Then begins the process of inflating the envelope.  A fan is used for this.

 
 

  

  

  

  

  

The balloon being inflated.

While all this is going on, the tethering team have tied ropes to three points and the ropes will be tied to the basket to prevent the balloon from flying away. (I was too busy with this two teams and I don't have shots of the tethering team in action.)