Heavy lifting: Hot air balloon crews see their efforts soar

ELKO — What does it take to put a hot air balloon into the sky?

Balloon crews comprised of novice and experienced members know the answer. They help the pilot with everything from unpacking the balloon and preparing it for flight to taking it down and putting it away.

The perks of crewing range from finding a community of balloon enthusiasts to free rides, but most agree that the true reward is the work it takes to send a balloon into the air and see it safely land.

Larry Eirles, 70, has crewed for the Wind Rider, piloted by Vincent Casey, for 23 years. He recalled the first time he saw "balloons flying all over" near San Rafael Park during the Great Reno Balloon Race.

From that moment, he was hooked. Eirles joined the Aeronauts for 10 years but has remained loyal to Casey and three iterations of the Wind Rider.

"All year long, we fly. Anytime there's good weather, we fly," he said. "If the winds are more than 3 to 5 miles an hour, we won't even stand the balloon up. We'll go home."

He said he averages crewing about 15 times a year and flies with Casey about three times a year. For his 60th birthday, he and Casey took a 21⁄2-hour flight from Stead Airport to Loyalton, California.

Being in the sky is "so quiet and surreal. You look around at the scenery, looking above and down. It's gorgeous," Eirles said.

It's that peacefulness that attracts newer enthusiasts to hot-air ballooning. Echo Begin, 18, was also inspired by seeing the Reno Balloon Races as a child.

"I've always loved the hot air balloons," she said.

When she was 12, Citrus in the Sky pilot Karalyn Munn gave a presentation on ballooning at her school, and she decided to get involved. She attended balloon camp in Tahoe and now has her student pilot's certificate and "flies quite a bit."

Like Eirles, she fell in love with floating in the sky.

"It's so peaceful. Other than having the burner on, it's dead silent. There's no turbulence, like in a plane," Begin explained.

Jan Erhart crews for Citrus in the Sky. She described flying as "magic" and the experience taking place in "slow motion" compared with being in an airplane.

"It was very interesting to see things from above and at that vantage point," Erhart explained. "In an airplane, you don't get to look down at the top of a tree and see the pinecones and the bird's back, not the underbelly."

"When there's no wind, I call it hanging on a skyhook. You're stuck just hanging there. It's pretty magical," Erhart said.

The colorful swirls and patterns of the hot air balloons add to the excitement of events such as the annual Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival. Seeing faces, young and old, light up at the sight of the giant-sized craft adds another layer to the experience for crew members.

Sisters Jordan and Hunter Cramer of Reno and Kindra Warren of Elko team up to crew for the Wolf Spirit balloon. They described finding an "amazing" community who were dedicated to jobs and delivering their joy to others.

"It's a really fun event and it's great to see the joy it brings people when they see the balloon," Jordan Cramer said. It makes people happy, and that makes me happy."

Warren agreed, adding that the balloons also inspire people to volunteer as crew members. "We're always happy to get new people involved. We love seeing people enjoy themselves with the balloons."

Anyone who feels a spark of interest should follow it, Hunter Cramer said. "If you see a balloon flying and you think that is something you would be interested in trying, follow it. Find their crew, introduce yourself and get some information on how you can help out."

Crewing responsibilities

During the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival on Friday, pilots met for a weather briefing to learn the flying conditions. It determines if there will be a flight or not.

It's the start of an early morning for hot air balloon teams, with some getting up as early as 4 a.m. before a flight.

If the balloons are going up – either for flight or tethered rides — crews get to work, unloading trailers and trucks, unfurling a large bag of silk and spreading it out on the ground, attaching the burners to the baskets and hauling out the heavy-duty fans.

One of the most important duties is the crown line, where someone makes sure the top of the balloon is held tight while it's being inflated.

Eirles, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps., is in charge of Wind Rider's crown line. "I love doing that because you have full control of the balloon in setting it up and bringing it down," he said.

In addition to managing the crown line, Eirles trains new volunteers who join the team. He credits his military experience with his ability to take orders, listen for directions and give instructions.

Begin said having a crew help the pilot creates a "bonding" experience for all involved. "You bond with so many people, it makes them excited and invested in ballooning. You make a little family and it's so much less stressful when you have your crew."

Erhart said despite her experience — she averages 10 flights a year — she waits for the pilots' direction on the morning of a flight but stays alert when large crowds gather.

"It's kind of nice because ethe pressure is off, but I have eyes in the back of my head When we're out there with large events, the crowd has to be controlled," she said.

She said it takes as many as three or four people to get a balloon in the air, chase it, help the pilot find a safe landing area, and take it down. "The pilots can't fly without us."

Erhart said a new crew member compared the activity to cross-fit training. "We're putting down the tarps and lugging things around, picking up things, moving them and packing up the balloon. It's a little bit of an athletic event as well as helping the pilot to fly."

Melanee Scarborough of California has been involved with ballooning since 2017. She recalled getting involved "by accident" when she was fundraising for the American Diabetes Association and swapped volunteer duties with another organization to work at a hot air balloon event.

Her husband also fell in love with ballooning. "About halfway through the day, he said, 'I love this.' We've been doing it ever since."

Scarborough was accompanied to the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival by Blue, a Siberian Huskey who doubles as a balloon dog and a diabetic alert service animal.

"He's a good supervisor," she said.

Scarborough took her first ride in a hot air balloon about 20 years ago but now prefers to stay on the ground, serving as the crew chief and training new crew.

"I run several balloon festivals in California, and it's my job to ensure that they feel comfortable and safe and that they know they don't have the experience to help. I want them to experience the fun and want to be involved," she said.

Seeing the enthusiasm and awe from children is part of encouraging interest in ballooning for the next generation.

"We're still influencing the future generation. It's okay if they are 6, 7, 8 or 9 years old. Keep them interested because those kids are going to get older, they may want to come to the balloon festival, maybe get them to come to camp and keep them going," Scarborough said.

Fulfilling dreams

Erhart, like other crew members, said she sees the emotional reaction from people seeing a hot air balloon in person — some for the first time.

She recalled an event in Albany, Oregon, a few weeks ago when the weather kept the balloon down for tethered rides when Karalyn Munn told her to bring a woman diagnosed with leukemia in a wheelchair to get on board for a ride.

"She said, 'Oh, this has been a dream of mine,'" Erhart said. "And I thought, 'We fulfill dreams!'"

Another woman, also diagnosed with cancer, was able to take a tethered ride with her family members. "She said it was wonderful because they got to fulfill her dream and her family's dream to be in the balloon with her."

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