Topic: EP10 : " Don't Talk to Me like I Was an Animal or Something "

[puddin]

Oh and we have Chris Godlewski's strange confessional from last week that never mentioned and now that you mention it Sups the Weavers confessional background is recycled from last week but is different than the other team confessionals background from the library ..off to check out the insider clips IF they will play .

[kraziladi]

I finally have some time, since the holiday to post some things I definitely know and others I think I might know.  What I don't know is whether it will help or not.  So here goes:

First up:  No it won't be colder up there.  Only 2 degrees per thousand feet typically.  Sometimes it is actually warmer (a temperature inversion), especially on a calm morning.  Also the heat from the burners are quite toasty.

They will probably launch around 6:30am.  Sunrise is at 6:20.  A balloon cannot launch prior to sunrise (unless they have lighting equipment) due to FAA regulations.  We also see the crown man (the guy holding the rope at top of balloon during inflation) with a shot of the sun just rising.  At this point they are about 10 minutes from launching.  

I suppose we need to define the word crash.  Yes - both "crashes" (midair and landing) seen in the previews are perfectly normal.  Some landings may be harder than others and you may drag longer on some, but in all actuality, evey landing is a controlled "crash".  The midair crash is called "kissing" and all seems fine. Fabric to fabric is fine.  Won't hurt a thing.  Based on my knowledge and what I see here, I say no the Weasels are not harmed.  I see nothing unusual.

The two guys on the side of the basket on their knees are just crew stopping the balloon.  Yes it appears he has landed on a hill.  My take is so they will be closer to the road. Nice pilot for doing this.....if he only knew what/who he had in his balloon.  :/  He might have landed the farthest from any road.  

The flight time:  Based on the perceived altitude from the pictures, I can say with confidence they will be flying a minimum of 30 minutes.  They would need that much time to attain that altitude and then return to the ground.  I would guess that they fly closer to one hour.  Their landing location will be based soley on the wind directions at those various altitudes.  From the vid caps it is obvious two balloons are close together and one is a ways away.  Not knowing what wind direction the winds aloft were on that day, I will base my estimated direction and distance on the pressure altitude and surface winds that  day (7-26), I will estimate that they traveled about 5 miles or more ENE. from their launch location.

Launch location I have no idea.  Why would they drive back to Park City?  Although they would be launching from the edge of town, not near the airport and it appears based on the time of morning that they do just walk across the parking lot.  If we could find the launch location, we would have the landing area.

So there you have what I think I know about the subject of Hot Air Ballooning.  Now for you super sluethers if any of you are in my area, I would love to take you for a ride in my balloon!  I live in the center of the US.  So if you happen to pass by, look me "up".    :thumbC:

[Chateau d If]

Krazi, can you use that location I found above as a point along the way?  Like a 5 km long line going ENE.

[kraziladi]

Krazi, can you use that location I found above as a point along the way?  Like a 5 km long line going ENE.

This one???





They have been up a bit by now.  So it wouldn't necessarily be 5 miles from that location.  Let me look at the series of in flight pictures and let me see if I might be able to determine altitude and/or some other things.  I'll Mr. Krazi help me.  Two heads are always better than one.

[Chateau d If]

Yes.  And, by God , it even looks like they are going ENE in this shot!

[kraziladi]

Yes Chateau.  If you can plot from just SE of Silver Summit Parkway in a ENE direction, let's say for a few miles to be safe, then I think we can look for a road with significant incline running perpendicular.  Now keep in mind the balloons may or may not land in the same general vicinity of one another.

[kraziladi]

We can determine the direction of the road needed based on the Weaver's landing.  Now the surface winds were more coming out of the SW so they would have been travelling more NE as they got closer to the ground.

Woo Hoo - I finally get to help.  :danceC:

[puddin]

I'm just watching you two have a go at this  {| ..nice work Krazi  |#'

[kraziladi]

And I just got lucky because they are flying balloons.  How cool is that   Way cool for me  * 

Well it's way past my bedtime. So I'll check in the morning and see if we can make any headway.  Nite Nite

[sarahbea]

I believe that picture with the White building circled is the Rolls Royce Plant out there
Rolls Royce Gear 6125 N Silver Creek Dr
Park City, UT 84060 - 7041
(435) 649-1900

Not sure what help that is but just some various info.

[supsandalee]

Sure looks that way Sarabea.  |#'

Krazi -- if it helps with the flight plan you're working on I had posted earlier that one of the balloon companies said they launch across the street from the Radisson Park City. Slowhatch found another company that was probably used (Morning Star). TAR probably used more than one company since they needed balloons for 4 teams plus some for camera crew.

"I had actually called one of the balloon companys when we were trying to identify the intro caps (Park City Balloon Adventures). They said the usual launch site is across the street from the Park City Radisson. I think there is a big field there. It's probably not uncommon for more than one balloon company to take off from that same location. We might be able to determine if that is the Radisson in the background of pic with the Weaver's walking towards the other teams."

[puddin]

thanks Sarabea  |#'

Question for Krazi , if two teams collide in mid - air would it be the person manning the balloons fault or would it be no ones fault like maybe just the wind ?

[gingerman28]

We're getting down to the nitty gritty, so can we identify with any kind of sureness the various locations for tonight's TAR?

But first, it is pretty well assured now that there will be NO ELIMINATED TEAM on Wednesday's TES .  The main attraction is our old friend from Survivor - Rupert. No mention of anything about (no commercials either) TAR8.  Could the surprise be an appearance of Rupert at the mat somewhere???

Our locations:

1.  Balloon Ride starting at dawn. (ROUTE TASK) Park City or somewhere else?

2.  Working on the railroad (DETOUR) Ogden, Tooele, Helper, or Provo, Utah?

3.  Herding cattle (ROADBLOCK) Wyoming or Montana?

4.  (ROUTE TASK) Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Cody?

5.  (MATT) Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Cody?

6.  TBC, RAISED EYEBROW, NON-ELIMINATION, something else even?

[Chateau d If]

Using the shadow angle of that light housing on the building:

This shot was taken between 9:15 and 9:26 am

[puddin]

 :danceC: any ideas on the Roadblock Chateau ?

[cinni]

wow and wow as always! very nice work everyone.   :thumbC:

i keep thinking about what they would be doing in the balloons and wondered if it would be like when they went up in the eye in london. they have to spot something before they're brought down? or maybe just go up and land close to somewhere. 

i somehow think that the weavers end up first and the bransens fall back to last. leaving the linz and godlewskis the middle, likely in that order. the weavers will get there "you will regret it" moment this week.

btw, love the christmas smileys    :santaC:

[Pedaler]

From Kraziladi regarding the balloons:

They will probably launch around 6:30am.  Sunrise is at 6:20.

From Chateau regarding the railroad task:

This shot was taken between 9:15 and 9:26 am

That doesn't leave much time to get from the balloons to the rail station.  I'd guess the railroad station is the Ogden one.

[supsandalee]

This shot was taken between 9:15 and 9:26 am

Chateau, I don't know how you do what you do but it's cool. As puddin asked, can you tell anything about the roadblock since it is probably one of the last tasks before the pit -- um mat?

I "think" that everything we see is done in one day. However ... I checked out all the clothes and this week it's hard because they are wearing warmups in the morning. The only thing that isn't working is that the Bransen girls are wearing tan pants at the detour and black pants at the roadblock.

[kraziladi]

thanks Sarabea  |#'

Question for Krazi , if two teams collide in mid - air would it be the person manning the balloons fault or would it be no ones fault like maybe just the wind ?

It would be the pilot manning the balloon that was the highest prior to "kissing".  I would not consider touching fabric to fabric a collision.  Sometimes it happens due to trying to go up or down to find a specific layer of wind  (for directional purposes).  You do have to be very careful and maintain the same altitude as the other balloon so you remain fabric to fabric rathar than basket on fabric - that is not good  ]*] . Also while "kissing"  you just have to wait for the wind to take on a different direction or speed until you seperate.  The pilot just basically has to wait for this to happen.

[kraziladi]

i keep thinking about what they would be doing in the balloons and wondered if it would be like when they went up in the eye in london. they have to spot something before they're brought down? or maybe just go up and land close to somewhere. 

Good call cinni.  I will lean toward to spotting something from the air ala the eye of london.  I don't think they would have specified a landing sight.  As much as I enjoyed my stint ballooning for reality TV   ]][  (stay tuned) I would never have agreed to saying I could land in a specific location.

[puddin]

 :danceC: thanks Krazi & everyone else

listening to the promo again , a Linz boy maybe Nick yells out "Ramming Speed" before the balloons kiss.
Female voice says " you guys rule this " we don't see who says it but its during the Horse roadblock and could be dubbed ..sounds like the Godlewski with the big boobies but could be anyone .
Weavers bio says they ride horses but this is herding cattle so who knows ? we don't know that the other teams have riding experience .
We see the Weavers doing Coal and the other team doing Rails ..which one is faster ? It's hard to say ..we see at least 3 teams bunched up at the rails Linz/Sisters/Bransens ...according to Walder he " shines " at the detour task ..do they place second ?
Could be the Weavers do well this round but do they take a wrong turn again on the way to the surprise waiting for them at the mat? or as cinni has posted do they get their revenge by coming in first only to find out they keep running or whatever the twist is ?
The Godlewskis are shown having a hard time with the horses ..miss-direction ?

final thoughts
Weavers first , experience
Bransen or Linz second , no idea how they do at the roadblock ?
Godlewskis shown having a hard time with the horses ..Last place ? or do they " rule "

[Pedaler]

Bransen girls are wearing tan pants at the detour and black pants at the roadblock.

Maybe they were instructed to wear special clothes like the racers were in Louisiana.

I "think" that everything we see is done in one day

I think the same.  If so, the cowboy task can't be too far away.  I would guess Southwest Wyoming because:

1)  The terrain is very arid with no tall mountains in the background unlike the Jackson/Yellowstone/Cody/Fishtail area.
2)  It would be fitting for a cowboy task to be performed in the Cowboy State.  (that means it won't happen  :lolCX:)

[kraziladi]

 :thumbC:

I do think they will launch close to the Radisson:  #1 The shot of the Weavers in the parking lot looks pre-dawn - not pitch black.  #2 - The white building shown from the Linz Balloon is approximately 2.5 miles NE of the Radisson.  And there is a road about a mile or so past that which appears to have a raised elevation on the southern side.

I will try to see if I can get a google map over hear.  I have never tried.

[supsandalee]

Krazi, I did a straightline measurement with Google Earth and got 4.25 miles from the Radisson to the auto plant in the overhead shot (heading NE).

[kraziladi]

A close up of the white building, from the morning star balloon site.