Observing is a first–rate way for anyone interested in ballooning to see the best in action; for people who crew for just one pilot to widen their involvement; for new and prospective pilots to continue developing their skills by watching how good competition pilots operate; and for those who have no intention of becoming pilots to see how expert crews function.

You can download the latest Observer training handbook from the Downloads page on this site.

1. The observers role

Obviously the Competition Director and the team of officials cannot be everywhere with all the balloons during the course of a flight.  This is where the observer comes in.  You are there to be the eyes of the director, note all that happens, and report back.  Purely that.  You should know the rules, but it is never your job to interpret them.

Your most important job is to identify and record the position of each marker.  Sometimes you will be expected to do this from the ground, and you will be taken around with the team in the vehicle.  They should do their best to keep you in contact with the balloon.  If the markers are easily found, you may well measure them as you go.  There will be other occasions when the pilot will invite you to fly, and you will observe marker drops from the air, and go back to measure their position after the flight.

In the UK each pilot has to provide an observer for each competition.  Many pilots have their own regular observer, but some use ‘freelance’ observers.  At every pre–flight briefing, each observer is allocated to a pilot (but never the one that he or she has come with, and usually not to a pilot you have observed before at that competition).  In most other countries, and at international competitions, arrangements for observers are independent of pilots, though their function is the same.

In simple terms, the observer’s job is to monitor the flight, record and measure where the markers land, and report back to the Director via Debriefers.  In practice the observer has a form to fill in, which is largely self–explanatory.  There are boxes for the time inflation started, time of take–off and so on, and spaces for diagrams to show where markers landed, how they were measured, and finally to show where and when the balloon landed.  If you are lucky you are able to make a direct measure to the goal, but if the marker is too far away, you have to be able to pinpoint the marker relative to some other suitable feature on the map.  In practice this is not usually a problem, and GPS is commonly used now.

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2. Qualities required

Good map–reading skills and a good understanding of map co–ordinates.  Patience and tact.  Ability to produce clear and simple sketch maps (works of art are not required, and you soon learn the important features that need to be shown).  The ability to stay quiet, unobtrusive and detached when necessary.  Reasonable fitness and stamina, and of medium build or less.  Self–confidence - in this country you will find you are normally working with the pilot’s support, and conflicts will be rare, but there will be odd occasions when you need to stick to your guns, and not allow yourself to be brow–beaten.  In the final analysis, you must simply record what you have seen, and leave the competition team to sort out any differences in interpretation.

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3. Enjoy yourself!

Competitive ballooning at all levels, both nationally and internationally, is a very friendly sport.  Pilots tend to compete with each other rather than against each other, and it is quite usual to find competitors discussing the tasks in some detail beforehand and sharing information about the wind conditions during a flight.

Downsides are few, but perhaps the worst is that once the flight is over, the balloon is packed away and all the markers are measured, the observer still has to wait at the competition centre to convey his or her findings to the debriefing team.  Also if you go to a competition where there are flights morning and evening at every opportunity, you can end up pretty tired.

On the plus side, you have the opportunity to observe (in both senses of the word) and sometimes fly with first–rate pilots, see how they use the wind to steer, and look for breezes that no–one else can find.  Once you have built up enough experience at home, you will be able to go to international meets, often with a contribution to your expenses.  Many experienced observers now have a network of good friends worldwide as a result.

But far and away the best reason to become an Observer is that it is simply a great way to enjoy yourself!

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4. Observing records and badge flights

Whilst observing is primarily about competitions, there are other opportunities for those with some experience.  The most common is being asked to observe certain flights which qualify for the BBAC badge scheme.  These vary from altitude to distance, duration and accuracy.  Badge flights are commonly organised by individuals on their own or by regions (esp for an altitude flight) and many require independent observation with a brief report for the award.  You will find yourself very popular with your region if you are able to offer your services to observe badge flights.

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