Crew Development

To celebrate spring, Crew-D offered up a Bunny Butt Bounce Competition. No, we didn't bounce bunnies but did attempt to bounce ping-pong balls into a bucket. (Think beer-pong.)

All the teams that participated received 20 points just for attempting the task. And they got chocolate as a bonus prize. Surprise! Only one team scored higher than 20 points and that was Team Sandia Sunrise. They scored 80 points. Team Tentai is still holding the top spot. The scores are posted and you can check them as well as the overall standings of all teams by clicking on the 2022 Scores button on the right side of the page.

Crew D competition took to the air for March 2022 with a task for CREW to throw a baggie on a target, FROM A BALLOON! The winds were very tricky for most of the pilots. What should have been, wasn't. What seemed improbable, was somehow probable.
As a result, only two teams were able to make it to the Crew D target. Both were really great throws. However, Team Tentai - The Sequel was nearest to the center of the target, with a distance of 9' 6" This earned them 75 points in the overall total. They are now the team in first place.
Team Sunset Mini was the only other balloon to make it to the target, with a distance of 12'9". They have earned 50 points. Check out the full points for 2022 on the right side of the page.

Game 1 – Target Practice! Crew D is resurrecting a past crew favorite. There will be a target that you will need to get the scoring bean bag onto. You will need to borrow one from your pilot or use the one you made for the baggie competition. From inside a vehicle you will need to get your bean bag closest to the middle with some Creativity. Have a pool skimmer or fishing rod? Perhaps a very tiny trebuchet? The method of delivery is up to you, however, explosives and firearms will not be permitted.

Game 2 – A Little Hoop-la! Also a crew favorite from 2019. You will be provided 3 hoops and you will score depending on which balloon basket upright you get your hoop on. So simple, even a child can do it!

August 2021 Featured a Cornhole Tournament.

Hope everyone had a good time at our first in-person AAAA Crew-D event in a couple of years! The Corn Hole Competition was full of excitement.
First place went to Team Grasshopper with a winning score of 8 points. They received 100 points and the 1st place prize package.
Second place went to Team Kaleidoscope with a score of 7 points. They received 75 points and the 2nd place prize package.
There was a battle for third place due to a tied score of 3 points each. Battling head to head, in 2 rounds of sudden death toss-off, were the teams of Sandia Sunlight and American Beauty. Both teams fought valiantly for the 3rd place finish, but Team American Beauty came out ahead. Team American Beauty received 50 points and the 3rd place prize package.
All other participants received 30 points toward their overall scores.

Thank you to all who came out!

Check out all the scores including the overall using the 2021 Scores button.

And check out this video from Pat Chando of the competition.

Board Liaison: Sue Palmer crew-dev@hotairballooning.org

To promote education and recognition for AAAA crew members or other people who are not pilots in the ballooning community.

Many hands make light work is a saying that very much applies to flying a hot air balloon. Without the help of a reliable, educated, and enthusiastic crew, a hot air balloon pilot isn’t going to fly very far. If you’ve ever been interested in learning more about what is involved in getting a beautiful balloon up, up in the air, contact the Crew Development Chair for information. Don’t be shy! We welcome and enjoy giving people hands-on experiences for this one of a kind sport.

The Crew Development committee meets monthly on the Tuesday prior to the AAAA flying event. Please contact the Crew Development Chair for details and meeting location.

Download our two page Chase Crew Safety Guidelines on the link at the right. It is in Adobe PDF format and requires Adobe Reader to read it. You can download the Adobe Reader here. Pilots feel free to copy, distribute to your crew, and personalize as you wish. Suggestions for changes are welcome!