Mega launch day mega post!
I start with some documentation of BLAST’s final flight configuration (which while a little boring is part of the reason people indulge my taking photos of everything). Then we go through our pre-launch preparations. Later, I’m allowed out to the flightline to document the assembly and inflation process there—much closer than I’d been before. Finally there is the launch itself, which went off cleanly.
A big thanks to the CSBF crew for all their hard work.
![Inflation panorama Inflation panorama • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324471769/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8221/8324471769_35861d2f26_m.jpg)
Inflation panorama
![Subset of inflation panorama Subset of inflation panorama • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325534028/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8351/8325534028_1fec75805a_m.jpg)
Subset of inflation panorama
![Tyr: Make it look like the balloon is coming out of my mouth Tyr: Make it look like the balloon is coming out of my mouth • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325535420/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8504/8325535420_e067945357_m.jpg)
Tyr: Make it look like the balloon is coming out of my mouth
Despite both of us wobbling in awkward poses, we get it mostly right
![Unbagging Unbagging • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325535916/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8219/8325535916_252427d6a9_m.jpg)
Unbagging
![Opened balloon Opened balloon • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324479683/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8072/8324479683_0dff71a31b_m.jpg)
Opened balloon
![High-res balloon High-res balloon • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324480793/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8213/8324480793_faae791610_m.jpg)
High-res balloon
Vertical panorama
![Attaching the collar Attaching the collar • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325537912/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8493/8325537912_d7d2ddc1b2_m.jpg)
Attaching the collar
Which holds helium in the top of the balloon during launch
![Fill completing Fill completing • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324481855/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8079/8324481855_88014e4d0b_m.jpg)
Fill completing
Aimed vertically now
![The collar The collar • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325538986/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8071/8325538986_f8726852de_m.jpg)
The collar
With explosive bits
![Tying off a fill tube Tying off a fill tube • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324483021/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8494/8324483021_8e59d137c5_m.jpg)
Tying off a fill tube
![Fill tube finished Fill tube finished • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324483735/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8359/8324483735_b8d3bf3b2c_m.jpg)
Fill tube finished
![Knotted Knotted • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325540784/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8081/8325540784_22502c6567_m.jpg)
Knotted
![A couple more minutes of filling on the other side A couple more minutes of filling on the other side • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325541230/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8224/8325541230_9cbf08be51_m.jpg)
A couple more minutes of filling on the other side
![BLAST on the flightline BLAST on the flightline • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325541794/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8355/8325541794_ab9c527b46_m.jpg)
BLAST on the flightline
![BLAST and more of the flightline BLAST and more of the flightline • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324486203/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8224/8324486203_ee1a857386_m.jpg)
BLAST and more of the flightline
![The full scene The full scene • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325543192/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8361/8325543192_bef119a871_m.jpg)
The full scene
Now from a safe distance
![Anticipation Anticipation • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325543840/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8503/8325543840_e6b99dae8c_m.jpg)
Anticipation
![Anticipators Anticipators • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324487815/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8362/8324487815_cec6114440_m.jpg)
Anticipators
!["Give me the balloon" "Give me the balloon" • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325544812/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8219/8325544812_4dd397e343_m.jpg)
"Give me the balloon"
![Flippy floppy Flippy floppy • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324488635/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8222/8324488635_11d826e720_m.jpg)
Flippy floppy
![Balloon rising Balloon rising • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324489113/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8213/8324489113_e976214679_m.jpg)
Balloon rising
![Rising... Rising... • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324489803/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8221/8324489803_6e688a6ba4_m.jpg)
Rising...
![The Boss plays a little catch-up The Boss plays a little catch-up • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324490219/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8218/8324490219_31a54fd89e_m.jpg)
The Boss plays a little catch-up
![Launch Launch • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324490883/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8493/8324490883_86f34e0dfe_m.jpg)
Launch
With The Boss gunning it in reverse
![Ascent Ascent • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324491535/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8219/8324491535_f1aa03c1a5_m.jpg)
Ascent
With descending piece of balloon collar
![Bye, The Boss Bye, The Boss • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325548674/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8213/8325548674_cd9d7642c5_m.jpg)
Bye, The Boss
![Bye bye, ground Bye bye, ground • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8325549140/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8497/8325549140_6ab26bcb32_m.jpg)
Bye bye, ground
![Floating away Floating away • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324493081/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8223/8324493081_288e1ef8aa_m.jpg)
Floating away
![And away And away • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324493519/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8497/8324493519_28a431ec42_m.jpg)
And away
![Back to the highbay Back to the highbay • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324493925/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8211/8324493925_f483456458_m.jpg)
Back to the highbay
LAUNCH! Woooo!!!
![A little later A little later • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/8324494285/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8359/8324494285_242e86f8e5_m.jpg)
A little later
Fantastic Pictures! Thank you very much! What a great event! Almost felt as if we were there.
This looks cool. (literarily and figuratively).
Steve! You’ve done it again! How would I know about the Robin, the bunny, the signatures, the bagging, the parachute basket, the final rainbow filling tubes, the fire in the balloon? 131 Thank Yous!
Elio! We’re very proud of you!!!! We love you so much and we wish you a wonderful new year!!!!
Elio you’re simply the best! We are very proud of you…
How do the Mega Passes work? We are going to the Georgia National Fair in Perry in October and we have a family of 4, 2 adtlus and 2 children ages 5 and 3. would we need to buy a separate mega pass for each of us? We were planning to come on a night for armbands but my husband is active duty Military and the only day we can come is 10/6 or 10/7 and we were looking for ways to save money and still let our kids have a nice time. do you know yet how many tickets on average each ride will require?