Ryan Robbles, a chase crew member at Balloons Above The Valley, holds open the throat of the balloon during its inflation in Napa, CA., on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
Ryan Robbles waits for the call to inflate a balloon in Napa, CA., on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
(L-R). Allen Lu, a former crew chief at Balloons Above The Valley, and Alejandro Lopez, a chase crew member, attach the top of a balloon to its envelope during its inflation process in Napa, CA., on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. Hot air balloons vary in size, but BATV most commonly flies balloons with around 400,000 cubic feet of space.
A hot air balloon takes off from a launch site in Napa, CA., on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. The basket is about the length of a van and can hold up to 24 passengers.
A hot air balloon floats above Winters, CA., on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Balloons Above The Valley has a multitude of balloons, with the distinguishing factors being the color between the blue panels.
Ryan Robbles takes a break while forcing the air out of a balloon in Napa, CA., on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. In the hot air ballooning community, this process is called "milking," and it is one of the most physically demanding aspects of the job.
(L-R) Filiberto Leon Alvarez, a chase crew member at Balloons Above The Valley, Michael Gonzales and Ryan Robbles push a hot air balloon basket onto a flatbed truck after landing in Alston Park in Napa, CA., on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. Baskets weigh around 1,100 pounds, and the process requires a lift gate to get the basket to the height of the flatbed.
A former crew chief at Balloons Above The Valley covers his eyes from the sun in Winters, CA., on Monday, July 3, 2023. A common phrase in the hot air ballooning community is "We know where we take off, but we're not sure where we'll land." Many of these possible landing sites are fields with fine dirt, which frequently covers the employee and their clothes.