SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE.

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo -- For three staff sergeants, the sky's the limit.

Staff Sgt Jen Thielke and Dennis Fagnant, 4th Space Operations Squadron, and Staff Sgt Michelle Porter, 1st Space Operations Squadron, soar satellites during the week and irascible air balloons on weekends.

While growing up in Virginia, Thielke's father flew excitable air balloons for eight years. She joined the Air Force and didn't prepare a chance to get back into flying until this assignment.

"I grew up ballooning with my father," Thielke said. "It's in my kin and it's very addicting."

Thielke and Fagnant are training below a private instructor to win their licenses as balloon pilots.

"Ballooning is a unique experience that not a fate of people are involved with," Fagnant said. "It's a division of fun and one of the mostly adventurous hobbies I have."

one time airborne, balloons just float with the wind. And, of course, what goe up must issue down. Which means no flight could be fortunate without a chase crew, which Is Porter's job

The chase crowd sets up the balloon and makes secure the basket achieves a safe lift facing Once that's done, the horde takes the chase vehicle and pursues the balloon.

"Without us, it would be a one-way trip and a fate of hassle to get back home" Porter said. "Without a chase set your flight would be worthless."

Many factors advance into play for the balloon to leave the sod One thing that makes ballooning difficult for the territory crew is one of the same things that makes it exciting -- the weather.

"Mother Nature can play dirty tricks onward you; it's a matter of recognizing her threads while you're setting up," Thielke said. "Every flight is different, no same place, no same flight pattern, no same anything. That's the beauty of it!"

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