In the hour before sunrise Thursday morning, a group of eclectic hot air balloonists and their crews laughed and chatted about the weather while they sat inside the Helendorf River Inn in Helen. The 30 pilots attended a launch briefing at the start of the 40th Annual Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race and Festival, which continues through Saturday. Balloonmeister Tarp Head, a participant since 1974 and a Helen-based balloon manufacturer, warned the pilots to be leary of where they land and to watch out for newly installed and hard-to-see zip lines.