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hotairballoonist

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Posts posted by hotairballoonist

  1. NOT A MEMBER? Your're not seeing 100%

    in Welcome to Members and Visitors

    Posted

    THAT'S RIGHT!!!

     

    This site has so much more than just what a guest can see.  If you are not a member there is about 25% of this site you are not even seeing.  There are entire forums and entire calendars and sections of the site you don't even know exist!.  WE have many areas of the site you must be logged in to even SEE. 

     

    There are also another 25% of the site you can see but can not use unless you are a member and logged in.

     

    Tired of seeing this screen.

     

    NoPermission2.jpg

     

    Become a member and then you can begin to USE the site to its fullest.  Start topics about your ballooning.  Share stories with others.  Most of all pass on your experience and wisdom to others.

     

    Click here to be taken to the topic that explains many of the things this site can do!  And Remember if you need any help we are online most of the day and available to help.  Send us an email and we promise we will jump right on it!

  5. Endorsement for taking the Written Test

    in Odds and Endless

    Posted

    §61.35   Knowledge test: Prerequisites and passing grades.

    (a) An applicant for a knowledge test must have:

    (1) Received an endorsement, if required by this part, from an authorized instructor certifying that the

    applicant accomplished the appropriate ground-training or a home-study course required by this part

    for the certificate or rating sought and is prepared for the knowledge test;

    So something like this is fine:

      “I certify that  --   John Michael Smith  --   has accomplished the
    appropriate ground training required by 14 CFR Section 61.105(B)(1-13), [or
    61.125 (B) (1-16) for the commercial written test] as applicable, and is prepared for the “Private Pilot Balloon Hot Air” [or “Commercial Pilot Balloon Hot Air”] knowledge test.”  Signed_______________________  Printed name___________________________ Commercial Pilot Certificate No.__________________

    Not to confuse things, but that endorsement is not required to be in a logbook, (it just says “received an endorsement,” so a letter is allowable….or it can be tattooed onto his forehead!)  though the logbook is the best place to put it because eventually, when the applicant takes the practical test, then a “logbook endorsement” covering the knowledge training is required [see 61.103(d)(1) and 61.123©(1)].

    To accompany that endorsement, there must be evidence, in the log book (or some other recording document) that shows training in those areas was
    accomplished.   61.105 & 61.125 both require the applicant to “receive and
    log” ground training (or complete a home-study course, instead).

  6. BFA Online Seminar Webinar©

    in Balloon Federation of America

    Posted

    BFA Online Seminar Webinar©

     

    Mark Saturday, March 8, 2014 on your calendars now for the 2014 BFA Online Continuing Education Seminar Webinar© presented in cooperation with the LTA Colorado Safety Seminar.

    For the second year, the event will be streamed live with production services presented by Aero-News.Net.

    The seminar will be held at the Aurora Public Schools Professional Learning and Conference Center in Aurora, CO. In accordance with the new BFA Seminar Guidelines the session will run from approximately 7:45A.M  to 6P.M. Mountain Time. The rundown of speakers/subjects includes...

     

    Stephen Blucher - FARs

    Toby Brown and Don Day - Weather

    Chris Mattes - Pilot and Crew Safety

    Sam Parks - Balloon Accidents

    Andy Richardson - Maintenance and Repair

    Scott Spencer - Pilot Decision Making

     

    Registration fees for the BFA Seminar Webinar© are as follows:

     

    BFA Pilot member                 $  50

    BFA Crew member                $  35

    Non-BFA Pilot Member          $ 100

    Non-BFA Crew Member         $  75

     

    The Seminar Webinar© will be counted as a sanctioned safety seminar, but please remember to check with your insurance carrier for their policy regarding discounts for online seminars.

    Registration will open in January so watch www.bfa.net and the monthly BFA eBlast The Quick Release for more details in the near future!

     

    Registration Link

  7. New Continuing Education Safety Seminar Guidelines

    in Balloon Federation of America

    Posted

    New Continuing Education Safety Seminar Guidelines

     

    The BFA Board has approved a new Continuing Education Safety Seminar Guidelines effective December 1, 2013.  The changes are designed to provide organizers more flexibility and creativity in the design of the seminar.  The old Back to Basics and Enrichment categories have been replaced with three Tiers of topic categories.

     

    A total of seven hours of instruction are required for a BFA sanctioned safety seminar.  Half-day or mini seminars, while not discouraged, will not qualify for full sanction.  In order for a pilot to achieve sanctioned seminar credit for inclusion and reporting to the insurance companies, they must accumulate a total of seven hours of instruction at an all-day sanctioned seminar or accumulate a total of eight (8) Continuing Education (CE) credits through any combination of acceptable alternatives enumerated in the Guidelines. A full credit sanctioned seminar must include topics as defined from the 3-Tier levels.

     

    The new Guidelines now also include specifications for the BFA Seminar Webinar© and that includes seven hours of instruction and mandatory testing.  Review the new Guidelines on the BFA website now!

     

    Questions concerning the new Guidelines can be forwarded to the Continuing Education Safety Seminar Chairman, Ken Walter, winddancerballoons@gmail.com.

     

  8. FAA Unofficial Documents

    in Odds and Endless

    Posted

    FAA Unofficial Documents

     

    John S. Duncan, Director, Flight Standards Service, AFS-1, has issued a memorandum to all flight standards employees indicating that any 'guidance' document (policy memo, e-mails from policy divisions, letters, interpretations) not incorporated into one of the official databases is cancelled effective January 15, 2014.

    These documents have provided critical precedents in the past for issues such as Private pilot participation in balloon events

     

    The BFA Board urges you to take action now! The deadline is December 31, 2013 to request your local FSDO to incorporate these essential letters.  Below is a suggested letter that has already been sent  by the Board to several FSDO offices and it includes the letters essential to balloon events.  Please contact your local FSDO ASAP.

                                                                         

     

     

    I understand that Mr. John S. Duncan, Director, Flight Standards Service, AFS-1, has issued a memorandum regarding the cancellation of non-official guidance documents.  Since 1977, hot air balloon events operating under an approved waiver of 91.119 (B) and © have relied on various legal opinions regarding participation by private pilots and the subject of compensation for hire.

     

    I have searched electronic libraries to determine if these documents are present.  I have not been able to find any reference to that guidance.  I respectively request that the following documents be incorporated into the necessary electronic libraries to provide for a consistent application and interpretation of this subject.

     

    September 8, 1977: letter to Ms. Tucker Comstock from Neil R. Eisner, Acting Assistant Chief Counsel, Regulations and Enforcement Division, Office of Chief Counsel

     

    October 8, 2010: letter to Mr. Mike Sommer from Rebecca B. MacPherson, Assistant Chief Counsel of Regulations, AGC-200

     

    July 11, 2012: letter to Andrew Roberts from Rebecca B. MacPherson, Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations, AGC-200

     

    December 7, 2012: letter to Gary Bruce Eaton from Rebecca B. MacPherson, Assistant Chief Counsel for International Law, Legislation and Regulations Division, AGC-200.

     

    Thanks you for your consideration and assistance in this matter.

     

  9. What Have You Done For Me Lately?

    in Balloon Federation of America

    Posted

    What Have You Done For Me Lately?
    By Maury Sullivan – BFA At-Large Director/Treasurer

    I hear this all the time regarding the BFA or my local balloon club.  I follow the Reflector, more as a lurker, and regularly see challenges of what is the BFA doing about this, that and the other.  I’m proud to say, the BFA Board of Directors is a very energetic and ambitious group of volunteers.  During the BFA election process I was personally contacted and challenged by a long-time BFA member who regularly posts to the Reflector and asked my opinion on matters concerning the BFA safety seminar program.

    As a direct result of some personal election challenges, I was able to spearhead a movement that completely rewrote the Continuing Education and Safety Seminar Guidelines, obtain Board approval, posted the new material to the BFA web site and answer many of the criticisms that have plagued the safety seminar process over the years.  In addition, the BFA Seminar Webinar© has been restructured to provide the same high standards including testing to ensure proper attendee participation.

    In the same two month period, the BFA Board has also tackled the challenges presented by the recently issued “white paper” of an FAA staff calling for all hot air balloon pilots flying passengers for hire to register with their local FSDO.  The Balloon Ride Operators Division and the Board are working in concert to try to stop or at least significantly curtail this obtrusive legislation.

    Ever go to a weekend balloon event and get challenged by an FAA inspector that you are not permitted to participate because you, as the holder of a private certificate, are not permitted to carry passengers or receive compensation for hire?  Balloon events have been using ‘get out of jail free cards’ or letters of FAA personnel and legal counsel that support the fact that, in most events, the perks of a free hotel room, food, show up money, etc. are not considered compensation for hire.  This primarily hinges on the fact that pilots are not required to fly in order to receive these benefits.  There is currently a movement afoot to cancel all such letters, opinions, legal guidance, etc. that are not included in the FAA’s digital library as part of FSIMS.  Members of your Board have written to local FSDO’s to ask that these critical documents get included in the digital library.

    Are you a BFA member who is also a member of a division like Hot Air Competition Division, Gas, Balloon Ride Operators or have you donated money for a special purpose or program like Jr Balloonists, Domont Safety Award, etc.?  With the recent acquisition of new non-profit accounting software and a Treasurer familiar with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the BFA financial records and reports will now comply with all fiduciary responsibilities as well as show any funds established by donors or restricted by the Board of Directors for specific purposes.

    BFA President Sam Parks is preparing a more comprehensive story on the accomplishments of your Board in its first 100 days.  I can assure you, it’s more than is accomplished in Washington DC.  Look for this story in the next issue of Ballooning.

    So, next time someone asks what has the BFA done for me? . . . you’ll know.  Maybe now you won’t be afraid to ask a friend to join.

  10. HIstory of the BFA

    in Balloon Federation of America

    Posted

    The History of the Balloon Federation of America

    by Deke Sonnichsen

    First Editor, Ballooning Journal of the Balloon Federation of America

    The BFA we know today, as a federation of individual balloonists, dates back to early 1967, when the original BFA Constitution (of gas balloon clubs, dated March 26, 1961) was significantly amended by Don Kersten, Peter Pellegrino and Ed Yost, at the offices of the National Aeronautic Association in Washington, D.C. This purposeful action brought into being the very first national organization of individual gas and hot air balloon pilots.

    As background information, it is well known that both gas and "smoky" hot air balloon activity in the USA dates back to the late 1700s. There were even "organized" gas balloon efforts in the 1800s and early 1900s under the aegis of the Aero Club of American, a forerunner of today's NAA. The events held were basically airshows, races and elimination events to select US participants for the James Gordon Bennett Balloon Races. In the early '50s, The Balloon Club of America, of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (gas only) was looked upon by the NAA as the sole US balloon representative. By the late 50s, other gas balloon groups such as National-Lighter-Than-Air and the Balloon Flyers of Akron petitioned the NAA for representation. In 1961 the first "BFA" was created as a federation of the US gas balloon clubs.

    With the creation of the modern hot air balloon in the early 60s, the first Hot Air Balloon National Championships were held in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1963. In 1964, 65, and 66, Balloon Championships were held in conjunction with the national Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. These events, and others, came under the domain of the NAA, since no "authorized" hot air organization existed in their eyes. The sport Balloon Society of the USA was incorporated in California in 1965. SBS USA organized, among other events, the International Aeroclassic Balloon Races in 1965 and the first International Hot Air Balloon Race from the Top-of-the-Tram above Palm Springs in 1967.

    The rapid growth of hot air balloon activity caused the NAA to rethink their position and they urged the BFA to include both gas and hot air balloons. The reorganization of the BFA occurred in June, 1967, with a five person Board to serve until the 1968 Annual Meeting. As there was a zero balance in the old BFA treasury, the new BFA treasury was created by the transfer of the life memberships of founders Don Piccard and Deke Sonnichsen from the SBSUSA to the BFA.

    The first Annual Meeting was held May 25, 1968 at the Donald Rapp residence in Carmel, Indiana, after the completion of the third (and last, for many years) Indianapolis Speedway Balloon Race, finally under BFA sanction. There were 20-25 members in attendance. Elections and other business were conducted, including presentation of "Positive Pineapple" awards.

    The second Annual Meeting was held November 8, 1969 at the Sheraton O'Hare Motel after the National Balloon Rally in Libertyville, Illinois. Eighteen members attended, and there were 37 ballots in the voting.

    Our third Annual Meeting was held in August, 1970 at Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, after the Iowa State Fair National Balloon Championships in Des Moines. There were about 35 members attending, with voting and normal business conducted. The Nationals and Annual Meetings returned to Simpson in 1971 and remained there until the late 1980s. Since then the Nationals has moved around to different states.

    The Balloon Federation of America has grown and prospered over the years, as a volunteer organization providing the guidance, leadership, and member services desired by aeronauts in the United States.

    In 1978 these words were written in the first Membership Handbook of the Balloon Federation of America.

    "We are an organization dedicated to the advancement of sport ballooning and the promotion of ties among aeronauts the world over. Your membership in the BFA gives us additional strength and unity, and our growth will be dependent on your involvement and your contribution."

    This is as true today as it was then.

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