Jump to content

hotairballoonist

Administrators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,412

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    57

 Content Type 

Posts posted by hotairballoonist

  1. October Fiesta (Oct 2022)

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    It's Fiesta Time

    As  I sit and write this there are hundreds of balloonist heading to the 50th “Big One”  We took our first pilgrimage to the Albuquerque eveAlbqParade77.jpgnt as a family back in 1977.  It was a magical time and we were able to meet so many of the people who would become legends in the world of ballooning.  I was a young 17 year old high school student with a poly bucket raven rally.  I was new to the sport and had no idea what the event was going to be like.  My parents loaded 4 kids into a station wagon and drove from Iowa to Albuquerque for the event. I had never experienced “The Box” and was completely mesmerized when I saw the test balloon come back over our heads.  That year there were just over 300 balloons at the event and remember lifting off one morning and thinking that you could almost walk across the tops of the balloons, there were so many.  On one flight I made 5 passes at the same target on the field, using the “Box Winds”   I later received a personal compliment from Don Picard about doing that.  But that is a whole other story…  It became a family event that would be remembered for the rest of our lives.  In fact my Brother Jon and parents Connie and Jim Thompson are at the event right now.  They are now considered some of the really old timers at the Fiesta since there are not many who have CaptKidd.jpgbeen at the even more than 43 years!  If you happen to run into them say howdy or give them a pat on the back for me.  Above all please be super cautious.  It is easy to become distracted with all the excitement and with so many balloons.  Keep your head on a swivel.  Always remember JOB #1 is to fly the balloon!  We want everyone to have a great time but, safety is the first priority.  IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND!

    Drone Winds

    I have been working on the Drone Winds project for several months now and I want you to know we now have a presentation for the FAA that I believe they will approve.  If used you will be able to legally take a drone and fly it up to 2,000 feet and read the winds.  Real data, onsite, in real time.  I have been doing a DroneWinds-09-22-22.pngdrone winds reading most mornings.  I save the report from the drone, and then compare it to wind forecasts from two different locations nearby.  There are many days when the local winds aloft forecasts are conflicting and you would rely very heavily on what the Pibal shows.  The only trouble with reading a pibal is even that is just an estimated guess.  I LOVE the drone winds report and WISH I had this when I was still flying rides.  The data is so precise, even down to as little as every 20 feet!  Try getting that from a Ryan Carlton or Sounding.   Here are a few things I have learned from this process. 

    The winds change.  As we all know, there are days when the wind will change as the sun comes up.  The drone winds will not forecast what the winds will do so getting a good idea of what the winds are forecasted to do is still needed.  There have been days when I have done a Drone Winds flight each hour for three hours (1 hr before sunrise, at sunrise, & 1 hr after sunrise) and watched the changes in wind layers.  We all know it happens but it is interesting to see it documented in real time.

    The Drone Winds report is right on the money.  If done correctly the report you get from the drone is exactly what the winds are doing right where you are at that time.  There is no guessing how fast that Pibal was moving or exactly what direction it got around to. 

    Your Crew can do this.  No the ground crew won’t be able to go up to 2,000 feet for you but they can go up to 400-500 feet at the landing site and give you an idea of what the winds are doing for your approach for landing.

    Readings can be made in less than 10 minutes.  From the time you stop the truck to the time you have a drone winds report on your phone is less than 10 minutes.  Now that seems like a long time but next time you go to fly, time the process of getting out a helium balloon, filling it up, launching it and watching it with your compass and taking readings till you cannot see it any longer.  I bet you spend nearly that same time with that process.  Best of all the drone winds are done without using expensive helium or balloons.  We did a very comprehensive cost comparison in our Drone Winds presentation about “PiBal by Drone” available for download in the Tutorial Presentations section of the Download Center.  If you have not downloaded that DW-1.jpgpresentation it is worth your time.

    We currently have a Drone Winds Waiver application pending with the FAA using our latest presentation.  We should know by the next newsletter if that has been approved or denied.  If it has been denied with the 157 pages of documentation and 4 videos provided we will expect a detailed explanation as to why.  At this point we do not expect it to be denied.  We wish to thank ALL of you out there who made a donation to our Drone Winds project on the website to help us continue this project.  We could not have done this without YOU.

     

     

     

    Follow This

    Do you take advantage of the “Follow” feature on the HAB site?  One of the greatest abilities built into the HotAirBalloonist.com site is the Follow feature.  If you find something on the site that interests you the odds are good that you can “Follow it”.  Find a topic you want to know more about, Follow it.  Find a piece of equipment you’re interested in, “Follow it”.  A balloon Event, Topic, Map File, even an entire category like the “Hot Topics” can be followed.  When you “Follow” an item the HAB system will send you an instant email notifying you of any new changes or new postings about the item you are following.  Remember when you visit the site, LOG IN.  If you do not log in you are only seeing a small portion of the site.  There are thousands of files on the site that may be of interest to you!  Speaking of the FOLLOW FEATURE, don’t forget the “Balloonetin Board” There is a category on the HAB site called “The Nylon Telegraph” There are several forums within that category, however one of them, the Balloonetin Board is followed by over 770 members!  This means that if you log in and post a topic in that forum the HAB system will send out emails to over 770 fellow Balloonists.  When you are logged in you can include photos, website links, emails, phone numbers and as much text as you want.  If you have a question or a concern or even a need have a look at the section on the site called “The Nylon Telegraph” and post a question on the Balloonetin Board.

    Balloons-andBeyond

    A while back we created new balloon cups for your after flight champagne ceremonies.  The updated cup featured many real life balloons from all over the country.  When I was running my own company here in the Disney World area we had custom cups of our own that we would let the passengers keep after the flight.  They turned out to be one of the souvenirs that the passengers loved the best.  The 10oz plastic cup was the perfect size to use after the flight and because it was plastic there were no worries about broken glass in the chase rig or passengers getting cut.  If you go to Balloons-andBeyond.com you can still order some of the cups if you wish to get some for your after flight traditions.  You will find that there are now other items available at that site as well.  There are more items being added to the site all the time.  If you have balloon related items you would like to see made available to the Balloons-andBeyond list please let us know.  You can email me at Jeff@Balloons-andBeyond.com and tell me what items you would like us to find or build for you!

     

     

     

    As many of you know I have retired being a full time Ride Pilot.  I now do whatever I can to help balloonists enjoy the sport safely.  My wish is to help spread knowledge, (not just my own) and share my many years and thousands of flights of experience in hopes that there are a few mistakes I have made that others need not.  Trust me I have made many over the years and some of them more than once, (Just to make sure they were mistakes).  Fortunately, I have never hurt anyone and that should be the ultimate goal of every pilot.  Please use the HotAirballoonist.com site for this purpose.  There is a private (Members only) side of the site for a reason.  Yes we want to promote ballooning to the general public and we want sites where average people can find out more about ballooning and how it works and where they can go take a flight and see a festival or a mass launch.  The front side (Public Side) of HotAirBalloonist.com does that fairly well.  However, we also need a place where we (Balloonists) can share ideas and ask questions and use our combined SupportIcons.jpgexperience and knowledge to help grow the sport and enhance our safety and image.  I am on the site most days. I keep a very close eye on what is posted and who is logged in and on the site.  There is an internal email system as well as a message system built into the site.  You can use this to send messages directly to other members or to me.  There is also an Alert button where you can report content that you find that should not be on the site.  Should you find something that has slipped thru all of the safety protocols just let us know.  We have several moderators who can remove items from the site and as I mentioned I am on the site almost every day too.  If you have ideas about things we can put on the front side of HotAirBalloonist.com for the General Public please “Jump in” If you offer balloon flights make sure you are listed in the Balloon Rides section of the site.  If you are a member on the site you can create your own listing with as much content and photos as you like.  Post something on the “Balloonetin Board” or check out the Equipment 4-Sale section.  Just remember the site was built for YOU!  You are getting this email because you are a member on the site.  LOG IN and see all of the hundreds and hundreds of files and topics on the Member’s Side of the site.

    BE SAFE

    I know that many of you are participating in the 50th ABQ.  I hope you are having the time of your life.  It is a BIG DEAL!  I wish I could be there with so many of you.  I enjoy very much the postings I am seeing on Facebook.  I also realize that many of you may not get to see this newsletter till after you get finished with Balloon Fiesta but if you get the chance to read it please be safe!  I know firsthand how exciting flying with that many balloons can be.  Stay alert and if you are not comfortable with the conditions stay on the ground.  Tell everyone you know as they lift off “BE SAFE” and let that be the mantra for the event.  I want everyone to be able to tell stories about the 50th for years and years to come.  Just remember that it takes everyone to make a safe event and THANK YOU for all you do for the Balloon World.

      JeffSigTransBack.png

     

     

     

  2. September 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Dear Fellow Balloonist 

    Please forgive me but this newsletter is going to be a tribute to the people of Iowa and the town of Indianola.  I drove from Florida to Indianola Iowa with my parents to attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for my father Jim Thompson.  First let me say that spending two days driving with my parents was a pure joy.  Time I will forever treasure.  When we arrived in Indianola we were greeted by so many smiling faces and old friends, it was simply overwhelming.  I cannot describe how amazing Balloon People are!  YOU Reading this right now are a treasure, you are one of Ballooning’s best assets.  Balloonists are a special group of people and because of YOU ballooning is an amazing FAMILY activity!

    Over the weekend dozens of Thompson’s descended on the little town of Indianola to be witness to the IMG_6305TN.jpginduction of one of their own.  I even had old high school wrestling buddie (Tom Schulz) show up for the event!  Walking around inside the National Balloon Museum was a real treat for us all.  Many of our family members had never been there and were in awe of the displays.  I told Tom it was like someone came to a balloon event that we were attending 45 years ago and scooped up all the equipment and transported it here for this day.  If you have never been to the National Balloon Museum you need to put it on your list.  Becky Wigeland (The Museum Curator) has done a magnificent job of creating a fabulous showcase of balloon memorabilia and a wealth of historical information.

    John Davis

    Thank you so very much goes out to John Davis for his fabulous introduction for my father’s induction.  He had me in tears when he mentioned my son Noah.  Unfortunately my wife daughter and son Noah stayed at home to continue Noah’s Leukemia Treatments and to keep him safe and John was extremely thoughtful to mention Noah at the beginning of his introduction. If you are interested in watching the video of John you can click on this link INDUCTION VIDEO  If you wish to see my father’s BIO just click here.

    That was just the beginning. 

    As the week went on I kept busy meeting and talking with old friends and keeping the map files updated for those who were using the hot air app. As I sat working on the maps one day an old friend Bill Griffin sat down across the table with a couple of other pilots and said “Do you guys know who that is?”  “That’s Jeff Thompson, He’s a legend!”  Terrified of what he might say next I said “WAIT, Whatever he is going to say next is purely hearsay and rumors.” To which he replied “*#@% that!  I was there and saw some of the stuff you did”  So yes there were some embarrassing moments for me but most of all I was witness to some incredible skillful ballooning including a clip I posted on Facebook of 8 balloons all jockeying their way into the main target while rubbing nylon the whole way.  I have said it before and will again.  The skill level of the pilots at the National Balloon Classic is the best in the world.  If you can hang with these pilots you can do well anywhere!  Rubbing Nylon 

    Facebook LIVE7marker.jpg

    On Thursday August 4th my father and I went out on the main field just a few feet away from target and did a live broadcast for over an hour on Facebook while over 100 balloons flew in and peppered the target with markers.  The flight was a 7 marker drop day.  First target that morning was a single marker drop.   That first marker was a gravity drop.  Second target was a two marker target (one marker in a triangle nearest to the X and as second marker on the X)  The Third target was a two marker drop with one marker on the X, and a second marker dropped as far away from the X as you could while staying inside a scoring area marked on the main field.  The last target that day was also a two marker drop target with one marker on an X and a second marker inside a triangle as close to the X as you could.  OVER  100 Balloons flew this 7 marker course and what a thrill to be able to watch and broadcast it live!  Here is the link where you can watch that video.

    Then to top it all off!

    I got to FLY!  I had several pilots who offered to take me up during my visit to Balloon Heaven (Indianola)  On the last morning Mr. AL Appenzeller said, come show me how to get to the targets!  Show me how you would do it..  I BlindTarget.jpgagreed and jumped in with his crew.  First I must say that they made me feel comfortable and very much part of the team.  They were all eager to go and excited for the mornings adventure.  We had three targets to hit and this would be the last three targets for the event.  AL flies a Racer envelope for the morning competitions and when I got on board I fired up my HotAir.app on my phone.  I noticed very quickly that our rate of climb was 785 fpm.  After the lump in my throat cleared I pointed out the line I thought we should take to the first target and we settled into a nice layer heading just to the right of the target.  The target was on a small residential road between two bodies of water.  Anything not on the road did not count.  The target was down in a valley and hidden by tall trees till you were just about directly on top of it so navigation was done mostly via electronics.  We had many balloons off to our right side but I told Al we will spend way too much time working our way back left if we go too far right, and that lower left in this valley will be unpredictable.  So we stayed on our line at the target.  Later I counted the balloons there were in the before and after photos taken on that first target and realized that we passed 17 balloons just on that first target with our “Straight IN” approach.  As we cleared the trees and started to descend to the target we were directly online to pass right over the target.  Al gave me the marker and said “Here you make the toss” BlindTarget2.jpgSo I made the best shot I could and it landed just about two feet past the end of one of the legs of the X. Normally I would have been thrilled with that drop but it was about 6 inches off the road and did not count.  I was shattered and apologized whole heartedly to Al.  I screwed up a great run on the first target.  Somehow Al was thrilled.  He said he was so very excited to actually fly directly over a target like that and he did not care that the marker did not count.  He said, “You have done exactly what I asked you to, you showed me how to fly to the target”!  So on we went to the main field for our second target.  On the second target, we pretty much did the same sort of approach and managed again to drop our marker just at the end of one of the legs of the X.  A very respectable score and now it was time to focus on the last target for the morning and of the event. 

    This is where things took a twist that I did not see coming.  Al looked at me and said, “Why don’t you fly us to the last target”.

    Have you seen the movie Top Gun, MAVERICK?  Remember the scene where Maverick decides to fly the course himself to show the other pilots it can be done.  That is what this felt like for me.  I had only flown a balloon once in the last 30 months but flying competition is my favorite type of flying.  So hang on,,,,,, here we go!!!

    So I jumped in as PIC.  A quick review of the systems of his balloon, instruments fuel qty, vents ect…  I flew into my sweet spot for the approach to the last target.  After about 10 minutes Al asked, "Have you ever flown a Racer before?"  I said, “Al I have never been this close to one and you should have asked me that 10 minutes ago before you let me take over flying your balloon”!  We both had a good chuckle.  I lined up on the target and flew directly over a couple of other balloons trying to make a lower approach and dropped down to about 20 feet off the ground and nearly center over the target.  Al was able to toss his marker on the X like throwing your dirty socks in the bedroom cloths hamper.  Here is a link to a very short video showing that drop.  Nailed IT  After we dropped on that target I gave the controls back to Al and just sat back and enjoyed the views of 100 balloons in the morning sky dancing on the winds.  What a fantastic way to finish my week at the National Balloon Classic.  I cannot thank Al Appenzeller and his amazing team enough!  Their teamwork, enthusiasm and efforts were fun to be a part of and a thrill to watch!

    I was taken to the airport by my parents for my direct flight home and the whirlwind trip was over.  I quarantined at my parents’ house for the next 4 days just to be safe and make sure that I did not bring something home from the trip or the plane ride home.  The last thing we wanted to do was for me to come home and infect Noah during his cancer treatments.  As it turned out I was fine and able to come home from my parents’ house to a loving and dearly missed wife and kiddos. 

    To my ballooning friends thank you for putting up with my hijacking of this newsletter to tell you about my trip.  I promise we will get back to more ballooning related information next newsletter.  I just received a new book from Kevin Cloney called “It’s More Than HOT AIR” and I will talk more about it in the next newsletter but I will say that I did not put it down.  I read it from cover to cover in one sitting.  Here is a link to the Kindle version on Amazon.  Get it.

    Overall I wish to say thank you to everyone who is a part of the National Balloon Classic.  From the Executive Director to the Balloon Meister to the Weather people, Scoring teams, Rural Relations Landowners and the 100’s of volunteers and pilots and crews that make this event so special every year.  Just WOW and…

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

    To all my friends who took the time to stop and say hi.  You have no idea, after my stroke, how much that simple act has touched my heart.  There was a long period where I thought I may never get to see you all again.  To my wife who held down the Thompson Compound while I was away.  Thank you dear, you are amazing and we will all return here next year so Noah can fly with these amazing people we call our balloon family.  We love you all!  Jeff  

  4. August 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    The HEAT of the summer!

    August is one of the months of the year we dread here in Florida.  As with many parts of the country the temps are getting tough on a balloon.  Not only is the heat of an afternoon flight tough on a balloon but the UV of mid-summer is damaging as well.  Here are a few things to remember when flying on those Hot Summer Flights.

    Make sure you have WATER.  A cooler full of other goodies is nice, but water is the best for keeping you, your crew (and your passengers) hydrated.  Heat Stroke is no joke!

    Make sure you do your load calculations carefully.  Loading a balloon to the limit can not only damage your fabric but your balloon will be slow and sluggish. We all know how “Springy” a balloon gets in the winter because of the cold temps, well the exact opposite happens in hot summer conditions.  The balloon will be much slower to respond!  Being a little under loaded gives you the benefit of being able to give the burner that slightly longer blast needed, if you are “Coming in Hot” on a tight spot for landing.

    Pack up quickly.  Every minute your balloon is out in that intense UV, it is aging.  Remember you don’t have to be flying a balloon to take life out of the envelope.  If you doubt me, take your balloon out and lay it in the yard for a few hours each day, by the end of a month it won’t pass inspection.  UV KILLS YOUR FABRIC!

    With reguard to the above point.  Hurry up & take your time, if you do not have enough crew to pack your balloon up in short order do not over heat yourself trying to stuff it in the bag in a hurry.  Yes you want to put it away as quickly as you can but not at the expense of YOU!  Stay Hydrated and have extra crew if possible!

    Watch your fuel.  When it is hot out you will burn fuel at a faster rate.  Keep an eye on it.  Do not pass up a good spot to land because that fuel may not last to the next spot.  Time the tank.  Take a moment and use your smart watch and actually time your fuel usage.   This will give you a good idea of how much fuel time you have left on board.

    Watch your envelope temp, especially the first few moments of the flight.  When you lift off you are at full load, you are full of fuel and passenger weight.  After about 10 to 15 minutes of flight you have started losing weight from the fuel you have burned (and sweat) and your envelope temperature should start to fall some.  But the first 30 minutes of that summer time, evening flight can be an envelope scorcher.

    I am on the way to IOWA!

    Yes,  As you are reading this I am about to hit the road with my parents.  We are heading to Iowa for the National Balloon Classic.  The primary reason for the trip is so I can attend my father’s induction into the National Balloon Museums Hall of Fame.  There will be lots of proud tears for sure.  While I am there it is my hope to be able to say HI to so many old friends and families that, quite honestly I never thought I would be able to again.  My Wife Gina and children will be staying here in Florida.  Noah is still under treatment for Leukemia and we do not want to take him away from his medical team.  I am hoping to get a flight while I am at the National Balloon Classic and maybe a Flight Review.  It has been over a year since I have made a flight.  I will also be available to help any Pilot with the KML map files for use with the HotAir.app.  I will be updating the files from last year and placing them on the HAB site in the download center for anyone to use if they wish.  Those files are most likely already online and ready for you to download.  I will be keeping them updated all week long and we will again be using the “Follow” feature on the HAB site to keep as many pilots informed of all the changes to the map.  If you are attending the National Balloon Classic and would like to be set up for the “Follow” feature, just find me (I will be hanging around the Pilot Compound most of the time.  For those who do not know what the follow feature is CLICK THIS LINK and watch the video.

    Found some nifty apps

    AloftIcon.jpgLast month we talked about a couple of apps we have found while doing our research for the Drone Winds project.  For those who would like to review any of our past newsletters can be found in the “Welcome All” category on the front page of the HAB site.  For a link specifically to last month’s newsletter CLICK HERE.  I am interested if anyone has downloaded and tried out those applications.  Specifically the “ALOFT” app.  It seemed to me that the information bar with weather and other items at the bottom of the screen would be very helpful for pre-flight information.  I was wondering how it has performed out in the field.  If anyone has tried it please post your review or comments in the COOL APPS topic inside the Hot Topics sub-cat.

    HAB on YouTube

    Many of you may have spotted the banner running on the HAB site about our new account on YouTube.  We now have a YouTube account!  We are adding various videos to the account and more each day.  We have created several “Play Lists’ where you can choose the items you wish to view.  We have started to load our Video Tutorials about how to use many of the features on the HAB site and other balloon videos.  One of the benefits for the HAB site is that we can embed our YouTube videos directly into the topics on HotAirBalloonist.com and they will play for you without having to leave the HAB site.  For example: We have a tutorial about how to start a topic in the Download Center.  In the past you would go to the Download Center and download that video to watch it.  Now you can go to that topic in the download center and watch it right in your browser without having to download anything!  This applies to any topic a member may start anywhere on the site!  If you have a YouTube video you can post the URL inside your topic and it will play for others just like the How To Start a Topic tutorial CLICK HERE to see what we mean.

    National Balloon Classic PILOTS!

    If you are flying in the National Balloon Classic and would like to be subscribed to the Map Files for the event on the HAB site please send me a note.  I will make sure your account is following the 2022 maps and you are informed anytime a new file has been uploaded.  For those who were not part of the event last year.  The HAB site has a feature called the FOLLOW FEATURE.  It MapUpdate.pngcan be used to follow just about anything on the site.  When you follow something on the site and there is a new post or file uploaded you receive an email notifying you of the change.    This feature is extremely helpful for event maps that may change daily.  Last year we had 45 pilots who were following the map files for the classic.  Many received their email updates before the pre-flight pilot briefing ended.  Updating your map files takes about one minute! (We timed it)  Here is a short video that shows you the process.  That is a pretty easy way to make sure you always have an up to date map while you are flying and especially for an area with a complex PZ map like the National Balloon Classic.  Text me your name & email at 407-670-5000 or send me an email with your information and I will make sure you are “Following the Classic Map files for 2022.

    The Hot Air app

    Just a reminder to all of those pilots who use the HotAir.app.  There is a 107 page tutorial on the HotAir.app available in the Download Center of HotAirBalloonist.com.  If you are new to the app the tutorial presentation is a must.  Even if you have used the app for a long while there may be things in the app that you did not know it could do.  Did you know you could place a waypoint on the fly or AirDrop your KML file to someone?  Yes there are 107 pages of great information and best of the entire download is FREE for HAB members.  Just log in and go to the Tutorial Presentations section of the Download Center.  We have pinned the HotAir.app tutorial on the top of the list so it is easy to find.  OR JUST CLICK HERE.  Remember membership has many rewards, encourage your fellow pilots to consider becoming a member of HAB.  One of the cool features of the HotAir.app is the Glympse is the Public Hastag.  During the National Balloon Classic include the Hashtag #NBC in your To: section of the Glympse bar.  This will allow others to watch you fly by entering the URL  WWW.Glympse.com/!NBC into any browser.  I promise LongTap.jpgI will be watching!!  Another new feature on the HotAir.app is the inflight “Long Tap”  This feature allows you to place a waypoint on the map while you are in flight.  For example if you have just dropped your marker on a target and want to see the track you need to the next target all you do is place your finger on the next target and hold it there for a few seconds and the HotAir.app will place a waypoint in the map and draw a line from your position to that target!  You now have a “Road to Follow” to your next target.  You can view the Distance, Bearing and ETA at the top of your map screen and simply hit the “Clear” button to delete.  Check out page 7 in the HotAir.app tutorial for more information.

    As I have said several times here in this month’s newsletter I will be at the National Balloon Classic most of the week.  I am happy to help anyone I can with not only the HotAir.app but with downloading files and using the HotAirBalloonist.com site.  Just seek me out and use me!  There is no doubt it will be a very emotional time for our entire family and a super special occasion for us all.  I want all of our friends and ballooning family to know how much you are each appreciated by all of the Thompson Clan and….

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World. 

    JeffSigBLUE.png

  6. Downloading KML Map files for HotAir

    in Video Tutorials

    Posted

    Downloading KML Map files for HotAir

    View File

    This video tutorial is about how to download a KML map file for the National Balloon Classic.

    This video will show how to delete old files and download new files as well as how to download the targets for the event.  Map updates will be sent via email using the "Follow Feature" on the site.

    Members can sign in and select "Follow" for any file on the site and be instantly notified of any updates or new files uploaded.  CLICK HERE to download and watch that video.

     

     

    National Balloon Classic PZ KML

    in Testing Sub-Forum

    Posted

    National Balloon Classic PZ KML

    View File

    National Balloon Classic PZ KML

    This is the National Balloon Classic PZ KML.  This is version 1.0  Below are two links to video tutorials that will help download these files to your device.

    Download to an iPad or iPad mini

    Download to an iPhone

    CLICK the "Go to this File" button below to be taken directly to this file to download the file!

     

     

     

  9. Nice Inflations

    in Better Inflations

    Posted

    Here is a video of two balloons flown by a Husband and Wife team inflating side by side.  The inflation's are done very well using a short blast technique to warm the balloon gently up to flight temperature.  This method reduces the amount of "Blow Back" from the expanding air in the balloon.  This also lowers the risk of burning the mouth or throat of the balloon. 

    So very nice to watch such a masterful inflation.

     

  10. July 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Can you believe it's July!

    Happy Independence Day everyone. I hope your plans for the Fourth of July are with Family and Friends and doing activities you enjoy!  If you are attending a balloon event please be safe.  We hope the weather is perfect for you and you have the best time ever!

    Drone Winds

    As many of you know I have been working on the Drone Winds Project.  Last fall we uploaded a presentation on how to use a drone to get your winds aloft.  Drone Winds (Download is FREE for logged in members).  We are now working on a presentation for the FAA and for Pilots to procure a waiver for using a drone to go above the 400 foot limit.  Currently the presentation is nearly 60 pages and growing.  When finished we expect we can duplicate the waiver process just about anywhere in the country.  We will soon have the entire presentation online for members to use.  In the meantime here are a few apps we have discovered while doing our drone research that can be useful for Ballooning.

    Finding the Airspace around you.  DJIFly app.  This is an app for drone pilots but it is actually pretty cool.  DJIFlyIcon.jpgWhen you open up the app you see a pretty picture and a bunch of option links at the top and bottom of the image.  Look up at the top left corner of the image and find “Fly Spots” Tap on that and watch what happens.  IMG_6055.PNG You can tap on the Maps Overlay button over on the top right to get a satellite view if you wish.  Now scroll around and zoom in and out and you will see all of the airspace around you.  Pretty cool.  

     

    The next app we found is also another pretty cool app.  It is called ALOFT.  This app shows you the Airspace arounB4UGopage.jpgd you plus it has a AloftIcon.jpgpretty nifty weather bar at the bottom.     When you have time, download these two apps and check them out.  Log in to HotAirBalloonist.com and go to the Hot Topics category and leave a review of the apps.

     

     

     

    The National Balloon Classic

    221966213_10225391737531232_4258709650899556072_n.jpgSoon there will be pilots from all over the country heading to a little town in Iowa called Indianola.  This small town has a history in ballooning that stretches back more than 50 years!  For me Indianola is Balloon Heaven!  The event has a dedicated facility with a huge pilot compound, Spectator area capable of holding 10’s of thousands of fans and families.  The launch field is hundreds of acers of green grass and large enough to launch a few hundred balloons.  The flying area is beautiful country side with friendly land owners and smiling faces with kids waiving at you as you fly by.226022610_256007446336022_893002675700153099_n.jpgI learned to fly on the Simpson College soccer field back in the 1970’s.  The same soccer field where they held the National Balloon Championships back in those days. This event is still run by many of the same people and families that have run it for all these years.  If you have never been to the National Balloon Classic you NEED to put it on the list of events to go to.  It truly has something for everyone.  From the family pilot who loves to have fun Ballooning with their friends and family to the serious competitor who is honing their skills, this event is the one!  Here is a tribute video we pro174149841_10216677331120658_8433245958962755811_n.jpgduced shortly after last year’s event concluded.  It will give you a little idea of the “Feel” of this event. 

    https://www.hotairballoonist.com/Video/priceless.mp4

    For those of you who are flying in the National Balloon Classic and are using the HotAir.app I will again this year try to have map downloads available for the PZ map, 3DPZ map, Targets GPX file, TARGETS KML file, and PZ GPX files.  We will also try to keep them updated as often as changes are made.  Make sure you are following the files so you receive instant email notifications.

    For those of you who are heading to the “Classic” Be Safe, Fly Well, Have Fun.

     

    Hidden Jewels

    Sometimes I forget all the stuff that is on the HAB site.  There are literally thousands of files, articles, videos, downloads, presentations and so much more.  Much of this is on the Members Side of the site.  The other day I was on Facebook and saw a post where someone was asking questions about standing a balloon up.  Should you hit the burner and stay on it all the way up or should you do short blasts on the burner.  I thought to myself, there is an article about that on HAB.  So I looked around and sure enough there was!  But it was on the Members side of the site.  So I went in and “Unlocked” that forum so that others could see it and read about it.  Here is the link to that article.  I guess I would like to remind everyone that the entire HAB site was built so “WE” the balloon community could share our collective experiences and knowledge with each other.  Learn from our mistakes and share our ideas.  When was the last time you logged on and read a post and then replied to it?  Do you have a different way?  Do you have a better idea?  Do you have a question about something?  GET INVOLVED.  You can help us and help others!  When I was a kid I was super cocky. (I think it was a rumor)  I was very good at flying and I knew it and that is a dangerous combination.  One of the things my father used to say and it stuck with me forever.  “Even that guy who does 9 out of 10 things wrong, can teach you something.  The one thing he does right you may not have thought of.”  That is so true!  We can all TEACH each other.  So please dive in and participate.

    To those who have donated

    THANK YOU.  Many of you may know that we had a donation campaign for the Drone Winds project.  Many have donated to the project and we are happy to say that we are now equipped to finish the project.  We will be doing some inflight documentations for the FAA and finishing our presentation in just a few weeks.  Those of you who still wish to donate, you can.  There is a donation box on the main page of the HAB site.  Another way you can support the site is with a paid membership.  If you currently have a Guest Membership or a free membership you can get a General Membership on the site for only $20 a year.  This helps us keep the site up and running and allows you to have access to all the membership forums on the site as well as FREE downloads in the Download Center.  Just go to the store and hit memberships to find a membership that suits your needs.  There is a Video Tutorial about how to get a membership in the “Download Center”.

    The Balloonetin Board

    We mentioned this in the last newsletter but it deserves another mention.  We have a forum on the HAB site called “The Balloonetin Board”  It acts very much like the Balloon Reflector with one major upgrade.  You can insert links and images into your post (topic)  There is a video tutorial you can watch about how to create a topic in the Download Center.  You are required to be a logged in member on the site to use the Balloonetin Board.  You can even add a link to a YouTube Video and have it play right in your topic on HAB!  The abilities are pretty spectacular.  Plus when you create a topic in the Balloonetin Board, the HAB site sends out over 700 emails to pilots and crews all over!  So, Log in and have a look at the Balloonetin Board.

    Speaking of hidden Jewels


    Do you take videos of your flights?  Do you make movies?  Do you remember the program Movie Maker from Microsoft?  We have it!  It was a program offered back in 2011 and they quit supporting it in 2013.  The latest version of Movie Maker is nearly unusable.  But we have a copy of the old version on our server.  If you have never used the program it is fantastic.  You can easily make all kinds of great videos with sound and voice overs and music and fade effects and more.  I cannot even tell you how many videos I have made with it over the years.  Here is the LINK.  HOWEVER, there is a catch.  You must have a membership on the HAB site of at least a General Membership or higher.  A Registered Guest membership will not be able to download the file.  If you want to know what type of membership you have go to the top right hand corner of the page and log in.  Then click on your name at the top.  When the Drop Down opens click on Profile.  Right next to your name you will see the type of membership you have.  MembershipType.jpg If it is a Registered Guest you may consider upgrading it to a general membership for only $20 per year.  Many of the FREE downloads alone will pay for the yearly membership.

     

     

    Thank you everyone for your continued support.  I love hearing about your flights and keeping up with balloon adventures anyway I can.  Be safe please; enjoy your time with family and friends this Independence Day weekend and…

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World

     

    JeffSigTransBack.png

    		spacer.png
    spacer.png spacer.png spacer.png
    spacer.png  

  11. Crazy Question

    in Ballooning Q & A

    Posted

    HI Ben,

    Sorry it took so long to answer this question.  The issue is Force.  A balloon or even a blimp has a huge surface area.  Aera X pressure = Force.  So if you have a large area the force needed to move it against any pressure is huge.  Here is an example.

    If you have a kite and it is a normal size kite.  3 feet tall and 2 feet wide and the wind is blowing 10 - 12 MPH you can fly that kite with about 3 or 4 pounds of pulling force on the string to hold the kite in place against the wind.  Now make that kite 10 times larger.  Lets say 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide.  You just made the force on the string 10 times more too!  So now you need to hold 30 pounds of force on the string to hold that kite in place.  So lets then apply that same idea to a balloon.  A typical balloon is about 75 feet tall and about 50 feet wide.  That is 25 times larger than your small kite.  so in a gentle wind (10-12 mph) that balloon will need 75 to 100 pounds of force applied to hold it in place.

    So,  Using a treadmill to create the energy to power a balloon or an airship is unlikely.  You would need to create more energy than is possible.  Never mind the loss in energy from converting it from mechanical energy to electrical energy and then back to mechanical energy because each time you make a transfer you loose some efficiency.  

    Over the years I have had situations where I have actually drug a car when a wind gust hit the balloon and we had the balloon tied with a rope to a car to hold the balloon in place.  A balloon can generate huge amounts of force in very little wind.

    Here is a video that will show some of the RAW power of a balloon.  Then you can evaluate if someone on a Treadmill could produce this much power.

     

  18. June 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Welcome to SUMMER

    Ask a Pilot

    We have a new section on the site for both Pilots and crews. The new category is called “Ask HAB”.  There are two new forums inside the Ask HAB category where the general public (and members) can ask questions.  The “Ask a Pilot”, and “Balloon Crew Questions”, are forums that have been created for, not only members to use, but the general public as well.  Hopefully over time this category will create a great section on the site were anyone can come into the site and see questions and answers from previous visitors.  This will be a Ballooning FAQ for everyone and encourage participation from our membership and the public.  We want to encourage visitors to ask questions from our membership.  Our membership are undoubtedly the most qualified to answer those types of questions.  Feel free to post something if you wish.  You do not need to be logged in to use the new forums. 

    YouTube

    We now have an account on YouTube.  Currently we are positing many of our “How To” videos here but will be adding more and more videos including presentation and other helpful ballooning files and videos.  Become a subscriber on the HAB channel today. HAB on YouTube

    Map Creation

    More and more of you are using navigation programs to fly with.  The HotAir.app is one of the most popular apps out there.  Many of these flying apps are capable of using KML files for uploading custom made map files of your area.  KML-PZ2.jpgKML files are also heavily used for balloon events and competition.  With the airspace regulations in some cases they are almost required to fly with like in the Albuquerque area.  HAB has many of these files available for download in the Download Center.  The HotAirBalloonist.com site actually has a tutorial on how to use Google Earth to create your own KML map files.  The video  tutorials on how to create custom map files are FREE to members and we hope you will take advantage of this.  If you have created a map of your flying area and you would like to make that file available for others in your area please send it to us.  We will create a folder for your area and send you a link that you can share with other pilots in your area where they can download your file directly into their application on their device.  If you have an event or a flying area and you would like us to make a map for you please feel free to contact us and talk to us.  We have years of experience making maps and flying with maps and would love to help you!

    Missing events

    I was looking at our Events Calendar for the month of June.  There are a bunch of events in June, Hudsonville, Bluff City, Galena, GTBR, Temecula, Carson City, Helen GA just to name a few, but I found an oddity that maybe you can help with.  I found NO EVENTS on the weekend of June 11th and 12th.  I cannot believe that there are NO events happening on that weekend so if you have an event or know of an event please let us know so we can put you on the calendar!  Every year we try out best to search the web to find as many events as we can and post as much information as we can but we are not perfect and can always use your help.  

    Helium Shortage

    Looks like Helium may be in short supply again soon (if not already) there have been some serious issues that may lead to shortages, or complete lack of supply and if you can get helium it may be at a premium price.  Just do a search for Helium Shortage and you will find a bunch of articles about it.  This would be a very good time for you to have a second look at our Drone Winds project.  Using a drone to read the winds aloft prior to a flight is an exigent alternative to a pi-bal.  The costs for a drone vs. helium may soon favor the drone and once you have your drone setup you will never again need to search for a supply of helium or latex balloons.  Go to the HAB site and log in and download the Drone Winds.  You can find the Drone Winds presentation in the Tutorials Presentations section of the Download Center.  Remember (as always) downloads are FREE for members.

    Balloons-andBeyond.com

    Well the Balloons-andBeyond.com site has been expanded.  The site started off as a place where you could purchase the new “Balloon Cups” for your after flight champagne ceremonies.  CupAni.gifThere is now a new page on the site called Gondola Gear.  Here you will find the beginnings of items for your basket.  We will be adding more items as time goes by but for now there are Document pouches, Radio Holders, Tank Covers, Droplines, and Zippered upright covers.  Bookmark the site so you will be able to return in the future and see the new items that have been added and order a couple of sleeves of the “Balloon Cups’ to take with you to your next balloon event. Balloons-andBeyond.com/Gondola-Gear

    #HASHTAG

    I am no longer flying commercially but miss it so very much.  I am up most mornings well before dawn and working at the computer.  I have enjoyed (very much) watching live feeds on Facebook of some of IMG_1703.PNG  your flights.  I would like to ask those of you who use the hot air app a favor.  Next time you start the app for a flight.  If you are using Glympse and the Glympse screen comes up, type in #hotairapp.  Then for those of us who want to watch along we can go to any browser and type in www.glympse.com/!hotairapp and be able to track your flight in real time!  I have done this on many occasions and even had my crew use it to track me in flight when they can not see me when I am down low.  You can add that hashtag to your send list and then each time you fire up the HotAir.app it will automatically log you into the system for others to see.

     

     

    Hot Air Notables

    Once again I would like to point out a category on the HotAirBalloonist.com site that is worth your time to have a look around.  The Hall of Fame committee has spent a tremendous amount of time creating a section FULL of biographies on Notable Balloonists.  There are over 270 biographies with tons of photos and volumes of information and history about our sport.  I wish to make a personal shout out to my father Jim Thompson who has posted a majority of the bios on file.  His efforts will serve as a historical record for all of us going forward.  When you have a moment please take the time to visit the Notable Balloonist’s section and have a look around.  If you know someone who you believe should be included, send us an email at Info@HotAirBalloonist.com or Jim@ThompsonAire.com with your email and we will get in contact with you for more information.

    Drone Waiver

    I am re-submitting my waiver to the FAA for a waiver for using a drone to read the winds above the current 400 ft limit.  I have learned many valuable lessons from my first attempt and I have begun to create a framework that I believe will be repeatable anywhere.  As more and more pilots begin to use drones for weather information it is my hope that we can, soon be able to get our winds aloft on our own in real time pre-launch without the need for latex balloons, helium and the guess work involved with the traditional method we all have used for so long.  I will keep you informed in future newsletters.  In the meantime please be safe, stay healthy, have fund and

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

     

     

  19. Cancel a Membership

    in Video Tutorials

    Posted

    Cancel a Membership

    View File

    How to cancel a membership.

    Please understand that this site is run by the membership dues our members pay and we sure do not want to see you leave, we understand that things change in our personal lives.  Unlike many sites and some other programs we do not HIDE or make things super difficult to get out of a membership on the HotAirBalloonist.com site.  However, we understand that the site is very large and you may not know where to go or what to look for when you need to cancel a membership so we have made this video to make it even more simple for you to do so.  We do not want you to leave but if you need to we understand.

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A. Thompson

     

  22. April 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    APRIL FLOWERS

    Why am I getting this?

    Some of you have never received one of our monthly newsletters.  Some of you may be receiving this when you may have unsubscribed from our newsletter. Please forgive me if you have unsubscribed and I have sent this to you unsolicited.  You may send me a nasty email if you wish at Info@HotairBalloonist.com  However; there is a reason for this.   We found a glitch in the system that we are trying to fix.  The HAB system was set up so that when you made a purchase you would receive a PasswordRecovery2.jpgmembership for a temporary period of time.  What membership and how long a time period depended on the item you purchased.  At some point during one of the installations of the many features on the site, the code for the membership timeframe became corrupt.  This means that some members were assigned membership privileges that never ended.   While researching this issue we have found members who have allowed their memberships to expire and are unable to renew.  Over the next few weeks (if you are not an active member) you will be receiving a membership invoice by email.  You may have never received an invoice in the past and that is our error.   We will send out the “Registered Guest” membership to most.  This membership is the least expensive and is only $5 for an entire year!  We sincerely ask that you support the HotAirBalloonist.com site with a small once a year fee of $5. This is a good time to upgrade your membership if you wish. There are many different levels available.   Here is a link were you can compare memberships and costs.  Should you get an invoice via email you have a 7 day grace period.  During this time you can visit the online store and choose a different membership should you wish.  When you select a specific membership package in the HAB Store you will have the option of a monthly or yearly term.  We value your support and participation on HotAirBalloonist.com.  If you have forgotten your password you can use the password recovery system on the site.  Just click the Sign link at the top right corner of the page and then click Forgot password.  If you choose to ignore the invoice your account will revert to a visitor status.    This is the reason we included everyone on this newsletter.  Please enjoy the rest of Aprils Newsletter.    

    It’s beginning to look like flying season!

    As the winter fades away and spring begins to bloom there are many things to think about before going out on your first balloon adventure of the year.  Many of you may not have flown for a few months or rarely.  This is a good time to review EVERYTHING!  From launch procedures to equipment to passenger management and more.  In this newsletter we will talk about some of the stuff we always like to review in the spring before we go out and have issues in the fields

    Trailers:  

    If you use a trailer for your rig it needs a good looking over.  How are the tires?  Check the air pressure, Tread wear.  Look at the leaf springs!  I mean crawl under there and have a good look.  You could have broken springs that may not show on the outside.  How is the clearance on the tires?  If you hit a few bumps on the road are the tires going to rub on the frame and have an issue?  How are your bearings?  It only takes a few moments to grease them up or stop at your local oil change place and ask them if they can squirt a little grease in there for you.  How are your lights?  Do they all work?  Is the wiring worn or have issues?  Door hinges? Interior lights? Jack Stand? Hitch Latch?  What about the spare?  Does it have air?  A couple of hours of your time spent in the beginning of the summer season may save you some serious heartache or even potential injury or costs later.

    Pouches, pockets, and your bedroom

    What does your basket look like?  Would it take a moving van to get your stuff out if you had to sell it?  Now, we are not suggesting that you sell your basket but, when was the last time you took all the junk out of all those pocket an pouches and nooks and crannies?  This is another good exercise to start your flying season, (or at least once a year) dump out all of those pouches, pocket and junk holders in your basket.  In fact I even suggest you remove them all together.  At the very least, empty them out and even vacuum them out.  Heck you may be carrying 2 extra pounds of sand and dirt in there!  This is a great chance for you to take inventory of what you have on board and where it all is.  Nothing worse than desperately looking for something you thought was there only to find it has gone missing.  (Harlan Iowa “78” went down from 400 ft, very few will remember) 

    Landowners and quicksand

    Walk it first!  Every year in the spring we always manage to get a truck horribly stuck.  Many times in a field that we used all summer last year and we just forgot that in the spring the ground is like quicksand.  Over the winter it has been frozen and the snow and ice has built up a high level of water in the soil.  What was good hard ground all year last year is now muck and mud!  Many times what looks great to just drive in or on suddenly becomes a trap.  Any time you leave a road for the open field it is a good idea that someone walks out first.  Who knows how soft that ground may be or even if a huge storm may have come thru two nights ago and dropped a few inches of rain on that field. 

    O Damn that was a hard one….

    I remember flying passenger flights up in Michigan each year in the spring.  We would hardly fly all winter and then all of a sudden the weather would break and BAM we were flying a bunch.  We were rusty, out of practice and flying passengers.  Not the greatest of situations!  Remember there are reasons for the currency regulations and even more reasons for YOU as the PIC to know your limits.  Do not be afraid to look at your potential passengers and say NO.   I remember a flight where it was going to be a little on the aggressive side.  One of the pilots that day had only been out three times in the last month.  I was in a tough spot.  Let the pilot with the fewer hours fly the larger balloon with more passengers in those conditions and me fly the family with the 87 year old grandparents or….  Let the pilot whom only had three flights recently, take them.   I chose option #3.   I took them aside and explained the truth.  Today was not for them.  I told them that the conditions were rough and the potential for a hard landing was high.  I did not advise them to fly today.  I told them that if they choose to fly on a different day I would make sure they would be assigned to me in whatever balloon I was flying on that day.  Well, it worked.  They trusted me and came back a couple weeks later and we had a ball.  In fact the Son who arranged the trip for his parents became one of our regular crew.  You just never know but I was so glad I made that call on that day.

    Registered Guest

    Take the change from your pocket, just one day a month and use it to support the HAB site.  Just 42 cents a month!   That is all we ask of you to help us keep this wonderful online ballooning resource available.  The Registered Guest Membership allows you to have so many more privileges above a simple visitor yet has a one-time per year fee of $5.  Becoming a registered guest will allow you to see 8 more categories, view and read more than 100 more forums and doubles the areas where you can post and review topics.  You also gain additional benefits in the Calendar section, Download Center and the photo galleries.  ALL for 42 cents a month!

     

    The Nylon Telegraph

    We touched on this briefly in the last newsletter but the new category is set up and ready for use!  Here is a link where you can go and see a full explanation about the new category on HAB.

    https://hotairballoonist.com/forum/index.php?/topic/6755-the-nylon-telegraph/

    Here is a brief explanation of this new feature on the site.  The Nylon Telegraph is just what it sounds like.  It is a communication hub for ballooning.  As a member on HotAirBalloonist.com you have the privileges to post a topic in any of the 5 forums inside the Nylon Telegraph and the HAB system will send out HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of emails on your behalf, to other members of the site.  As a member when you get one of these notification emails you can log in and “FOLLOW” that post for more information about that topic of discussion.  One of the great features of this new category is that if you are not interested in the topic that has been posted simply DO NOTHING and you will near nothing more about that topic, however if you are interested in the post simply “FOLLOW IT”. 

    Best of all, when creating a new post, you have the ability to add photos, links, emails and other contact information within your topic.  Some of the forums are viewable by visitors and some of the forums are only viewable by HAB Members when logged in.  Here are a few direct links to video tutorials that will help you create topics to post in one of the five forums.

    “Starting a  topic”  “The Follow Feature”   “Posting a Reply”

    Just for fun

    Do you have a fun balloon story?  WE would love to hear about it.  We have an area on the HotAirBalloonist.com site for you to submit your favorite balloon stories.  Tell us about an even you have been to or a flight you had last summer that was special.  How about a lesson in weather or NOT.  Tell us about your amazing ground team or an adventure in recovering a balloon.  Here is an example of what we are talking about.  “It’s Just a trip to Iowa”  Share your adventures with the rest of our members!

    April Fools

    FAKEBRIEF2.pngSome may think this is a horrible trick but I will tell you from firsthand experience the passengers loved it!  Once they found out (or figured out) it was an April Fools Joke.  We issued our April REALBRIEF.pngnewsletter a couple of days early just so you would have time to have fun with this if you wanted to.  Here is a link to the actual briefing card we normally used for nearly 20 years and the FAKE card we used on April First.  Notice how we took the time to make the cards look extremely similar so that when they were laying out on the table or when you handed them out it was super hard to tell the fake one from the real one.  Only after you began to read them did you realize what was going on.

     

    Forgotten GEMS

    As I do, I spend quite a bit of time now a days at my computer working on web stuff and a bunch of it on Ballooning related stuff.  As I work on the HotAirBalloonist.com site I stumble across files that have been on the site for years that I forgot were there.  Many of these old posts or topics are well worth the read and today (unfortunately) most of us just do not have or don’t take the time to read.  Here is a great topic posted way back in July of 2014.  As we enter our 10th year of being online with the HAB site we are amazed at the amount of files we have accumulated.  A few years back we moved our entire site from one server over to a new server.  The task required moving over 35,000 files and database accounts.  We were thrilled that we did not lose anything and we managed to make the more with no interruption on the front end at all.  We urge all members to participate and share your wisdom, stories and advice with the rest of our members.  We have installed a mirror server so that if anything happens to our primary server and database we have a continual backup system so that nothing will ever get lost.

    At the Thompson Compound.

    I just wanted to say “Thank you” to all my ballooning friends and family for all the support you have shown our family over the last couple of years.  Between my hemorrhagic stroke and then our Noah’s Leukemia Diagnosis we have had a pretty rocky road of late.  I am happy to report that I am doing very well and have recovered better than was expected.  I am still on the No Fly list but I am still here and everything works and the memory is still intact.  Our son Noah is responding to his Cancer treatments as his team expects.  We have had a few scary bumps in the road but his attitude has been our saving grace thru all of this.  We are just past the half way point in Noah’s treatment and have just about one year to go. #noahsheroes   It is our hope that YOU will continue to support the HotAirBalloonist.com site and help me spread the love for our sport and pass along the collective knowledge to the new generation of LTA fliers who will be gracing the fair skies in our place.

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

    PS.  If you are interested in past newsletters they can be found here.  Also if you know someone who should be listed in our Notable Balloonists Category please send me an email.  I would love to get you in touch with my father who does a bunch of work in the NOTABLE BALLOONIST BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION category.

  24. The Nylon Telegraph

    in Welcome to Members and Visitors

    Posted

    What is The Nylon Telegraph?

    The Nylon Telegraph is the communication HUB of the HotAirBalloonist.com site.  New members are automatically subscribed to each of three Forums and two sub-forums in The Nylon Telegraph category.

    The three main forums within The Nylon Telegraph are,

    • The Balloonetin Board

    The Balloonetin Board is for members only.  It is for any general topic about ballooning.  You can ask questions and even start a poll!  This forum is viewable by members only.  You must be a logged in member to view and post topics on The Balloonetin Board.

    • Equipment Transport

    Many pilots travel across this country and often times we have space in our trucks or trailers to help a fellow balloonist.  This forum is used to help make the connection between someone who may have spare room to transport a piece of equipment or someone who is looking to get a piece of equipment from one location to another.  As with the other forums in The Nylon Telegraph when you post a topic here the HAB system will send out hundreds of emails to fellow Balloonists to help you make that connection.

    • Wanted

    The wanted forum can be used to find that odd item that you just can not locate anywhere else or to ask if someone might want to sell an item they have and had forgotten about.  Inside this forum there are two sub-forums for Pilots and Crew who are available or looking for work.  Here again when you post a topic the HAB system will send out hundreds of emails in hopes of helping make the connection you are looking for.

    There are two sub-forums within the Wanted forum. 

    • Pilots Available/Wanted
    • Crew Available/Wanted

    Here are the rules for posting.

    ONLY A "Logged in Member" of the site is able to post in any of the forums.

    The rules for posting for all three main forums and both sub-fourms are the same.  They are as follows,

    This forum is for balloon related topics.  You must be a Member or Registered Guest to start a topic.  Replies can be deleted by any moderator if found to be in poor taste or off topic.  You may add photos and hyperlinks to your postings so 226097685_1043178489761737_4200425696804736136_n.jpglong as they are also balloon related and apply to the original topic.  You may add Email Links also

    We will use a three strike method for this category.  You will warned about bad behavior three times and then your email will be banned from the site.

    Please conduct yourself accordingly.

    The viewing rules are as follows:

    ONLY LOGGED IN MEMBERS can view the Balloonetin Board forum.

    Any visitor can view the Equipment Transport and Wanted forums

    HOW DOES THE NYLON TELEGRAPH WORK?

    When a member creates a topic in any of the forums within "The Nylon Telegraph" the HAB system sends out hundreds of emails to members with the topic information that a member has posted.  Each email has a link were members can click and go directly to the new posted topic.  This system allows any member of the site to communicate with hundreds of fellow balloonists in just minutes by creating a single topic in the appropriate forum.

    What do I do as a member when I get one of these emails?

    When you receive an email from the HAB system notifying you that a fellow Balloonist has created a new topic you have a couple of options. 

    First if the new topic is of no interest to you, simply delete the email

    If the topic is something that you would like to learn more about or would like to see what others may post in response you click the link at the bottom of the email, log in and select the "FOLLOW" button and the HAB system will notify you any time additional replies are made to that topic.  When you no longer wish to be informed simply go to that topic and select "UNFollow"

    What if I do not want to get emails from The Nylon Telegraph?

    Log into the site and navigate to the forum that you do not want to receive emails from.  Up in the right hand corner of the forum you will see the "Following" button.  Scroll your mouse over that button and a pop up window will show.  The pop up window will say "Change Follow Preference". Simply Click on the button and you will be able to change your follow preferences.  You can check "UNFollow" at the bottom right corner of that window.  While we would prefer you stay connected to the site we do understand that you may have gotten out of ballooning or wish to reduce your email volume.  But please keep in mind that once the system sends you an email about a newly posted topic the HAB system will not send any further emails about that specific topic unless you choose to follow it.

    We hope that this explains for you what "The Nylon Telegraph" is and how it works. 

    This is only one of dozens and dozens of features available for our members on the HotAirBalloonist.com site. For more information about what this site can do please read "What this site can do"

     

     

     

  25. March 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    As Restrictions Ease,

     

     

    I am sure many of you are looking forward to a great flying season this next year.  As the mandates and restrictions ease it is our hope that we can return to a more normal flying schedule.  We encourage you to sit down with your teams, pilots, and even contact a few of your landowners and talk about what everyone it comfortable with.  Talk about sanitation.  Talk about costs.  Talk about passenger management.  Have a good understanding about what is to be expected this next summer and how things will go.  Having a plan has so many benefits.  You never know what issues may be in the mind of your team.  Sitting down, even if it is in the garage or your pre-flight meeting location and having a pow-wow to talk about expectations, worries and needs, is a great opportunity for everyone.  We want everyone to have a safe year this year as well as being comfortable.

     

    Passenger Briefings

     

     

    How do you brief your passengers?  Do you have a pre-flight speech?  Is it written down or something you have just memorized over the years?  Do you have a written check list or briefing card?  When was it updated last?  During my 30+ years of flying passengers full time, I have had many types of briefing styles from Videos played on a big screen TV to briefing cards and passenger verbal briefings.  We have a section in the “Download Center” where you can view pre-flight check lists and passenger briefing cards.  AS A MEMBER you can also share YOUR items with others.  I am sure there are things that BriefCard.jpgYOU may have or use that we have forgotten or do not have on our card.  That is why I am encouraging ALL MEMBERS to share with each other. Did you know you can submit a file?  YOU CAN!  Log in and go to the Download center.  Click on Passenger Related Resources and submit a file.  It could be an image of your briefing card or a word document of your pre-flight speech or checklist.   Let’s create a great resource for everyone to use for passenger management.  I will be writing down my verbal passenger briefing and sharing it in this forum as well very soon.  In the mean time since the next newsletter will come out on or slightly before April 1st, I wanted to share with you the April Fools Briefing card. 

     

    Here is the scenario; we would meet in a private area in the back of a restaurant.  Normally we would have 18 -20 passengers.  We would lay out 15 normal briefing cards and two of the “FAKE” April Fools briefing cards.  Then watch the expressions as the passenger reads the fake card and then begins to hand it around to others.  Every year we would look forward to April 1st.  Here is a link to the normal card and a link to the April Fools Card.

     

    A NEW CATEGORY

     

    We have a new category with several new forums within.  Our new category is called “The Nylon Telegraph” This category is for communication between balloonists and crews.  Currently we have three forums within this category.  We will talk about the first forum last.  Forum #2 is “Equipment Transport”  There are many times when we need to get an envelope, or a fan, or sometimes a basket, or even a trailer from one part of the country to another.  This forum is designed specifically for those needs.  Post a topic here and include all your contact information and specifics about your needs.  Forum #3 is “Wanted”.  Are you looking for something?  An old envelop to use as a walk thru balloon?  A set of A-Blocks?  An old basket to make a desk or wall display?  A Pilot to fill a position?  Post a wanted ad in the Wanted forum.  The First forum is the best.  It is called “The Balloonetin Board”  This is a Ballooning Bulletin Board!  This forum is for Members Only!  The Equipment Transport forum and the Wanted forum are open for anyone to post a topic in.  The Balloonetin Board requires you to be a logged in member of the site to post a topic in.  Here is the best part of all of these forums.  As with all of the forums on HotAirBalloonist.com you can include as much content as you wish including emails, websites, phone, text and….  PHOTOS!  Not only can visitors to the site SEE your post but any member who follows the forum will get an instant email alerting them that you have just posted a new topic in that forum. 

     

    FOLLOW THIS.

     

    Many of you are members of the Balloon Reflector.  The FOLLOW FEATURE on the HAB system works just like the Balloon Reflector with a couple of MAJOR improvements.  First is the ability to add hyperlinks and email links into your topics.  For example in this newsletter you will find many links embedded in the text of this newsletter.  These links take you directly to the topics or files we are talking about.  ON the HAB site you can embed links into the TEXT of your topics.  Then when you post a topic on the HAB site, the system will send out an email to everyone who is “Following” that topic.  The email that the follow feature sends out will include any links you have posted in your topic.  IN addition to that fantastic ability you are able to include photos, and/or even video in your topic!  The best part of the follow feature is that YOU get to choose what you want to hear about.  If you are a member of the balloon reflector you get emails about anything and everything that gets posted but with the HAB site you get to choose what you follow. You can follow an entire forum or just one topic inside a forum.  If there is a forum or topic you are no longer interested in you simply UN-Follow that topic or forum.    

     

    The new forum “The Balloonetin Board” inside our new category “The Nylon Telegraph” is designed to work just like the Balloon Reflector.  You are receiving this newsletter because you are a member of HAB.  This means that you can log in and post topics in the new forum.  This also means that you can FOLLOW that forum.  Please take a moment, Log in, and go to the new category “The Nylon Telegraph”  Then click on the top forum FollowBalloonetin.png“The Balloonetin Board” and click on the FOLLOW button.  You can choose  the frequency in which you will be notified.  Then when other members of HAB post something you will be notified!  Remember if you are posting a topic you can add all sorts of information in your topic.  Before you post a topic watch the Video Tutorial about creating topics for a better understanding of what can be included and how to do it.

     

    Registered Guest.

     

     

    Please post this in your club emails, on your web site, and send this to as many Ballooners as you can.  WE are having open registration on HAB for new members for FREE for a year!  The Registered Guest membership is a limited membership but will allow someone to post topics and read items that the general public (a visitor to the site) cannot.  It takes only a few moments to register with the site.  All you need is a valid email address to validate your registration.  The registration process DOES NOT ask for a credit / debit card.  This registration is totally FREE for your first year.  This registration can also be used to “FOLLOW” the new Balloonetin Board forum!  At the end of your first year you may upgrade your membership to one of our other memberships or continue your registered guest membership for only $5 for another year.  The $5 just helps us with the server fees, email programs and virus protection services we use to keep the site up and running.  Let’s get as many balloonist (Pilots, Crews, Event Organizers and others) involved with this fantastic ballooning community.  Honestly it is hard to beat FREE.

     

    Have I seen you in here before?

     

     

    If you are new to the HotAirBalloonist.com we want to welcome you and let you know we are thrilled to have you as a participating member of our community.  A couple of things you may want to know about this site.  First there is an entire section in our Download Center dedicated to Video Tutorials to help you get the most out of the website.  There are dozens and dozens of videos you can watch to learn about many of the fantastic features built into this online Balloonist community.  We encourage you to USE THEM!  The Video Tutorials will help you get more out of the site.  If there is anything you do not understand let us know!  We are more than happy to make a video for you and to help others who may have the same questions as you do.  Share your knowledge!  WE can ALL help each other here on the HotAirBalloonist.com site.

     

    In closing

     

     

    I will pass along a wonderful pearl of wisdom my father told me when I was very young.  He said, “Just remember that the guy who does 9 out of 10 things wrong can still teach you something”.  “The 1 thing he does right is something you may not have thought of, 245030010_4729974377021709_1173859350173924564_n.jpglearn from everyone”.  Please become involved on the HAB site.  The entire site was build and designed so you could log in, Participate, Ask Questions, Share your wisdom, Talk about your experiences and HELP OTHERS become as good as YOU ARE, most of all…

     

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

     

    Jeff A Thompson

     

     

    		spacer.png
    spacer.png spacer.png
×
×
  • Create New...