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  3. Feb 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    THE PILOT LIGHT

    Feb 2022 

     

    So the votes are in and the name has been chosen.  The HotAirBalloonist.com newsletter will now be known as “The Pilot Lite” Thank you to everyone who PilotLite.pngparticipated in the voting and who helped with nearly 3 dozen name suggestions. 

     

     

     

    Equipment 4Sale

    I was asked the other day about how to list equipment for sale on the HAB site.  I told them it was really quite easy to do and you did not even need to have a membership.  We have opened up the Equipment 4Sale section to every balloonist whether they are members or not.  But the request for help in listing equipment reminded me that we need to tell everyone again about all the Video Tutorials available in the Download Center on HotAirballoonist.com. There IS A VIDEO that SHOWS you how to list your equipment on the site for FREE.  I wanted to take the time to explain the difference between a member listing equipment and a non-member listing equipment.

    • A non-member (Guest) can list equipment on the site for free.  They can include all the contact information they would like and up to 20MB of photos and as much descriptive text as they want.  The listing will need to be approved by a moderator of the HAB site.  Approval is normally done in less than 24 hours.  A guest will need to request a moderator or an administrator to make changes to the listing or to delete the listing (so make sure you have it the way you want it before you post it).
    • An HAB Member can list equipment on the site for free.  They can include all the contact information they would like and up to 20MB of photos and as much descriptive text as they want.  The can also go back and alter (edit) the listing any way they want at any time.  They can also delete the listing when the equipment has sold.  They can also use the “FOLLOW” feature to be instantly informed via email any time a reply has been made to their listing.

    Another thing to mention is that ANYONE “Member” or “Guest” can reply to an equipment listing.  Just under the listing you will find a box where you can post a reply. 

    postreply.png

    If you are a member and “logged in” your reply will be posted instantly.  If you are a guest your reply will need to be approved by a moderator.   As a guest you should also include your contact information so the seller can get ahold of you. 

    Since the “Equipment 4Sale” section is so well divided into different categories it is extremely easy to find just the right piece of equipment you are looking for.  Please remember, a General Membership on the HAB site is only $20 for an entire year.  It would be worth the membership just to be able to have the ability to manage your equipment listing and use the “Follow Feature” on the site.

    Drone Waiver.

    So my first waiver attempt was denied.  I expected that result.  I have been in contact with 5 FAA officials to work out a process for getting an approved waiver. They have all be very helpful.  My goal is to create a guideline style form that any Balloonist can use anywhere in the country to get a waiver.  Basically a “fill in the blanks” type of format where you enter the details that pertain to your specific location and conditions and the odds are 80% or better you will be approved.  We will provide forms on the HAB site as well as tutorial videos for anyone who wants to use a drone to read the winds.  IN the mean time feel free to watch the drone video I made about using a drone to read the winds at https://www.hotairballoonist.com/Video/MavicScreenVid.mp4  I will continue to work on getting a waiver till I get the right formula and then see if I can duplicate it for others. 

    Flying my DRONE HIGHER THAN 400 FEET!

     IN the mean time there is a way you can fly your drone up to 800 ft or 1200 ft or higher legally!  FAR 107.51 (b)107B.jpg

     

     

     

    Most of you know where the Radio Towers are in your flying area.  Most of the time while we are flying, you are on the lookout for Radio Towers.  Now they are your friend.  Go to Skyvector.com  Take a look at a sectional chart of your area.  Find a radio tower nearby.  Look at the height of the tower on the sectional.  Remember the altitudes listed are MSL & AGL.  The smaller number is AGL and if there is only one number then it is MSL.   Go there and fly your drone to get your winds aloft readings.  If you fly your drone within 400 ft of the tower and not more than 400 ft above the tower you are legal.  Remember: If you are flying your drone before sunrise you must have a lighting system that can be seen from three miles away.

    DroneTowerDrawing.jpg

    Also keep in mind what direction the wind is coming from.  As long as you are not flying your drone directly downwind of the tower you should not experience any interference in the wind data from the tower.   

    SkyVector

    We have talked about this website in the past but there is a new feature on the site that deserves pointing out.  Since we have been talking about Drones a lot lately there is a great feature on the SkyVector.com site called DROTAMs.  Yes, it is, what it sounds like.  NOTAMS for Drones.  Yes, we have an online video tutorial about this feature, go there and check it out.  It will show you areas that ARE approved for Drone Waiver operations as well as areas that Drone Operations are prohibited.   It is a great site to check if you are in a prohibited area for operating a drone before you go out to fly one.

    It’s Official

    The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees have been announced.  I could not be more proud that my father Jim Thompson is on the list.  His involvement with ballooning started way back in the early days with me and my tissue paper experiments and evolved into nearly 5 decades of devotion to our wonderful sport.  My father has been Involved in almost every aspect of ballooning.   He is still active to this day building the “Notable Balloonist Biographical Information” category on the HotAirBalloonist.com site.  Congratulations go out to Bob Rice, Jim Thompson and Tucker Comstock the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees.

    Windy.com        

    Many of you may be familiar with Windy.com.  It is a very nice weather app and Windy.com is a great desktop application.  I have watched the forecasted information and compared it to real world flight conditions and found that it is fairly accurate.  The only drawback is that it does not provide winds aloft at reasonable heights.  Your options are Surface, 330ft and 2,000ft and above.  There is one feature on Windy.com that can be extremely useful.  LIVE CAMERAS.  Here in Florida we get FOG that develops right at sunrise.  Now some days it is patchy and some days it can clamp in and hang around till NOON!  Many days we would send one of our ground team or another pilot out to drive around the area and report back via the radio what the conditions were like out there.  Sometimes you could be sitting in the only foggy location in the whole county or you could be in a sucker hole.  Well, the addition of local cameras (mostly highway locations) is extremely helpful since now we can look at the conditions around the area using the application on our phone.  When you have a chance have a look at Windy.com and check out the camera feature.  Click on your location.  Click on the down arrow at the top right of your map point flag staff.  Then over on the right click on the round camera icon.  Move your location point around to find different cameras in your area.  Not all areas have web cameras however Windy.com makes it easy to add one if you know of a web cam in your area.  We have a video tutorial on the HAB site about windy.com have a view of when you have time.  Have fun and Let us know what you think.

    Video Tutorials

    A fantastic section that is often overlooked on the HotAirBalloonsit.com site is the Video Tutorials in the Download Center.  There are video tutorials for more than four dozen different features and other content on the site.  Just about anything you could want to do on the HotAirBalloonist.com is shown in an easy to follow video.  Better yet we are willing to make a custom video just for you if you need.  Let us know what feature or task you are trying to do on the site and we will make a video tutorial for you about that item.  Not only will you find it easier to use the site but you will be helping us make it better for others as well.  Here is your assignment for this newsletter.  Take the time and watch just one of the Video Tutorials.  Watch “The Exchange”.  You may be amazed at that feature of the site and it just may encourage you to watch a few more of the amazing video tutorials on the site.  Remember, we want you get the most out of the HAB site so we have videos to help.   “The Exchange” combined with the “Follow Feature” are extremely powerful tools for local ballooning communities.

    Become a member.

    This is where I ask again for you to help me and the HotAirBalloonist.com site.  If you are receiving this newsletter and you are not a paid member of the HotAirBalloonist.com site we would like to encourage you to become one.  Membership fees help us make the site better for everyone.  The fees are structured so you can spend as little as $20 a year to help support the site.  There are also advertising opportunities all over the site too. There is even a Donation box in the right hand column on the front page.  Use the Member Map to show your location or Start a Balloon Club.  Post an item on the events calendar or get your local pilots to use the Exchange Feature inside the Balloon Rides category.  Have a look at over 270 biographies of notable balloonists and enjoy some fantastic ballooning history.  There are hundreds of files on the site and so much you can do on the site.  The benefits of the Member Side of the site grow every day.  Get your crew involved as well.  Please support the site with your membership and participate.  Send me an email if you have anything you want to see on the site or if you need a video tutorial about a feature on the site.  Most of all Log IN and participate!

    I am a Hot Air Balloonist!

    One of the services we offer to our members that seems to have been forgotten is your own email address.  Would you like your own @HotAirBalloonist.com email?  Just like getting a @hotmail or a @Gmail or even a @Yahoo email address you can get a @HotAirBalloonist.com email.  You can get one for your personal name (as long as it is not already taken) Jeff@HotAirBalloonist.com or you can get one with your company name BobsBalloons@HotAirBalloonist.com or any other @HotAirBalloonist.com you wish.  Just send me a note at Info@HotAirBalloonist.com and I will get you set up with your own HAB email.

    SHARE

    We encourage you to share any part or all of our newsletters.  Send this email along to your local ballooning friends.  Post something in your local balloon club newsletter or add a link to HAB on your website.  Urge other balloonists to become involved with HAB.  We all share a love for this amazing form of flight.  HotAirBalloonist.com was built for balloonists to enjoy, share, learn and evolve together.  NOTE: If there was something in an old newsletter (Image or Link…) that you wanted to find again but you have lost the email, we keep copies of all the newsletters in a forum on the HAB site.  Just go to “Past Newsletters” in the “Welcome All” category, to find online copies of past newsletters.   Most of all,

    Thank you for all YOU do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  4. Post a Reply

    in Video Tutorials

    Posted

    Post a Reply

    View File

    There are many areas of the site were members and visitors can interact.  Posting a reply allows you to join a conversation, ask questions or even add more information about topics you wish to be involved in.  This video tutorial shows how even a non member (visitor) can interact on the site.  This tutorial shows how someone can ask questions about an item for sale in the Equipment 4Sale section area.

     

     

  5. Goodreader

    in Video Tutorials

    Posted

    Goodreader

    View File

    Transfer large files directly to your PC or Laptop

    Sometimes you files that are too large to email or to send from your phone to your PC.  Many times your phone will want you to edit or trim a video before it will allow you to send the file.  What if there were a way to send files directly to your PC from your phone using your phones WiFi signal.  Watch this video and learn how you can using a simple program called Goodreader.

     

     

  7. Using Coupon Codes

    in Video Tutorials

    Posted

    Using Coupon Codes

    View File

    Using Coupon Codes

    Coupon Codes

    From time to time we offer a special to our members.  Often this is in the form of a Coupon Code.  This can be for a membership or a product of some kind.  Using a Coupon Code is easy.  Simply type you coupon code in the box at checkout to receive a discount on your item.  Watch this video to learn exactly how it works.

     

  9. 7 days left.

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Once again I wish to ask for your forgiveness.  I do not wish to annoy or pester you about this issue, but I feel it is important.  It has been brought to my attention that some members do not have email that allows for HTML mail.  This means that embedded hyperlinks in words or images will not work.  Many of the reference links that we have provided (that were embedded) in past newsletters were unable to be used.

    I wish to give every HAB member the chance to make their voice heard before the FAA potentially causes (What I believe will be) damaging harm to our beloved hobby, sport, lively hood and industry.

    Here is a list of reference links for your review.  If you are unable to click on the link you may copy and paste them into a browser for review.

    The NTSB public hearing on the Lockhart incident.

    https://www.hotairballoonist.com/docs/LockheartTexasNTSBhearing.pdf

    The Medical Examiners Guide for providing a 2nd Class Medical

    https://www.hotairballoonist.com/docs/FAA-AMEguide.pdf

    The NTSB’s comments and recommendations on the incident.

    https://www.hotairballoonist.com/docs/FAA-2021-1040-0056.pdf

    HotAirBalloonist.com’s comments on the proposed regulations.

    https://www.hotairballoonist.com/docs/HAB-FAA-NPRM.pdf

    Here is where you can go read other responses.

    https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2021-1040-0001/comment?postedDateFrom=2022-01-09&postedDateTo=2022-01-11

    Here is where you can go and post your own remarks.

    https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FAA-2021-1040-0001

    Time is running out.  If you hold a commercial rating for LTA Ballooning this affects YOU.  It will cost you more money to continue to enjoy your sport.  It could potentially cost you hundreds if not thousands a year more.  Please get involved before it is too late.

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

  10. NPRM Reminder

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Time is running out!

    I know I have pestered you about this and this will be the last time because things are about to hit the Inflation Fan.

    You have just about 12 days left.

    I have made two postings on the FAA NPRM comments page.  One under my name and one for the HotAirBalloonist.com community website.  I may even make one more post this week.

    Just to review.

    Pilot Skip Nichols flew on a marginal IFR day and descended thru clouds into high tension powerlines killing himself and 15 passengers.  The NTSB had a board of inquiry and suggested that commercial balloon pilots be required to have a 2nd class medical or an LOA to conduct commercial balloon activities.

    Here are direct links to resources you should be aware of.

    The NTSB Recommendation.

    The transcript of the NTSB public hearing.

    The passed regulation

    PUBLIC LAW 115–254—OCT. 5, 2018.png

    Here are some key comments from the FAA and the hearing transcript.

    Poor Decision.png

    As you can see from the transcript that the NTSB admits the probable cause was poor decision making.  A medical of any kind will not prevent that.

    NTSBReccomendation.png

    The NTSB also suggests “Ways to target” and “Pose the most significant safety risks”  This would indicate the LARGE BALLOON RIDE OPERATORS.

    Lastly, when it comes to a “Letter of Authorization” here is what was testified at the NTSB Hearing on the Lockhart incident in that regard.

    LOA Results.png

    So as we wind down to the last few days to make any comments, WILL YOU? 

    Here is a question for you.  Are you obese?  Look at this chart and calculate your BMI.  Then ask are you considered obese?  You may not qualify for a 2nd class medical.  Look at the chart below.  If your score is to the right of the RED area you may have a problem.

    WeightChart.png

    Do you snore?  You may have sleep apnea?  You guessed it, you may have a problem!  Even if you are in good health can you list every doctor visit, the reason for the visit and every medication prescription and over the counter going back 3 years?  Go ahead and register with the FAA and fill out a form 8500-8  Take a look at all of the info they will want from you. 

    We have only a few days left to comment.  The proposed regulations will have a far reaching impact on many aspects of ballooning.  It is my opinion that a 2nd class medical will do little to promote safety in any way yet harm the LTA world in so many ways that we simply cannot even predict at this time.

    YOU HAVE 12 days left to make a comment.

    CLICK HERE to voice your comments.

     

  11. January 2022

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Welcome to the January 2022 newsletter.

    We are still looking for a name. 

    We had many of you vote for our newsletter name.  We were hoping to narrow the mega list of names down to just 10 names.  We had a few names that tied for points, so we have 14 names left.  Please when you have a moment, log into the site and go to the “Welcome All” category and scroll down to the “Past Newsletters” forum.  In this forum you will find the very first topic is the Newsletter Names.   Last month we had you choose your top 6 names and this month we are going to have you choose just 3 from our 14 finalists.  Read the list over carefully because YOU may be the vote that chooses the winning name and our monthly newsletter will forever carry the name you have voted for.  Thank you in advance for participating!

    Drone Waiver.

    As expected our first attempt at obtaining a waiver to exceed the 400 ft. limit for using a drone to read the winds was denied.  We fully expected this to happen.  Unfortunately the process is not an easy one, but it can be done!  We did learn a bunch of stuff by making the attempt.  First, you need to follow the example of a successful waiver.  Max Moerles has been successful in getting a waiver to use his drone up to 1500 feet.  This provides great wind data prior to a flight.  Some of the important things considered in his waiver.  Pilot observer, an extra pair of eyes to help the drone “remote pilot” operator keep a look out for other aircraft.  Position Lights, visible for up to 3 miles for pre-dawn flights.  Specific Geographic location, GPS coordinates for the operation of the drone.  Specific Timeframe, a period specific (30 min) amount of time to conduct the operation.  The FAA will issue a NOTAM about your flight operation to be given as part of any flight briefing for a pilot operating in that area at that time.  If you have a flying area where there are several pilots who fly on a regular basis it would be advantageous for at least one of your area pilots to become drone certified and set up a waiver for your area.  So,  If you are still wondering about using a drone to read the winds here are some resources  First watch this online video.  DroneWinds.  Next download this presentation DroneWindsPDF then go to Max Moerles site and read his documentation.  Remember you must be logged in to HAB to download files for free!

    DO YOU CARE?FAAmedical.png

    We have mentioned this in last month’s newsletter but we are now getting down to the wire.  Can you say NPRM?  Do you understand what is about to happen to our wonderful sport?  My opinion is fairly simple; the ramifications of requiring a 2nd class medical for commercial balloon pilots will damage our industry in ways that most do not even comprehend.  I understand that we must do something to make ballooning safer and I am all for that.  The large ride balloons “for the most part” do a great job of being safe however large balloons are more difficult to fly.  I have often said that there is a big difference between driving a bass boat and a cruise ship.  Maybe the large balloons should be in a separate class of their own.  That being said, the small operators will be crushed by regulations of a LOA or a 2nd class medical.  There are Balloon Events that will be harmed by this.  There are special shape balloon pilots that will be harmed by this and even corporate sponsored balloons (like RE/MAX) will be harmed.  Small ride operators will be harmed or close up.  As a result, you will have fewer annuals and repair stations who will lose business, raise prices, or go out of business.  Many private pilots will stop flying because they will have to make a 6hr (or more) trip to the nearest repair station.  There will be a cascading effect that will cripple or destroy Ballooning as we know it.  Do YOU CARE? 

    Do you understand what is involved with getting a LOA?  Currently the FAA is understaffed and overwhelmed.  You may have to spend 2-4 MONTHS on the ground “not flying” while you wait to get your LOA approved.  This is if you FAAPerscriptions.pnghave completed the paperwork correctly!  If your application gets rejected and you have to start over, “good luck”.  Do you know what it takes to get a 2nd class medical?  Have a look at THIS FORM.  Can you list every medication you take?  Keep in mind they ask for prescription and NON-prescription medications! Can you go down the list and check off all the Yes/No questions and be prepared to explain any “Yes” answer.  Then can you list all the doctor visits you have had in the last 3 years!  Date, Doctor, Reason for Visit!  Are you beginning to get a feel for what this will do to Ballooning?  How many Balloonists who do ANY kind of commercial ballooning, whether it is an occasional ride, balloon events, advertising, banners, tethers and a host of other activities will just QUIT? 

    Do you wonder what the AME looks for?  CLICK HERE to see the AME Checklist.  All 519 pages!

    So that all being said..  DO YOU CARE!!??  Time is running out to post your views.  As of my writing of this newsletter the NPRM has just over 50 postings.  When you think about the thousands of pilots this will have a dramatic effect on it is rather sad to think that only 50 people have taken the time to post.  I would like to say thank you to:  Jason Hicks, Dave Bair, Stephen Mroz, Mark Mroczkowski, Jeff Buesing, Sky Sail Balloons (Geoff Turner), Steven Lombardi, Tim Gale, Shari Gale, Barbara Fricke, Micah Lyons, City of Albany Parks & Recreation, Kelly Levine, Dean Vorhees, James Greer, Gary Cooper Gentle Breeze Hot Air Balloon (Laurie Givin) Daniel Keith, Michael Arbuthnot, Keith Reeves, Peter Turoff, Robert Grimes, Robert Gonzales, Michael Shrum, Cheryl Isaacs, Thomas Pflasterer, John Folsom, Ryan Yde, FAAMecialVisits.pngLawrence Brown, Damien Ristaino, Mark Guenin, David Ammenti, Shawn Knickerbocker.   Regardless of their views on the subject at least they posted an opinion!  I thank each one for this.  We have less than 20 days left.  Please go HERE and read some of the postings.  Take the time and post your own views. There is a limit on the amount you can post on the FAA site.  So you may want to write your opinion in a document on your computer first.  Then if it is too big for the FAA site you can upload the file. 

    Look,  My flying days are done.  As many of you know I suffered a nasty hemorrhagic stroke and have not flown since.  With the medications I am on and all of the different doctors I am seeing the likelihood that I will ever fly commercially again is nearly ZERO.   In spite of this I still love this sport.  I love ballooning and the people (pilots and crews) that make this sport so amazing.  I will do anything I can to help it and help YOU in any way that I still can.  If that means having to sit down once a month and be a pest so be it!  DO YOU CARE?   

    BFA

    As many of you know I have supported the BFA for 45 years.  I will continue to support them because I believe that the work they do is important.  Regardless of your opinion of the BFA I do want you to know that we have a category on the HAB site where we post information from the BFA.  We do this because the information that is posted by the BFA is (most often) important to ballooning in general.  Here is a direct link to that category where you can view the different forums and postings within. 

    Newsletters.

    In our monthly newsletter we post a bunch of links to various resources online.  We save each of these newsletters online for your future reference.  If you need to look up something that we have posted in one of the newsletters just go to the “Welcome All” category.  At the bottom of that category you will find the Past Newsletters forum.  Inside that forum you will find all the past newsletters listed in chronological order.  Don’t forget to vote for the Newsletter name while you are there.

    The Download Center.

    You may not realize this but YOU as a member can share files in our download center!  Think of it as a “DropBox” for Balloonists.  In the Download center there are dozens of categories and hundreds of files.  One of the categories is called “Balloon Related Resources”.  In this category there is a Sub-Category called Balloonist File Sharing.  This is where YOU as a member can upload and share a file. You can share photos, Map files, drawings, Documents, PDF files and more.  Let’s say you have a tether contract you wish to share with another pilot.  Just upload it and send them a link.  How about a video that is too large to email.  Just upload and send them a link.  Here are the details; you can upload up to 40mb.  The file should be balloon related in some fashion.  You must be a logged in member to upload and to download files.  You can also select a purchase price for your file!  So you can actually SELL your file if you wish.  Proceeds will be credited to your account.  Have a look at the HAB Download Center, you may be amazed at all the items you will find there.  Make sure you log in to see the full Download Center.

    Welcome to 2022.

    Once again I wish to thank each of you for your part in Ballooning.  From Ground Teams to the Pilots, Event Organizer’s, Repairmen and more “Thank you”.  I am thankful to be a part of this amazing world that I find to be so mesmerizing.  I hope that in this New Year, we can move forward and get back to enjoying our sport.  Ballooning is truly an art; I very much miss sharing that “Art” with the first time passengers.  I no longer fly commercially and I have come to terms with that.  I have over 7,400 flights to look back on and memories that span 45 years.  I thank each of you for being part of my little world.  I now spend my time flying a keyboard and creating stuff for balloonists online.  If you need web work of any kind let me know.  If you are not a paid member please consider becoming one.  Encourage your ground team to get a membership.  Remember the HotAirBalloonist.com site was built for YOU.  If there are features you would like to see just let me know.  The Download Center is filled with great video tutorials that explain dozens and dozens of features already built into the site.  The site grows a little more each day because of you,

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

  12. ADS-B

    in Balloon Federation of America

    Posted

    There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding ADS-B requirements and lighter-than-air aircraft. This has led to much speculation that in some way, lighter than air aircraft were going to need to be equipped with ADS-B equipment to be able to operate near either Class B or C airspace. So, let’s look at the rules (14 CFR 91.225) that have been in place since the required installation of ADS-B took place in 2020.

    Who is required to have ADS-B?airspaceRequirements.jpg

    Since ADS-B has a constant power requirement and requires interaction with a WAAS enabled GPS, an electrical system must be employed, which by rule must have been installed by the manufacturer as a part of the type certification of the aircraft. Aircraft that were not manufactured with an electrical system are not required to install ADS-B. That includes hot air and gas balloons. Installation in balloons is currently not available. In addition, these systems are installed under an STC specifically directed at each aircraft manufacturer. This relates to things like antenna stability and placement, which would need to be fixed and permanent. Each installation must display the aircraft N number and must contain the internal ICAO code, which is installed by the avionics installer. Most of this could not be accomplished in balloons.

    Where can you fly without the requirement for ADS-B to be installed?

    You can fly under the shelf of any Class C and under the shelf of any Class B and that includes the airspace within the Mode C veil. You may not operate within either the Class C or B airspace that is within the wedding cake shelves or in the area that goes to the surface without ADS-B. In other words, you may not fly within the wedding cake. Flight within this airspace would require a waiver issued for a particular operation for non-ADS-B equipped aircraft.

    What about non-permanent ADS-B installations?

    They are not likely to be approved for many reasons and rules have not yet been proposed for temporary installations for the purpose of special flight operations such as record flights or gas balloon events. There have been waivers issued for these operations in the past, but the future of these waivers is in question. There are flying areas around the country that conflict with ADS-B required Class C airspace, so waivers will likely be needed to continue to operate in this airspace, or if not available, the flying area modified to avoid these areas.

    So how does ADS-B affect me?

    For most balloon operations, the ADS-B requirement will not apply. We encourage you to read the language as listed in 14 CFR 91.225.

    LINK: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-91/subpart-C/section-91.225.

    How is the BFA involved?

    The BFA Government Relations committee has engaged the FAA in ongoing conversations regarding the ADS-B requirements, the future of waivered operations in Class C and the issue of portable ADS-B units. We will continue to provide our members with information in this regard. 

    Sincerely,
    Pat Cannon, President
    Balloon Federation of America
    Cannon Pat

  13. Flip Flop Fantasies

    in Florida

    Posted

    FrontPageLogo2.pngAre you looking for that once in a lifetime trip?  Want to share an event with someone special that you both will talk about forever?  Look NO Further.  Flip Flop Fantasies Hot Air Balloon flights are the HOTTEST ticket in town.  Pardon our pun, the FFF (Flip Flop Flight program is simply second to no one!  With more than 4 decades (That’s 40 years for those of you in Rio Linda) Capt Terry Dillard is one of the highest flight hour pilots in all of Florida.  Born and raised here in the Central Florida area his knowledge of the area and his ability to show you the area fromDSC04338-300x225.jpg a birds eye view will have you spell bound!

    Visit www.FlipFlopFantasies.com

  14. December 2021

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Vote for the name the Newsletter

     

     

    We have been collecting names for our monthly newsletter.  We have quite a list!  Now it is time for you to vote!  Here is a link to the voting post.  Read down the list of names and choose your 6 favorite names.  Then vote for your favorite names in your order of preference (1st – 6th).  We will then use a point system to determine the top ten most popular names.  Next month we will have the final vote from the ten finalists.  Should be fun, so have a look and take a moment to vote.  By the way, if you have a good name it’s not too late.  Just scroll down to the bottom of the voting post and place your name in the reply box.  If we like it enough it just might appear with the ten finalists next month.

     

     

     

    Post on the front page.

     

     

    Have you noticed the Status Updates?  ON the front page of the HotAirBalloonist.com community in the right hand column there is a “Recent Status Updates” bar.  This area is located directly below our Facebook feed.  The Status Updates area displays updates from our membership.  YOU can post a quick note for others to see quickly and easily right on the front page of HotAirBalloonist.com.  Think of it as a public twitter feed for ballooning.  Swing in and post a note for other Balloonists.  There are two ways to post on the feed.  Directly on the front page of HAB or in your profile area.   Status updates must first be turned ON for your account.  It is very easy to do.  There is a video tutorial LOCATED HERE that will walk you thru the process.  Turn on your Status Updates and post a note on the front page of HAB today!

     

    Cold Weather Flying

     

     

    Things are getting cold and the flakes are starting to fly!  Are you ready for winter flying?  I know during the winter months many Balloonists do not go out much.  I remember flying up in Michigan as much as we could in the winter.  We called them Phogg’s Frosty Flights.  I also remember some seriously cold (Below -0) flights.  Winter flying can have some challenges but they can also be extremely fun and quite spectacular for those willing to take on the challenge.  Here are a few things to consider,

     

    • Warm or Pressurized propane.  Cold fuel can be hazardous in several ways.  Most importantly is reduced fuel pressure resulting in poor burner performance!  This can also cause issues with pilot lights failing or getting blown out easily by cross winds commonly found in winter wind sheers.

       

    • Make sure the chase vehicle is FULL of fuel.  When flying in cold weather the ground team will be staying warm in the vehicle.  This means running the engine the entire time you are flying.  If you are in an area with snow there is the added possibility of getting stuck and a full tank of fuel may make the difference between a warm or very uncomfortable wait till help arrives.

       

    • Dress properly and make sure your crew and passengers do as well.  Lots of layers are a great way to dress.  You can always take a layer or two off if you need.  Make sure your lower half is especially well insulated.  While flying, you are basically standing still in the basket.  You are not active and creating a high rate of blood flow or body heat.  Lower extremities can get super cold easily.  There is nothing worse than cold feet on a flight.

       

    • Have extra crew.  After a flight on a real cold day let your ground team start the pack-up of the balloon.  Get the pilot and passengers into the warm vehicle for a few minutes.  They have been standing still in a cold balloon for a long time and a little time in the warm vehicle will do them good.  The crew (who has been in the warm vehicle) can start the pack away process.  Once you have had a few moments to get thawed out you can go out to help them finish up!

       

    • Choose your weather carefully.  On many days in the winter the winds can pick up quickly after sunrise.  In the winter, when the trees lose all their leaves, there is much less friction against the atmosphere.  Many days the winds will pick up quickly after sunrise.  There will also be many days were the cold dense air will settle near the surface and cause a severe wind shear to develop in the 400-600 ft range.  Be cautious of this layer!  Your balloon can skip off of this layer when trying to descend for landing.  The cross wind can extinguish pilot lights and even cause the side of your balloon to cave in enough that you could burn the mouth!  Wind shears are no joke!

       

    • Take a thermos of coffee.  Many times after a flight you may find yourself far away from the comforts of urban sprawl (or a 7-Eleven).  After a cold flight a nice warm cup of coffee can be a wonderful slice of comfort for a frozen soul.

       

    • Best of all, a flight in the winter can help keep you current!  Unless you have several thousand hours (and even then) it is easy to become “out of practice”  I remember flying passenger flights in the spring in Michigan when the weather would become flyable (yet sporty) and we were dealing with months of very little flight time.  This was a great recipe for incidents.  Get some flights in during the winter to keep your skills sharp.

       

    Getting a Medicalfetch%3EUID%3E.INBOX%3E6641fetch%3EUID%3E.INBOX%3E6641

     

     

    If you have never had a medical, (Like Me) it can be quite confusing.  Where do I go?  Who do I see?  Will I pass? What happens if I don’t pass?  What are the Amed.pngrequirements?  There are a ton of questions.  The best advice I can give you is asking around among your local pilots and see if one of them has been thru the process.  See if they can help give you some tips and advice on where to go and what they will ask.  I have done some research on the FAA website and found scattered information.  Much to my dismay the form for finding an AME (Airman Medical Examiner) did not work.  I did find the form 8500-8 this form states,  

     

    The FAA MedXPress system allows anyone requesting an FAA Medical Clearance or Medical Certificate to electronically complete an application. Information entered into MedXPress is available to your FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) for review at the time of your medical examination.

     

     

    We also found a nice little informational PDF about medications located here.  We would love to have YOUR INPUT on this topic.  Do you have your Second Class Medical?  How did you go about getting it?  Tell us more about your experience.  Start a topic in the Balloon Medicals Forum inside the FAA category on the HAB site.  I know my brother Jon Thompson took his medical and had some issues with the stress test, Maybe we can get him to write our first topic in the new Balloon Medicals Forum.  Please keep in mind that this category and Forum are private (Members Only) areas of the HAB site.  You must be logged in to see and to make a comment.

     

     

    DroneWinds

     

     

    We have been working with the people from AirData.com.  We now have our own discount code.  If you are planning to use a Drone to get your winds aloft (instead of using a helium balloon and compass) you will need an account with AirData.com.  HotAirBalloonist.com has now received a discount code for 20% off of any of their paid memberships.  Just use the discount code BALLOON20 at checkout and receive a 20% discount!  If you have not already downloaded the DroneWinds presentation YOU SHOULD!  Remember all files are FREE for download by MEMBERS!  So log in and go to the “Download Center” Click on the Tutorials & Presentations and you will find the DroneWinds link.  Currently it is listed as one of the current favorites and easy to find.  There are over 85 pages of information about using a drone to check your winds aloft before you fly instead of using a helium balloon. 

     

    Balloon Cups              

     

    Have you had a look at the new balloon cups?  For those of you who are unaware, after flight champagne cups are available at www.Balloons-andBeyond.com.  These balloon cups are custom made with real balloons in COLOR on the sides of the cup.  They have the Balloonists Prayer written on CupAni.gifthem! The cups are available for purchase online and shipped out the same day!  The cups are dishwasher safe and inexpensive enough to allow your passengers to keep as a souvenir after the flight.  Stop in and have a look or better yet order some today.

     

     

    BALLOON SERVICES

     

     

    Do you provide Balloon Services?  You may ask what we mean by that, fair enough.  Do you repair balloons?  Do you fly rides?  Do you do advertising like a Re/Max balloon or a local banner advertiser?  Do you make products for Balloonists?  Do you fly a balloon?  Do you operate a safety seminar?  I could go on and on but I am sure you get the idea.  Do you have any relation to Hot Air Ballooning then we want you on the Hot Air Balloonist Member Map.  Even if you are not a member you should have a pin in the map.  This is simply the best way to find anyone or anything balloon related in the world!  Honestly.  Have a look at the member map.  Stick a pin in the map if you do not have one there already!  Tell your friends who may not get the HAB Newsletter!  Tell them about the Member Map and have them get on it.  The HAB Member Map simply allows you to find anyone anywhere who has anything to do with Ballooning on one very easy to use map.   If you have not had a look at the HAB Member Map in a while go take a look!

     

    There is still time!  Can you say NPRM?

     

     

    HEY GANG!  This is important!  If there is nothing else my little newsletter does I hope this is it.  I hope this single paragraph gets you off your butt and on the computer to help save our sport.  If you do not realize what is going on right now with the FAA and the potential devastation it could cause for our sport you are either DEAD or living under a ROCK.  Do I have your attention now?  Do you have a 2nd class medical?  Do you want one?  If we do not get together and speak up you’re going to need one!  Here is what you should do.  First, Go to the HotAirBalloonist.com site and read my letter to the FAA about my opinion on the proposed 2nd class medical requirement.  I do not care if you agree or not.  Just read it because it may give you some things to think about.  Next, go to the FAA link and write your own opinion on what they should do!  If we do not get together and speak up they will do whatever they think the public wants without any regard to what it will do to our sport, hobby or family business. 

     

    Here are the links.  My Opinion / Reply.   The FAA Website for posting your remarks.

     

    PLEASE DO THIS!!!  I was on the site today only to find 16 postings.  That is correct our sport with thousands of pilots could only manage to make sixteen responses to a potential new law that could destroy nearly every aspect of our industry.

     

    Do you know  ADS-B?

     

     

    You should!  There is even more regulation on the way.  Contact Scott Appleman or  Adam Magee about the new regulations coming our way.  Here is a link were you can learn a little more about potential electronics you may be required to have on board your balloon.

     

    https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/adsb/

     

    https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/adsb/pilot/

     

    https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/adsb/atc/

     

     

    At the Thompson Compound

     

     

    Many of you may remember that I am recovering from a pretty nasty stroke.  I am happy to say that I am doing well.  We do have other challenges here at the Thompson Compound my son Noah was diagnosed this year with Leukemia.  I want to say “Thank You” to all of the Balloon Community for the support and words of encouragement for our whole family.  I am no longer flying full time but doing my best to help any Balloonists in any way I can with my work on the internet and other projects here in the shop.  My son Noah (The real Superhero) is responding well to the treatments for his leukemia and we are over 300 days into his treatment with nearly 500 days to go.  If any of you are interested in his journey you can see regular updates and photos on his website at SuperNoah.pngwww.TheAmazingNoah.com.  Have a look and become a subscriber to his YouTube channel @NoahsHeroes.  As always if you need any help with the HotAirBalloonist.com site I am thrilled to be of service.  Just send me an email at Info@HotAirBalloonist.com with your needs, questions or any request you believe I can help with and I will do anything I can to be of value.  While I am still battling some minor health issues I am very fortunate to be able to work online and try to share my years of experience in a beneficial way.  As I love to say…

     

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

     

     

    Jeff A Thompson

  17. November Newsletter 10/20/2021

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    We are looking for a good name.

     

    We want your suggestion of what to call our monthly newsletter.  Think of something catchy.  If you have suggestions you can post them for all to see!  We will present the winning suggestion with a membership for a year!  Here is how you can enter.  Go to HotAirBalloonist.com.  On the front (Main) page in the Forums scroll down to the “Welcome All” category and look for the Sub-Category “Past Newsletters.  Click on Past Newsletters and you will find the first topic is “Name our Newsletter”.  This topic is open for anyone to post a reply.  You do not need to be logged into the site to post a suggestion, however, if you are not logged in include your email so we can contact you if you win.  As suggestions come in you can check back and see what has been posted.  Then next month we will conduct a poll where everyone can vote for their favorite name!  It should be fun so please participate.  Take a moment and give us your ideas!

     

    Looking for equipment?

     

    Did you know you can use the Follow Feature to have the HAB system send you an email when something new is posted?  In the Equipment 4Sale section there are dozens of Sub-Categories you can follow.  Let’s say, you are looking for a Burner or a Fuel Tank?  Just log in and go to the section of equipment you are interested in and simply click on the “Follow” button.  Once you “Follow” a specific category the moment a new item is listed you will get an email from the HAB system.  Be one of the FIRST to find out when a new piece of equipment (you are looking for) goes up for sale!  There are all sorts of areas you can follow.   When you have found what you are looking for simply Un-Check the “Follow” button and you will no longer receive notifications. 

     

    We believe the HAB Equipment 4Sale section offers the best of all worlds!  The seller can post all the photos and descriptive information they want.  The buyers can ask questions and make offers right on the site.  Sellers get instant emails when a potential purchaser asks a question.  The Seller can easily edit, add and change their ad at any time.  All equipment is listed in easy to find categories, for both the seller and the buyer.  If you have something to sell or are looking to purchase give the HAB Equipment 4Sale section a chance to work for you. 

     

    Did you know there is an equipment posting monitor in the right hand side column of the front page?  Just scroll down the (Main) forums page and look in the right hand column and you will find a side bar called “Latest Equipment Postings”  This is another way to quickly see what has been added recently.

     

    THERE IS NO COST TO POST EQUIPMENT for sale. ALWAYS INCLUDE your contact information!!! Remember we are always here to help too!!

     

    Getting a Medical

     

    Well, it looks like the medical requirement is coming for commercial operators.  I know many of the big ride companies have already started requiring their pilots to get 3rd Class medicals and the insurance companies are ahead of the regulations as well.  I know my own brother Jon has passed his so he could begin work for Scott Appleman.  As many of you know I suffered a pretty bad stroke.  I have been recovering for quite some time.  I am finally at a point where I may be able to pass a 3rd class medical and resume some commercial flying.  We have many small operators in our area that could use an extra pilot from time to time.  I am hopeful that they may be able to use me.  I will be writing about the process in a future newsletter.

     

    DRONEWINDS

     

    We have completed our Drone Winds Project.  Spending nearly 4 weeks on this presentation we have covered all of the most common questions you may have about using a small drone to read the winds like you would use a helium balloon.  I will be the first to say I learned a TON during this process.  We have the complete presentation available in the Download Center on HAB.  The “Drone Winds” presentation covers,

     

    • Program’s you will needDW-1.jpg

       

    • How it works

       

    • Types of Drones

       

    • Setting up your Accounts

       

    • Downloading your drones app and viewing the filesDW-8.jpg

       

    • Viewing the wind reports

       

    • Cost comparison (Helium/Drone)

       

    • Amount of time to get a wind report

       

    • Can you trust the results?DW-9.jpg

       

    • Registering your drone

       

    • Getting your 107 rating added to your LTA certificate

       

    • Altitude Limitations, (Waivers and applications)

       

    • Night LightsDW-10.jpg

       

    • Overall Review

       

    • Operational Videos

       

    • Tips and tricks we have learned

       

       

    So as you can see we have covered a bunch of topics in this presentation.  There are over 80 pages of documentations, images, illustrations and links to dozens of additional pages with more helpful information.  If you are interested in how to read the winds with a drone this is your complete guide to “How To” Go to the HAB “Download Center” today and get your copy.  DON’T FORGET to check the “Follow” button at the top of the topic so when we load updates you will get an email notification about updates. 

     

    NOTE:  The last couple of days there have been lots of chatter on Facebook about this topic.  We became interested in this almost 2 months ago when we sold one of our bottom ends to Max Moerles.  All of the investigation and documentation presented was done completely independent of any other studies or documentations.  Our release of this presentation is purely coincidental to the other information provided from other sources.  We posted on our Facebook Page a notice of upcoming presentation release nearly two weeks ago!  We have invested nearly 200 hours of time using 4 different drones, researching, flying, testing and even registering drones with the FAA and getting our sUAS rating.  The 80+ page presentation is FREE for all members of the HAB site.

     

    Membership has its Benefits.

     

    We have talked about this many times before and feel we should do so again.  YOU are getting this email because you have a membership account on the HotAirBalloonist.com site.  As a member you can interact on the site in so many ways.  YOU can create NEW topics and posts in many of the areas on the site.  YOU can SEE areas of the site that guests (visitors) cannot.  YOU can download any of the files on the HAB site for FREE.  YOU can start a balloon club!  YOU can upload files (map files, photos and more) for other Balloonist.  YOU can FOLLOW any items you wish and you can UN-FOLLOW when you wish as well.  The Follow feature is the single greatest feature on the site and we suggest EVERYONE view the Video Tutorial about that feature.  If you have forgotten your password you can use the password recovery system built into the site or simply send me an email.  Tell me what you want to use as a password and I will set that up for you.  Remember, the entire HotAirBalloonist.com site was designed for YOU the member to be able to participate and share with each other.

     

    Till next time, cherish your friends and family at this time of year. Enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving. Stay safe and..

     

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

     

    Jeff A Thompson

  18. Name our Newsletter

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    We have been sending out newsletters for a long time without having a specific name for our letters.  We are asking YOU for suggestions.  Give us your ideas by Replying to this post.  The name chosen will receive a free membership for a year! 

    Thank you all!

  19. OCTOBER NEWSLETTER (10/01/2021)

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Maps

    This newsletter we will talk about Map Files.  Do you have map files?  Do you use Map Files?  Do you make Map Files?  Do you have a place where you store, share and can find Map Files?  If you answered yes to any of the above you should be interested in the HAB Download Center. 

    We already have many maps

    HotAirBalloonist.com has many maps online and available for download for Balloonists like you!  We also have a bunch of video tutorials and presentations about map files and how to make and use as well as download and upload them on the site.  Here are some direct links to those files should you want to review.  Uploading Files  Downloading Map Files  Making Map Files  Hot Air Map Files 

    YOU CAN UPLOAD AND SAVE YOUR MAP FILES

    Currently, the following memberships can upload map files in the “Launch and Land (MAPS & GPS Files)” section.  Balloon Museum, BFA Board, Event Organizers, Pilot, Repair Stations, Ride Operators.   If you have map files that you would like to share with other pilots in your area and you have one of these memberships feel free to log in and upload a map file for your fellow pilots.  There is a video tutorial above with instructions on how to upload files.  Remember to give your file a good name that should include the location, Year and type of file.  You will have the opportunity to add much more information in the description section of the upload editor.

    Cats and Sub-Cats

    IN the Download Center there are many Categories.  The Map Files are found in the Launch and Land (MAPS & GPS Files) category.  There are many files in the main category but the main category is also home to several Sub-categories.  Sub-categories are areas were you may have many map files for one event.  For example the National Balloon Classic in Indianola Iowa has many files spanning several years. There are GPX files for your GPS, there are KMZ and KML files used for different flying applications and even JPG files for map images.  There are also PZ files and Target files too.  If you have several files for a specific area or event and would like to have your own Sub-Cat just let us know and we will create one for you!

     Can we use the system but keep it private?

    Sure you can!  The HotAirBalloonist.com system has the ability for you to start a club!  You can start a PRIVATE club of your own.  You can even have all the features of the HAB site inside your PRIVATE club!  Including your own Forums, Topics, Newsletters, Calendar, Image galleries and…..  Download CENTER!  Yes you can upload and KEEP PRIVATE your map files.  Create your own private club.  Upload your map files and then invite the members you want.  Remove the members at your discretion at any time.  Also you can take advantage of the FOLLOW feature within your club.  This way any time you upload a new version of your map all of your club members will be instantly notified!

    Pi-Ball by Drone

    Well, it works!  I have spent the last week learning all I needed to learn to have sUAS rating added to my certificate.  I have also learned the programs needed to use with a drone for reading winds.  This morning at sunrise I went out and launched a traditional pi-bal.  I watched the balloon begin to slowly float to the west over the trees and quickly turn to the right.  As it climbed I took readings as it moved to 305 then 310 then 325 and then 340 when I finally lost sight of it.  Best guess it was doing about 345 to maybe 350.  I figured maybe 8-10 MPH.  So I then sent up the drone.  Up 400 feet and back down. When I looked at the readings from the drone I was AMAZED.  The image here is from the drone report.  Almost exactly what I observed with the helium balloon.  Better yet was the wind information was (Most Likely BETTER) than my estimates. When you are dealing with slow wind speeds and the balloon is traveling directly away from you it is nearly impossible to tell how fast it is moving.  How many times have you gotten up in the air and found yourself moving a lot faster than you thought?  Me Too…  So I am here to tell you, IT WORKS!  My next task is to make some videos for the HAB site.  I want to video the drone process as well as compare the time frame.  The time a drone takes as compared to a helium balloon.  I also want to use the drone to follow the helium balloon to find out exactly what altitude does a ground observer loose site of the average 12” pibal.  I will also be making a complete cost comparison to show at what point are you better off getting a drone and getting rid of your helium balloons.  With the cost of helium lately you may be surprised how cost effective a drone may be!  Last time I filled up my 80 Cu/Ft tank it was $150.  I promise to have some nice video tutorials as well as some tutorial presentations up on the HAB site soon!

    As I write this Fiesta has been flawless.  Thank you to all the participants for making this event such an amazing testament to the professionalism and skills of balloonists.  We wish you safe travel home when the event is over and….

    Thank you for all you do for the balloon world.

    Jeff A Thompson

    P.S. Thank you Jetta Schants for presenting HotAirBalloonist.com a 2021 BFA Directors award for our HAB newsletters.  We are extremely humbled and intend to continue to support this amazing industry and balloon family to the best of our abilities.

  20. FAA Commercial Balloon Pilots Medical

    in Balloon Federation of America

    Posted 

    BFA President Pat Cannon asked me to share the message below.

Dawn Chase
BFA Social Media

As promised, I am bringing you more information regarding the FAA’s rulemaking effort for the implementation of the second class medical requirement for all commercial balloon pilots. A meeting was held a few days ago between the BFA’s Call to Action Committee, made up of 4 individuals that have decades of experience and the person at AFS-800 rulemaking branch responsible for this effort.

Let me start by saying that the BFA’s Call to Action Committee has been working with both the FAA and NTSB since 2016 and the Lockhart accident. Discussions have been held monthly to bring to bear the experience and opinions of both our committee, the board of directors of the BFA and you, our members. We have worked exhaustively on your behalf to attempt to influence the final outcome of the rulemaking.

Remember that the rules was driven by Congress and attached to the FAA reauthorization act in 2018. The act stated that the FAA would: “Revised (14 CFR) section 61.3(c) to apply to an operator of an air balloon to the same extent such regulations apply to a pilot flight crew member of other aircraft.” This presents a difficulty to the FAA to provide strict compliance to the wording of the act. The BFA’s read on this is that the FAA will write the coming rule change to include all commercial pilots, but will likely exclude the task of instructions, for which no medical will be required.

The target date of publishing the NPRM is November 30, 2021. That date is just one month from now. We have been assured that there will be a public comment period that may be approximately 60 days from the date of issuance. When this NPRM is published, we will forward that out to you for your comments. At that time, we will also provide you with some guidance on how best to state your opinion to the FAA.

In addition, the FAA also recognizes that because many LTA pilots have likely never applied for an FAA medical before, that there will be a time period provided prior to final implementation by the FAA, during which, those obtaining a medical that may have some restrictive physical condition, will have time to contact their local aviation medical examiner to begin the process of obtaining a medical waiver for that condition where possible. In today’s flying medical world, I know pilots that hold second class medicals with all kinds of physical issues that 20 years ago would have meant permanent disqualification. Not so much anymore. I would expect a considerable time between final rule and implementation to enable pilots to work through this process.

We are working hard every day to mitigate the potential to our industry and sport and our contacts are direct to upper management of the FAA, but we cannot do all of this without your support. I’ll provide you with more information as it is made available to us.

Pat Cannon, BFA President
_______________________________________________
Balloonmail mailing list
Balloonmail@interaeroleague.com
https://pairlist2.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/balloonmail

  21. Baskets

    in Baskets

    Posted

    Hi Irene,

    I have a few baskets that we no longer fly.  Here are my issues.  How do I contact you?  Where are you located?  What is your price range?

    I am in Florida,  My name is Jeff.  you can contact me at Jeff@HotAirBalloonist.com and the least expensive basket I have is about 5K

    Let me know.

  23. I have Two Trailers

    in Trucks and Trailers

    Posted

    HI Debbie,

    I am unsure how I can contact you since you did not leave any contact information in your reply above.  Currently the trailers are being used to store a ton of my equipment.  I am unable to fly commercially since my stroke so  I am selling off my equipment.  I posted this ad for the two trailers because I was under the belief that the rest of my stuff would sell off faster than it has.  So at the moment I can not sell the trailers because they are storage bins for 30 years of equipment.  But thank you for at least inquiring.

  24. I miss Flying 09/10/2021

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Where were you?

    Funny how time flies.  I still clearly remember just were I was on September 11th 2001.  I had flown passengers that morning and was dropping off my morning guests when the images came over the TV in the hotel lobby!  The Horrifying images froze me in that moment.  I can still see the setting as clear as if I were standing there now.  It is hard to imagine that was 20 years ago.

    EOL of Motion X

    Many of you are aware of the “End of Life” of the Motion X program.  I have used it for years for pre-flight planning to determine my launch and potential landing areas.  The “Measure Tool” in Motion X was fantastic for determining your distance and direction from any two spots on your map.  They were easy to move around and they gave you the distance and direction for accurately planning your flight.  By using the observations we gained from our Pi-bal we could choose a launch site that would give us a few good landing areas down wind and consistently land in a chosen spot.  This flight planning tool was incorporated into the latest update of the HotAir.app 12.0.  We were asked if there was a way to migrate the waypoints from the Motion X application over to the HotAir.app.  The answer was YES but it was a little bit tricky so we created a tutorial for the process.  The Tutorial can be found in the Download Center under Tutorials & Presentations.  MotionX to HotAir.app   (Remember all downloads are FREE to members)

    Don’t let it sneak up on you.

    As many of you know my commercial flying was abruptly ended by a hemorrhagic stroke.  I let my health slip to a point where I nearly passed away!  I did not realize it was happening.  Yes I knew I was overweight but I was out flying nearly every day!  I worked hard the rest of the day on equipment and cleaning vans and running errands.  My blood pressure was a little high but not horrible.  My doctor had noticed a little increase in my blood sugar levels but here again nothing to be worried about.  But what I did not know what the under it all I had Hepatitis C.  (I was given tainted blood from a motorcycle accident back in the 1980’s before anyone knew what Hep C was)  This was causing damage to my liver.  The combination of all the things at once caused my stroke.  5 days in a coma and nearly a month in the hospital.  Even after I came home I spent 6 months feeling like I had been drug behind a pickup truck across a plowed Iowa corn field.  Here we are 20 months later and I still have issues with my balance and equilibrium.  My point is this.  Please take care of your health.  I miss the joy of ballooning and the ability to share the magic of LTA flight with those who have never taken a balloon flight.  But you have to take care of you first!  I will still continue to do anything I can to help everyone in the Balloon World in any way I can. Most of all I want each of you to make sure you take a good look at your HEALTH.  Take it serious so it won’t take ballooning away from you like it did to me. 

    Equipment 4Sale

    As many of you know there is an entire section on the HotAirBalloonist.com site for equipment.  You do not need to be a member to post something for sale or to look at the items that are posted for sale.  Anyone wanting to list items can also include up to 20 megabytes of photos and all the descriptive text they wish.  Don’t forget to check the “Notify me of Reply’s”.  This way when someone asks a question about your equipment you will instantly get an email from the HAB system letting you know that someone is interested in your equipment.  One of the best features about the entire Equipment 4SALE are the Sub-Cats.  The primary Forum is Equipment 4SALE but inside that Forum are Categories such as Full Systems, Envelopes, Baskets & Bottom Ends and so on.  And inside each of those Categories are Sub-Cats.  For example the Category “Full Systems” will have Sub-Cats of      (69k or smaller) (70K to 90K) (91K to 120K) (121K to 175K) (176K and UP)  So as you can see the layout is super easy to use to find exactly what you are looking for quickly.  Go have a look or better yet post an item for sale!

    Ballooning in the News

    Here is a story that was just 3 hours old when I pulled it off the HAB site. 

    Young Bothell native leading new generation of hot air balloon pilots

    Many of the members do not realize that we have two active internet web scrubbers that work 24/7 to find balloon related stories for our balloonists.  These scrubbers look for any stories on the internet that have balloon related content.  One of the scrubbers looks for any topic about ballooning and the other one looks for balloon festival related articles.  The results of these can be found under “Current News” / Ballooning in the NEWS.  The Main content of the page has the articles the primary scrubber has found and the age of the article so you can see how recent the article is.  Festival news can be found on the Right Hand side bar.  Those articles also have a time stamp to show you the age of the article.  So if you wish to find out the latest balloon news anywhere on the web just save this link and check in anytime.

    Ballooning in the NEWS

    Pi-Ball by Drone

    Yep that’s right, Soon you may no longer need a helium balloon and a compass to get your wind readings and a theodolite may become a museum piece like a slide rule or a sextant.  A few smart fellows have figured out that by computing the speed of the motors on a drone (needed to keep the drone in a stationary position) can be used to determine the speed and direction of the winds at different altitudes.  Since Drones are now using GPS for positioning and navigation they are also being used for altitude control they can be used to calculate the wind speed and direction more accurately than a pi-ball or even a theodolite.  We will be diving more into this in our next newsletter but I thought I might give you a little tease into some of the stuff I have been looking into

    No more Glympse

    So the rumors are true.  The app Glympse is going to be discontinued.  For those of you who use the app HotAir there will be an update soon with a replacement tracking module built into the app.  I have not been given any more details at this time.  But as soon as I have more I promise I will send out a newsletter with as much details as I can.  In the mean time I will be doing some research on some other tracking applications that would work well for ballooning.  I have started a topic in the forum “Hot Topics” in the category Hot Topics if any of you have other apps you use for balloon tracking that you wish to share with the rest of us.  The part that disappoints me the most is the new hashtag ability that Glympse had just introduced where you could have several pilots all use the same hashtag and all show up on a single map together.  Hopefully whatever replacement the HotAir.app will incorporate will have that ability.

    I challenge you.

    When was the last time you did your weight and balance for a flight?  No honestly!  Not guessing or approximately or good guess or close enough for government work but really set down and took 5 minutes and worked it out!  Here are the rules.  10 minutes into the flight at 1000 AGL you must be within 10 degrees of your average envelope temp.  Do your weight and balance sheet before your flight.  Give the balloon about 10 minutes to burn off any dew or moisture that may be on the envelope and allow the webbing or load tapes to absorb the envelope heat so the balloon temperature levels out.  See if you can do your weight and balance well enough to be within 10 degrees of accurate!  If nothing else it will be a great and educational exercise!  For those of you who use the HotAir.app there is a Payload Calculator you can test out on the Real-Time settings page.

    Put your Waiver on your Tablet

    Did you know you can have your waiver on your tablet?  Currently we work with several ride operations who request that the passengers print, sign and bring their waivers with them when they come to fly.  However there are always those who show up without a waiver.  This then requires them to carry a notebook and paper copies for the passengers to read and sign the morning of the flight.  BUT,  We can also create an online PDF waiver for you to use.  There is a tutorial presentation in the Download center that explains the process on how to get YOUR Waiver online for you to use on your device.  You can then have the passenger sign it and you can email yourself a copy and print it when you get back after the flight.  Or even save the digital copy and avoid all the paper and ink in the first place.  Here is the link to that tutorial.

     

    Many of you are gearing up for the big one.  This one will be a special event after a year absent.  Please be alert and safe.  Fly only when you are comfortable doing so and be extra vigilant about everything.  Enjoy seeing your family and friends and make the most of an amazing event but most of all remember that you represent all of us, even those of us who cannot be there.  Have fun and be safe.

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

  25. Balloon Articles 08/27/2021

    in Past Newsletters

    Posted

    Looking for some help from our members.  On the HAB site we have an area for Balloon Articles.  These can be written by anyone.  Do you have an article you have written about a ballooning topic!  Would you like to write an article about something balloon related?  It can be anything from how you train your ground team to the Go No/Go limits you have for flying passengers.  

    We have a bunch of categories and are happy to add more if you wish to see more areas.  We can also make the Article Categories available for viewing by guests (anyone) or for Members who are logged into the site. 

    So, have a look!  Go to the HotAirballoonist.com site.  Run your mouse over (or click) the “Current News” link at the top of the page.  There is a categories block in the right hand column where you can see the current article categories.

    If you have a new category for this page or if you feel that a current category or a new category should be a members only area just let me know.  Send your emails to Jeff@HotAirBalloonist.com.

    Log in and post a new article today!

    Share your experience, wisdom, wit and knowledge!

    Thank you for all you do for the Balloon World.

    Jeff A Thompson

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