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April 13, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information: Sam Parks, President, BFA704-902-0124 Scott Appelman, Chairman, BFA BROD505-379-3640 BFA CAUTIONS NTSB RECOMMENDATIONS ARE UNNECESSARY AND BURDENSOME; OFFERS PARTNERSHIP WITH NTSB/FAA TO IMPROVE TOUR RIDE OPERATOR SAFETY The NTSB’s recent recommendation to the FAA that balloon tour ride operators be required to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA) will not improve safety, will prove burdensome to both the industry and the FAA, and is unnecessary given the BFA’s recent initiatives in this arena and its ongoing safety education programs. Recognizing the continued growth in the balloon ride industry in the USA and around the world, the Balloon Federation of America has, within the past year, established a new Balloon Ride Operators Division. This division seeks to represent tour ride operators, large and small. The division’s many goals, already in development, include recommended safe operating guidelines and improved consumer education. While the division is still in its formative stages, the initial response from operators has been welcoming and membership is growing. The BFA has long held that safety education and training is a constant priority not just for tour ride operators but also for all balloon pilots and crew. For more than 30 years the BFA has, in conjunction with the sport’s insurance providers and regional balloon clubs throughout the country, encouraged its members to participate in annual BFA approved safety seminars as a means of obtaining recurrent safety/education training. To date, in 2014, some 23 such seminars have been conducted with more than 1,700 balloonists participating. These seminars also serve to qualify balloon pilots for the FAA’s widely acclaimed WINGS safety program. In contrast to these efforts, the NTSB’s recommendation will not enhance safety, but will add another layer of unnecessary federal oversight to an already challenged FAA. Such a regulation would prove burdensome to the tour flight business owners and their pilots in both time and money to comply with the regulation. It would likewise stretch the FAA’s already thin resources of inspectors required to initially implement the program and then oversee its ongoing compliance and enforcement. Additionally such a regulation could require significant financial expenditure and investment of FAA personnel resources for the education and training of its inspector ranks, many of whom lack an extensive knowledge base of hot air ballooning and the unique business of balloon sight-seeing tour flights. The Balloon Federation of America commends the NTSB for its desire to address and improve the safety of the sport. However, the accidents cited by the NTSB were the result of human factors and this recommendation does not address this causal link and therefore will not enhance safety. The BFA, and its Balloon Ride Operators Division, stands ready to work in partnership with the NTSB and the FAA to develop and implement qualitative programs that will achieve enhanced safety for balloon pilots, crew, and the flying public without adding unnecessary and burdensome regulation. The Balloon Federation of America is the national aero club for hot air and gas balloonists throughout the USA and is a member organization of the National Aeronautic Association and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. -30 P.O. Box 400 Indianola, IA 50125 • www.bfa.net

Balloon Rides Black Hills Balloons (605) 673-2520 Blackhillsballoons@gmail.com Tell them you FOUND them on HotAirBalloonist.com Currently they are not a member of HotAirBalloonist.com. Encourage them to become a member of HotAirBalloonist.com

Requirements Of FAR §61.56 FAR §61.56(a) states that a flight review consists of a minimum of one hour of flight training and one hour of ground training. However, glider pilots may substitute a minimum of three instructional flights in a glider, each of which includes a flight to traffic pattern altitude, in lieu of the one hour of flight training. The training must include a review of the current general operating and flight rules of FAR Part 91 and a review of those maneuvers and procedures that are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate. The authorized instructor giving the flight review has the discretion to determine exactly what maneuvers and procedures are included in the flight review. FAR §61.56© goes on to say that the flight review must have been accomplished within the twenty-four calendar months preceding the month in which a pilot acts as pilot in command in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated. The authorized instructor must also endorse the pilot’s logbook certifying that the pilot has satisfactorily completed the flight review. A pilot’s demonstration of competency in any aircraft satisfies the requirements for all other categories or classes of aircraft for which the pilot is rated. If a pilot performing a flight review with an authorized instructor is denied a satisfactory endorsement for flight review, the pilot may continue to exercise certificate privileges provided the twenty-four month period has not elapsed since the last flight review. However, if a pilot performs a flight review with an FAA inspector and does not receive a satisfactory endorsement, the pilot would not be able to exercise the certificate privileges until successfully completing a re-examination practical test under 49 USC 44709 (the “709 re-examination” formerly called the “609 re-examination”). When Is A Flight Review Needed? Although FAR §61.56© states that “no person” may act as pilot in command unless he or she has completed a flight review within the preceding twenty-four months, implying that any pilot desiring to act as pilot in command must accomplish a flight review, FAR §§61.56(d), (e), (f) and (g) identify several circumstances under which a pilot is either not required to accomplish a flight review or he or she may accomplish the flight review based upon requirements different than those specified in FAR §61.56(a). Student Pilots. Under FAR §61.56(g), a student pilot is not required to accomplish a flight review provided the student pilot is undergoing training for a certificate and has a current solo flight endorsement as required under FAR §61.87. Check-Ride/Line-Check Exemption. FAR §61.56(d) states that a flight review is unnecessary if within the preceding twenty-four months a pilot has passed a pilot proficiency check conducted by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force, for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege. This means that a pilot who has passed a check-ride or line-check need not accomplish a flight review for another twenty-four months following the successful completion of that check-ride or line-check. However, pilots should be aware that if they intend to rely upon a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) initial or add-on check-ride, the various Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO’s) are inconsistent as to whether this examination qualifies as a flight review. If a pilot intends to rely on this type of check-ride for his or her flight review, a call to the governing FSDO would be appropriate to confirm its position on the issue. Alternatively, if a pilot is going to be taking a CFI initial or add-on check-ride, he or she should ask the examiner to conduct the oral and practical test so as to satisfy the flight review requirements as well, and to then endorse the pilot’s logbook accordingly upon completion of the check-ride. Certified Flight Instructors. Under FAR §61.56(f), if a CFI has satisfactorily completed a renewal of a flight instructor certificate under the provisions in FAR §61.197 within the preceding twenty-four months, the one hour of ground training is not required. However, the one hour of flight training is still required. FAA Wings Program. If a pilot participates in a FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency award program (the “Wings” program) within the preceding twenty-four months and accomplishes one or more phases of the Wings program, FAR §61.56(e) states that the pilot need not accomplish a flight review. Advisory Circular 61-91H describes the Wings program and sets forth the requirements for completing a particular phase in the program. In order to qualify, a pilot must attend at least one FAA-sponsored or FAA-sanctioned aviation safety seminar or industry-conducted recurrent training program and the pilot's attendance must be verified in the pilot's logbook or other proficiency record, signed by an FAA Safety Program Manager (SPM), other FAA inspector, or an Aviation Safety Counselor (ASC) involved in conducting the seminar. Additionally, the pilot must receive three hours of flight training as follows: one hour of flight training to include basic airplane control stalls, turns, and other maneuvers directed toward mastery of the airplane; one hour of flight training to include approaches, takeoffs, and landings, including crosswind, soft field, and short field techniques; and one hour of instrument training in an airplane, FAA approved aircraft simulator or training device.

Welcome aboard HotAirBalloonist.com. By now you have had a chance to look around some and are beginning to discover all the fantastic features of the site. You may have found your personal area and set up your personal settings. You should have already started some topics in the different categories and Sub-categories. You may also have thought about who else you know that should or could become a member. The site has benefits for all balloonists and their crew. SO.. How about we make it worth your while? The more users we have the more useful this site becomes. We want you to go and get your fellow ballooners to become part of this site. So lets make it worth your while. How about we give you a little commission on getting new members. How would you like to have a free membership? How would you like to have two free memberships? Or a free Banner ad? Or a membership you can give away? Or just earn some cash? Here is how this works. You let us know you want to be part of the referral program. We create a custom coupon code just for YOU! Your Crew, Friends, Local Pilots, Event Organizers, and Repair Stations or anyone can use your code to get a discount on a membership! You give them your personal “Coupon Code” They use it during checkout when purchasing a membership. They get a discount on their membership and you get a credit on your account! When someone gets a new membership they use your coupon code at checkout and they receive 50% off of their membership dues the first month. You earn a $1 credit on your account for EVERY MONTH they are a member on the site up to one year. So one new member can create a $12 credit for you! As you can see it won’t take long before your membership is FREE! Get more new members and you get a second membership FREE! So if you a ride operator but you want to sell equipment on the site you can get an “Equipment Sellers Membership” or a “Balloon Club Membership” for free. In fact you can get any second membership added at no cost or, you can give a membership to someone! When someone signs up using your custom “Coupon Code” a credit will appear in your account and you can use them in the online store for anything in the store. You can even request a payout from your account if you would like to have your account credit turned into cash in your pocket! WAIT! Did you hear that? YOU CAN GET PAID. In your client area there is a page with your account credit balance. There is also a PAYOUT button. When your account has more than $25 in it you can request a payout and we send you a check! With all the great features of HotAirBalloonist.com you should not have a hard time getting your friends to join. The only thing you have to do is get the word out and make sure they use your code. Your new members use your custom code during checkout. When they are asked for a credit card number there will be a link that say’s “I have a coupon” Click on that link and insert the code. There is an online Video Tutorial about this if you want to see it done in a video. Happy Hunting! See you online!

Balloon Rides (515)537-4650 pilot@serenityballooning.com http://www.serenityballooning.com/hot-air-balloon-rides Tell them you FOUND them on HotAirBalloonist.com Currently they are not a member of HotAirBalloonist.com. Encourage them to become a member of HotAirBalloonist.com

Balloon Rides https://midwestballoonrides.com/ 317.863.0318 tony@midwestballoonrides.com Tell them you FOUND them on HotAirBalloonist.com Currently they are not a member of HotAirBalloonist.com. Encourage them to become a member of HotAirBalloonist.com

The Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society (CLAS) is pleased to announce its annual Ruth Salzberg Memorial Safety Seminar. The Seminar will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at the Connecticut Light & Power Corporation auditorium, 107 Seldon St, Berlin, CT 06037. For driving directions to the Seminar, click here: http://www.nu.com/business/directions/cttown.asp . The Seminar will run from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Doors open at 7:00 AM. Continental breakfast, lunch, and mid-morning and afternoon snacks will be provided. For a list of topics, presenters pricing, and registration, click here: http://lighterthanair.org/ BFA approval for the Seminar is pending. To clarify the cost structure, CLAS members pay $60/$30 for pilots/crew. There is an option to pay your annual dues ($20) along with your payment. Non-CLAS members pay $80/$50 for pilots/crew. If you wish to become a CLAS member, the added cost includes your first year's dues. For questions, contact Mark Sand at mdsand@snet.net . We hope to see you in Berlin, CT on March 22, 2014. -Mark Sand "Mystical Flyer" Mystic, CT _______________________________________________