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hotairballoonist

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  1. hotairballoonist
    New Continuing Education Safety Seminar Guidelines The BFA Board has approved a new Continuing Education Safety Seminar Guidelines effective December 1, 2013. The changes are designed to provide organizers more flexibility and creativity in the design of the seminar. The old Back to Basics and Enrichment categories have been replaced with three Tiers of topic categories. A total of seven hours of instruction are required for a BFA sanctioned safety seminar. Half-day or mini seminars, while not discouraged, will not qualify for full sanction. In order for a pilot to achieve sanctioned seminar credit for inclusion and reporting to the insurance companies, they must accumulate a total of seven hours of instruction at an all-day sanctioned seminar or accumulate a total of eight (8) Continuing Education (CE) credits through any combination of acceptable alternatives enumerated in the Guidelines. A full credit sanctioned seminar must include topics as defined from the 3-Tier levels. The new Guidelines now also include specifications for the BFA Seminar Webinar© and that includes seven hours of instruction and mandatory testing. Review the new Guidelines on the BFA website now! Questions concerning the new Guidelines can be forwarded to the Continuing Education Safety Seminar Chairman, Ken Walter, winddancerballoons@gmail.com.
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    FAA Unofficial Documents John S. Duncan, Director, Flight Standards Service, AFS-1, has issued a memorandum to all flight standards employees indicating that any 'guidance' document (policy memo, e-mails from policy divisions, letters, interpretations) not incorporated into one of the official databases is cancelled effective January 15, 2014. These documents have provided critical precedents in the past for issues such as Private pilot participation in balloon events The BFA Board urges you to take action now! The deadline is December 31, 2013 to request your local FSDO to incorporate these essential letters. Below is a suggested letter that has already been sent by the Board to several FSDO offices and it includes the letters essential to balloon events. Please contact your local FSDO ASAP. I understand that Mr. John S. Duncan, Director, Flight Standards Service, AFS-1, has issued a memorandum regarding the cancellation of non-official guidance documents. Since 1977, hot air balloon events operating under an approved waiver of 91.119 ( and © have relied on various legal opinions regarding participation by private pilots and the subject of compensation for hire. I have searched electronic libraries to determine if these documents are present. I have not been able to find any reference to that guidance. I respectively request that the following documents be incorporated into the necessary electronic libraries to provide for a consistent application and interpretation of this subject. September 8, 1977: letter to Ms. Tucker Comstock from Neil R. Eisner, Acting Assistant Chief Counsel, Regulations and Enforcement Division, Office of Chief Counsel October 8, 2010: letter to Mr. Mike Sommer from Rebecca B. MacPherson, Assistant Chief Counsel of Regulations, AGC-200 July 11, 2012: letter to Andrew Roberts from Rebecca B. MacPherson, Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations, AGC-200 December 7, 2012: letter to Gary Bruce Eaton from Rebecca B. MacPherson, Assistant Chief Counsel for International Law, Legislation and Regulations Division, AGC-200. Thanks you for your consideration and assistance in this matter.
  3. hotairballoonist
    What Have You Done For Me Lately? By Maury Sullivan – BFA At-Large Director/Treasurer I hear this all the time regarding the BFA or my local balloon club. I follow the Reflector, more as a lurker, and regularly see challenges of what is the BFA doing about this, that and the other. I’m proud to say, the BFA Board of Directors is a very energetic and ambitious group of volunteers. During the BFA election process I was personally contacted and challenged by a long-time BFA member who regularly posts to the Reflector and asked my opinion on matters concerning the BFA safety seminar program. As a direct result of some personal election challenges, I was able to spearhead a movement that completely rewrote the Continuing Education and Safety Seminar Guidelines, obtain Board approval, posted the new material to the BFA web site and answer many of the criticisms that have plagued the safety seminar process over the years. In addition, the BFA Seminar Webinar© has been restructured to provide the same high standards including testing to ensure proper attendee participation. In the same two month period, the BFA Board has also tackled the challenges presented by the recently issued “white paper” of an FAA staff calling for all hot air balloon pilots flying passengers for hire to register with their local FSDO. The Balloon Ride Operators Division and the Board are working in concert to try to stop or at least significantly curtail this obtrusive legislation. Ever go to a weekend balloon event and get challenged by an FAA inspector that you are not permitted to participate because you, as the holder of a private certificate, are not permitted to carry passengers or receive compensation for hire? Balloon events have been using ‘get out of jail free cards’ or letters of FAA personnel and legal counsel that support the fact that, in most events, the perks of a free hotel room, food, show up money, etc. are not considered compensation for hire. This primarily hinges on the fact that pilots are not required to fly in order to receive these benefits. There is currently a movement afoot to cancel all such letters, opinions, legal guidance, etc. that are not included in the FAA’s digital library as part of FSIMS. Members of your Board have written to local FSDO’s to ask that these critical documents get included in the digital library. Are you a BFA member who is also a member of a division like Hot Air Competition Division, Gas, Balloon Ride Operators or have you donated money for a special purpose or program like Jr Balloonists, Domont Safety Award, etc.? With the recent acquisition of new non-profit accounting software and a Treasurer familiar with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the BFA financial records and reports will now comply with all fiduciary responsibilities as well as show any funds established by donors or restricted by the Board of Directors for specific purposes. BFA President Sam Parks is preparing a more comprehensive story on the accomplishments of your Board in its first 100 days. I can assure you, it’s more than is accomplished in Washington DC. Look for this story in the next issue of Ballooning. So, next time someone asks what has the BFA done for me? . . . you’ll know. Maybe now you won’t be afraid to ask a friend to join.
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    8TH BI-ANNUAL BACK TO BASICS SAFETY SEMINAR AT SEA 2015 SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN We will be sailing out of San Juan Puerto Rico on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas for 7 days going to Barbados, St Lucia, St Johns, Antigua, St Maarten and St Croix departing on January 11, 2015 - January 18, 2015 BFA Approved Back-To-Basics Safety Seminar will be held on the first sea day. Open to pilots, crew and all balloon enthusiasts. Eligible for insurance discounts. Topics will be: Accidents, FAR'S, Pilot Decision Making, Weather Crew Safety and Maintenance Cruise rates are : Inside cabin - $649.00* per person Ocean view - $749.00* per person Balcony - $869.00* per person A deposit of $250.00 per person is required to hold a cabin with final payment due October 18, 2014. Safety Seminar Fee is only $85.00 per person. Cabin's and space is limited, so call early to make reservation while room is available!! For more information or to register for cruise and safety seminar call: Davene Braden (505) 379-3797 or 866-456-2842 dbraden@cruisesinc.com *Cruise rates are based on double occupancy and do not include taxes or service fees. To qualify to attend safety seminar, cruise bookings must be made with Davene at Cruises Inc. Safety Seminar info Morgan Braden (505) 379-0899. Meeting space & cabins are very limited. Call early.
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    http://www.celinaballoonfestival.com/
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    Event is currently limited to 20 balloons. All balloons must be members of the BFA and competition card holders to attend. It we do not get 20 meeting those criteria, then we open it up to all balloonist. The event is very family oriented. The orchard has apples, pumpkins, hayrack rides, cider making, bands each night, bounce houses, food venders. Contact: Matt Fenster mwfenster@aol.com
  7. hotairballoonist
    Please join us for the 2014 Sioux Falls Hot Air Ballooning Continuing Education Safety Seminar > When? Saturday February 22nd, 2014 > Registration 0730, First Speaker 0800, Done by 1700 > Where? South Dakota Achieve Conference Center, > 4100 S Western Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 > Located on the east side of Western Ave, just north of > I-229 Why? We are again partnering with South Dakota Achieve for this BFA sanctioned Seminar. > > Our topics will include: > · Role of Crew by Mark West/Tom Sharpee · Aeronautical Decision Making > by Larry Konash – IMC Insurance · Accident Analysis by Duane Waack · > FSDO Overview and Concerns by Steve Hoogerhyde - FAA · When Forecasts > Go Wrong by Brad Temeyer - NWS · Managing Risk by Kay West · Power > Line Safety by Terry Ebright – Sioux Valley Energy Terry will have an > impressive demonstration for us – see: > > > Why are we talking about Diving by Doug Brockhouse – Minnehaha Co SAR > > Cost? $50 for Pilots & $20 for crew/family members > > Registrations must be received before February 15th > > Lunch, Snacks, Coffee & Soda are provided for those who register > before February 15th > > Send Cash or Checks (make checks to South Dakota Achieve) > > Additional Donations to SD Achieve are welcomed (Tax Deductable > Donations) > > How? Email the completed registration form (below) and send with payment to: > Dave Christensen > 7405 E. Mystic Drive > Sioux Falls, SD 57110 > dchristensen@airpost.net > (605)221-5715 > > Thanks to our 2013 volunteers and attendees, we were able to donate > over $1150 to South Dakota Achieve to support community involvement activities for adult with disabilities. > Please consider joining us on February 22nd. > > 2014 Sioux Falls Safety Seminar Registration Form > > First Name __________________________________________ > > Last Name __________________________________________ > > Street Address __________________________________________ > > Address Line 2__________________________________________ > > City__________________________________________ > > State__________________________________________ > > Zip__________________________________________ > > Email__________________________________________ > > Phone__________________________________________ > > BFA Number__________________________________________ > > Pilot Certificate Number__________________________________________ > > Designation (Commercial, Private, Student) > __________________________________________ > > Insurance Company__________________________________________ > > Family/Crew Name__________________________________________ > > Family/Crew Name__________________________________________ > > Family/Crew Name__________________________________________ > > Family/Crew Name__________________________________________ > > Family/Crew Name__________________________________________ > > Pilot Fee X $50 =_____________________________ _ > > Family/Crew Fee X $20 =________________________ > > Additional for SD Achieve________________________ > > TOTAL _________________ > > Comments, Questions or > Special Food Considerations__________________________________________ > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > Jeanne Anson, BFA Coordinator for Sioux Falls Continuing Education > Seminar > _______________________________________________ Balloonmail mailing list Balloonmail@interaeroleague.com http://two.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/balloonmail
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  10. hotairballoonist

    30 downloads

    Subject: Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors Date: 11/29/05 Initiated by: AFS-800 AC No: 61-65E This advisory circular (AC) provides guidance for pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and examiners on the certification standards, knowledge test procedures, and other requirements in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 61. This revision provides guidance for those persons seeking sport pilot certification
    Free
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    http://www.colortheskies.com/schedule
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    http://www.pershingballoonderby.com/index.php
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    http://www.blueberryfestival.org/pg/fireworks.html
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    We really do not know when the even is. We tried to navigate thier website to no avail. We found a real cool count down thingy but did not know if that was to an event or to the end of time. http://www.cosportaviation.org/home.html
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    Madison RibberFest Balloon Race
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    http://www.ballooncanada.com/index.php/en/accueil/index
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    http://www.flagcityballoonfest.com/index.htm
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    2014 Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival Balloons launch Friday and Saturday Evening 7 PM Balloons launch by 7:30 pm - Gates open at 5:00 pm to give spectators an early glimpse at the hot air balloons as pilots assemble them for their flights. (Weather Permitting) First, the pilot and crew spread the colorful canopy out across the grass and connect the balloon envelope (canopy) to the gondola. Balloons are inflated with giant fans. Then the pilot ignites the burner forcing hot blasts of air into the balloon canopy, which causes it to rise. Remember your early science lessons - "Hot Air Rises." Part of the romance in ballooning, is not knowing exactly where the air currents take you. Balloon pilots navigate by ascending and descending the balloons into different air currents, but they are incapable of actually "steering" the balloon into a precise location and can land miles from their launch site. Chase crews follow the balloons to their destinations as the balloons rarely land where they launch. Balloon Glow Friday and Saturday Night 9 PM
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