Winter is on the way. (nov 2017)

[hotairballoonist]

HI Everyone.  I hope you are all doing well.  Lots of items to cover in this newsletter so please bear with me on the length of this.  Hopefully you will gain some great information.

Winter Flying.  One of the things I miss living here in Florida are those Frozen Flights from up north.  The earth covered in a fresh blanket of snow and the extreme visibility of that cold clear air, are simply amazing.  BUT there are a few items you should keep in mind.  We have written an article with some tips and created a poll for you to take in our Balloon Owners & Operators category.  Look in the Winter Flying forum.  (REMEMBER YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO SEE THIS CATEGORY) The “Balloon Owners & Operators” category is for members only.

BFA to LINK to HAB.

Many of you may know that the HotAirBalloonist.com site has an entire section set aside for the Hall of Fame committee. (If you did not know you know now!)  HAB created category that is completely private just for the HOF committee to do its work when choosing the potential candidates for the National Balloon Museums “Hall of Fame” each year.  There are several sub-categories and forums inside their section of the site.  One of the forums is the Notable Balloonists Biographical Information forum.  There has been great support for this section to be made available to all balloonists.  Currently it is private for viewing only by the BFA Hall of Fame committee.  During the general meeting in Albuquerque a motion was brought forward to make this section of the site public.  That motion passed!  Soon you will be able to see the Biographies that are currently on file.  We hope that this will not only be used as an educational resource but it will also promote the submission of new information as well.  We will let you know when this link has been posted on the BFA site and when the forum has been opened for public view in another newsletter.

CLUBS & THE EXCHANGE

So do you have a group of pilots and crews you hang with?  Do you have a way to communicate with your local pilots?  Ground Crews?  Landowners?  START A CLUB!  Our new Club feature allows you to have your own site within the HAB site.  Start a club with a fun name.  Then invite your local pilots and crews to join.  Create your own club calendar, Forums, Topics, Photo Galleries, Blogs and more..  Everyone in the club can use all the features of the HAB site and all the features within your club.  Sound like too much work?  Then use “THE EXCHANGE” This is a category with sub-categories for major areas around the country.  Each exchange has 4 forums.  1) Pilots forum. 2) Crew forum. 3) Passenger Exchange. 4) Landowner Relations.  

The exchange can be found in the Balloon Rides category (you must be logged in)

In BOTH the CLUB feature and THE EXCHANGE, members following will be sent an instant email of any topic posted.  This means if you need crew you post a topic in the Crew Forum in your exchange and all the crew following will be notified.  Post an event on your club calendar and all your club members get an email.  This feature is included with your basic membership.  Other programs like this charge as much as $20 a month and YOU are the only one who can send mail.  The CLUBS feature and THE EXCHANGE allow all members to post new items and the system automatically sends out the emails for you!    You are welcome to try the exchange on your own.  Or call me and I will walk you around the features.  START A CLUB TODAY and be instantly in touch with your area by tonight.

SAFETY SEMINARS

We are entering that time of year again.  WE URGE ALL OF YOU to attend a safety seminar in your area.  Every year the seminars get better and better.  I don’t care how long you have been flying balloons you can learn something.  Great discussion’s and new ideas are fantastic for all of us.  If you are involved with a seminar anywhere this year please post in on the calendar.  Log in and go to the calendar page.  Click on the link “All Calendars” and a drop down menu of calendars will open.  Select the safety seminar calendar and post your event.  You can insert text and times and locations and links and contact information and more.  If you do not want to try this for yourself just send the information to Info@HotAirBalloonist.com and we will post it for you.  Or better yet call us and we will take you thru the process so you can edit and/or add to the event at any time on your own.

Congrats to Mom and Dad.

On a personal note.  Those of you who know my parents will agree with me that they are true ballooning jewels.  I am so proud of what they have done for me over the years and what they have done for the entire ballooning community.  I was informed by the Awards Committee chairman that during the general meeting this year BOTH my parents would be receiving awards.  Father won a directors award for his work with the HOF and my mother won the crew of the year award for more than 40 years of chasing three generations and four family pilots.  I could not be happier for both of them.  If you wish to read her nomination please click here Connie Thompson.  You do not have to log into the site to see her nomination.

EQUIPMENT for sale

Don’t forget we have a complete category for Equipment for sale.  If you have stuff you want to sell POST IT!  THERE IS NO FEE!  Go on the site and register as a guest.  Then go to the proper forum for the equipment you are selling and start a topic about your stuff.  Don’t forget to click the FOLLOW button when you are done.  This way if someone wants to ask you a question they can post it right on the site and you will get an instant email.  Then you can answer the question and then add that information to your listing!  When you have sold the equipment you can delete your topic with a couple of mouse clicks.

Become a paid member.

If you have not logged in lately you should!  The site is growing every day.  More and more great information is being added and new features all the time.  The membership dues help pay for the site and the time it takes to keep it up.  Please contribute.  If you have forgotten your log in information you can use your email to retrieve the password or just send us an email at Info@HotAirBalloonist.com.  Tell us the user name or email you had on the account and tell us what password you would like to use and we will reset it for you and send you an email.

Your assignment.

·        Go read the article on cold weather flying. LOG IN AND CLICK HERE

·        Go take the poll on tank pressure.

·        Check out the Exchange feature found in the BALLOON RIDES category.

·        START A CLUB

·        Get your safety seminar listed.

·        Tell someone about the site and get them to join!

 

 

All the best to everyone.  Please fly safe. 

Jeff A Thompson