Feb 2022

[hotairballoonist]

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 participated 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. 

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)

 

 

 

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.

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