PREFLIGHT

Fatal Balloon Accident

Two people were killed when their hot air balloon struck a powerline near downtown Oklahoma City on the afternoon of December 9.

John Curtis, 46 of Edmond, Oklahoma, pilot and owner of a relatively new Balloon Works balloon, had traveled a short distance after launching from a school yard. He and a female passenger were going for an afternoon pleasure flight when the balloon descended into powerlines about 4 p.m..

According to newspaper reports from Oklahoma City, the balloon contacted powerlines, exploded into flames, rose slightly, and then plummeted into a sandbar. Curtis died from injuries received when he fell from the basket. The cause of his fall is not known, although onlookers reported that the basket did not tip. The basket reportedly did not explode until after Curtis had fallen.

A woman’s body, burned beyond recognition, was recovered from the burned basket.

Another balloon had taken off from the same school yard and was a quarter-mile downwind when Curtis’ balloon hit the powerline.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and will determine the probable cause of the accident.

There were two fatal balloon accidents in the U.S. during 1995 resulting in three fatalities.

Wings of Light, Inc.

Wings of Light, Inc. is a new national nonprofit organization formed as an aviation accident family support network. The organization is dedicated to: 1) providing a support and information network to survivors, family members of victims, and others who have been touched by an aircraft accident; 2) serving as a liaison between individuals affected and the investigative organizations; 3) acting as a referral source to qualified counselors; and 4) bringing about positive change I the industry by speaking on behalf of those who have been touched by an aircraft accident.

"There has been an overwhelming response to the organization," states founder Andrea Waas. "What started out as a way to deal with my own loss has grown into a national nonprofit."

Wings of Light, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association, and contributions are tax-deductible. Every contributor of $25 or more is sent a Certificate of Appreciation. For more information, contributions, or volunteering contact, Andrea Waas, Wings of Light, Inc., 16845 N. 29th Ave, Suite 1-448, Phoenix, AZ 85023. National Aeronautic Association’s For the Record

. Global Update

New rules: The Commission Internationale d’Aerostation (CIA) of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, effective January 1, 1996, has established new rules to govern record attempts for a non-stop, around the world flight by balloon.

In part, the new rules state that the record shall be the shortest time around the world in a single flight. After the flight the pilot must choose checkpoints, start and finish line (meridian), and adhere to requirements that control acceptable flight paths. Of particular note is that the requirement of a minimum distance of four radians (15,854 miles).

Solo Challenger: Steve Fossett’s team arrived at the Strato Bowl, South Dakota around mid-December. According to Fossett’s launch team he will be ready to launch after January 1.

Steve Fossett’s team includes Bo Kemper Project Manager, Lou Billones Meteorologist, Bruce Comstock & Nick Saum Launch Team, and Andy Elson.

Solo Challenger has established a homepage on the World Wide Web. To date the project has posted background information on their plans. The homepage is sponsored by Loyola University Chicago. LUC is sponsoring scientific experiments during Fossett’s planned flight. For web browsers the URL is http://www.luc.edu.

Virgin Global Challenger: Per Lindstrand and Richard Branson have named the third flight crew member to their team. The third member is Rory McCarthy. McCarthy is Irish, a balloonist and sky diver. He owns and flies his own collection of fighter jets. He broke the world hang gliding altitude record in 1984 and is the current holder at 35,400 feet of the world civilian sky diving altitude record. Both of these records were achieved by jumping from hot air balloons piloted by Per Lindstrand.

Balloon Life has learned that the Virgin team is considering a possible launch from an aircraft carrier. Lindstrand in December contacted Ed Yost, who has made successful balloon launches from aircraft carrier decks in the 1960s. Reportedly the Royal Navy has agreed to place a carrier at the team’s disposal should such a launch be deemed appropriate. The advantage of using a carrier is based on the idea that it can cruise at the same speed as the wind thus allowing for a calm launch.

For more information about Virgin Global Challenger see the October issue of Balloon Life. Team Virgin has also established a homepage on the World Wide Web, URL http://www.challenger.i clnet.co.uk.

The Virgin homepage offers a map of the planned flight path. They also promise to provide updated progress maps and satellite weather maps during the flight.

Unicef Flyer: In late December Dutch newspapers reported that Wout Bakker left the Unicef Flyer team headed by Henk Brink. It is not known whether Bakker left the team on his own or was asked to by Brink.

Wout was chosen two years ago from a candidate pool of 1400 to join Brink and Willem Hageman as the third crew member in Brink’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe by balloon. Brink and Hageman teamed, in 1986, along with Brink’s wife, to be the first Europeans, women, and Roziere balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

The departure of Bakker and possible safety concerns of the Dutch Civil Aviation Authority will set back Brink’s plan to launch this winter. The Unicef Flyer team was reportedly waiting for a favorable weather pattern at Goffert Stadion in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

It is unknown whether Brink can find a third crew member with sufficient training to launch this winter if favorable weather patterns develop.

NPRM Deadline Extended

The Federation Aviation Administration has extended the comment period for NPRM 95-11, Certification of Pilots and Instructors. Balloon Life spoke with John Lynch, project manager for the NPRM, who confirmed the extension.

The new comment deadline is now February 12, 1996.

For more information on the NPRM see the September and November issues of Balloon Life. Copies of the September issue of Balloon Life, which contained the entire proposed Part 61, Balloon Life’s comments, and a history of the proposed instructor rating, are available from Balloon Life for $2 in postage. Send your request and payment to Balloon Life, 2145 Dale Ave, Sacramento, CA 95815.

The NPRM is a complex document which many proposed changes that will impact ballooning. Anyone interested in ballooning is encouraged to read the proposed rules and make your comments to the FAA before the comment deadline.

FAI Records

The FAI has homologated the world record for duration in the AX-10 to AX-14 category. Masakazu Diwa and Saburo Ichiyoshi established the new record during a flight in Western Australia August 30 to September 1, 1995. They remained aloft in a Cameron N-210 for 41 hours and 29 minutes.

The previous record (AX-10 to AX-12) was 29 hours and 14 minutes set in January of 1993 by Bill Bussey of Longview, Texas.

The FAI has also homologated Steve Fossett’s absolute distance record set during his solo Pacific flight in February 1995. Fossett’s records include absolute distance for balloons and the sub category AM-10 to AM-15 (mixed balloons-gas and hot air) with a distance of 8,748.11 kilometers.

Fossett’s flight from Korea to Canada broke the previous absolute distance record of 8,382.54 km set in November 1981 by Ben Abruzzo, Ron Clark, Larry Newman, and Rocky Aoki and the AM-10 to AM-15 distance record of 5,340.18 km set in September of 1994 by Richard Abruzzo and Troy Bradley.

Larry Hembrey

Larry Hembrey, an American balloon competition official, died of an apparent heart attack at his home outside of Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, December 9.

Hembrey had been a chief scoring officer and debriefer at World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Battle Creek, Luxembourg, St. Jean-sur- Richelieu, Canada, and Saga, Japan. He had also participated as an official at the U.S. Nationals, U.S. Team Championship, and many others events in the U.S.

Hembrey had long been a major force in the upgrading of the Observer, Debriefer, and launch director skills. Hembry was a co-author of the US Seminar in Advanced Observer Skills. He and his wife, Donna MacTavish, received the Director’s Award of the Balloon Federation of America in 1995 for their many contributions.

Christchurch, NZ

Following the fatal balloon accident in Christchurch, New Zealand, October 19, 1995 (Balloon Life , November, 1995) city council voted on a proposal from one of its members, Cr Denis O’Rourke, to ban ballooning over Christchurch. The Council voted down the proposal 18 to 6.

Pilot Fund

During the Red Rock Balloon Rally in early December, Colleen Marchand, longtime professional balloon pilot, was seriously injured when she was thrown from her basket in a high wind landing. She has been praised by her passengers for her exceptional piloting skill which prevented others from being seriously injured. Marchand is expected to recover in time. She is a single parent with limited insurance, mounting medical bills and will not be able to work for several months. Any friends or groups wishing to help may send contributions to the Colleen Marchand Assistance Fund c/o Elaine Stam, Sunwest Bank of Gallup. P.O. Box 339, Gallup, New Mexico 87305. Red Rock Balloon Rally Association (505) 722-0462.

NOTAMs

In the November issue article America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race it is incorrectly reported who issued the original penalty against the team of Davies/Davis. Event Director Mark Sullivan assessed the five percent distance penalty. The team of Bradley/Stevenson protested that penalty to the Event Director who reaffirmed his original penalty. Bradley/Stevenson then appealed that penalty to the jury which after weighing the facts increase it to 15 percent distance. It was also incorrectly reported that the team of Davies/Davis struck one balloon on launch when they hit two balloons and drug their position lights over a third balloon.

In the December issue Balloonmeister George Hahn and his Albuquerque repair station, Aerco, are involved in the building of parachutes for NASA rocket payloads. Hal Widdows, who works for Aerco, did indeed build the parachute used successfully on the recent Galileo mission to Jupiter. However, Williams built that particular chute while employed by Albuquerque's Sandia Laboratories. The Galileo chute was not built by Aerco. It was just such expertise however that led Hahn to hire Williams and today they are actively involved in such pursuits.

Doug March was the first back-to-back Balloonmeister at Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, in 1978 and 1979.

Five Years Ago in Balloon Life

* Balloon accident in Columbus, Ohio kills four when envelope is ripped on radio tower.
* Lindsay Muir of England wins the first Lady’s Cup held during the Saga International Balloon Fiesta.
* American Blimp Corporation delivers first "Lightship".
* BFA announces "Long Jump" competition.
* Robert Ambeau, Louisiana, won two key grabs in one year.
* Balloon Life receives two National Awards in the Lidman Prize Competition for philatelic writing in non-philatelic publications.