Balloon Federation of America
The Balloon Federation of America held a meeting its Board of Directors April 27
and 28 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Wally Miller, Executive Director, told
Balloon Life that the Board "took action" on approximately 50 items that
were on the agenda. Among the issues decided were:
Realignment of the the six regional divisions. The Board voted to shift Ohio from the Northeast to the Great Lakes region and for Arizona to be placed in the West region from the Southwest. These changes were made to equalize the number of members in each region.
Miller told Balloon Life that the BFA has made a commitment to work with balloon clubs to promote ballooning as a sport and to help balloon clubs attract new members. Miller said that he has been studying ideas that other National Aeronautic Association organizations have been using to build their membership. A BFA Growbook, modeled after one used by the Soaring Society of America, is in the process of being prepared for distribution to interested balloon clubs. The manual will contain ideas on how to attract new members to local/regional balloon clubs. It will contain sample press releases, stories on what other clubs have done, and ideas for attracting new members.
The Board made a commitment to have booth space at a number of aviation events around the country. The BFA is planning on sharing booth space with the NAA at Oshkosh (WI), Sun ’N/Fun (FL), and Albuquerque during Balloon Fiesta. The Board is considering other venues including BFA sanctioned events.
BFA members may request a complete copy of the meeting minutes by contacting the BFA Office, PO Box 400, Indianola, IA 50125.
Balloon Publishing Company
The Balloon Ground School Home Study Manual, a widely used manual
written to pass the FAA knowledge exams, and the Balloon Instructor’s
Manual, used by many balloon flight instructors nationwide, have been revised to
reflect new requirements imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration’s new Private
Pilot Practical Test Standards, which became effective June 1, 1996.
This is the 13th revision of the Home Study Manual, written by the operators of the first and oldest FAA-Approved Balloon Flight School in the U.S. specifically to help pilot applicants pass the FAA knowledge (written) and practical (flight) tests. The manual contains the new (June 1996) Private Practical Test Standards in full, as well as the current complete Commercial Practical Test Standards. A new chapter on Radio Communications and ATC Light Signals has been written to cover requirements for new Tasks in the PTS.
The Private Pilot Syllabus contained in the Instructor’s Manual (Second Edition, Revision 3) has been revised to include the new radio and light signals tasks, and to respond to the FAA’s new emphasis on checklists.
The Balloon Ground School Home Study Manual is $35.00, and the Balloon Instructor’s Manual is $30.00, postpaid in the U.S. They can be ordered from Balloon Publishing, 1241 High Street, Oakland, CA 94601. Phone (510) 261-4222, Fax (510) 261-7908, e-mail: balexc@ix.netcom.com.
Head Balloons
Head Balloons, Inc., Helen, Georgia, has announced the issuance of the
Bundesrepublik Deutschland’s MUSTERZULASSUNGSSCHEIN number 8040, by the
Luftfahart-Bundesamt. The LBA (German FAA equivalent) has issued to Head
Balloons, Inc. German Type Certificate number 8040, for all models of Head hot air
balloons. German type certification is one of the most difficult in the world to obtain.
In making the announcement, Tarp Head, president, noted the assistance of German pilot Hans-Jurgen Bucher. Bucher, who represents Head Balloons in Germany, was instrumental in guiding the application through the German system.
Head Balloons, following receipt of the certification, has shipped its first two balloons for delivery to Germany.
For more information contact Head Balloons, PO Box 28, Helen, GA 30545 or call (800) HEAD BALLOONS. In Germany contact Hans-Jurgen Bucher, Rostocker Str. 7, D-63110 RODGAU 6, Germany, phone 06106-5483.
Mach Zero
Mach Zero Hot Air Balloon Company, Peachtree City, Georgia, announced the
availability of new fans and propellers.
Mach Zero has decreased the base depth and height of its fans resulting in a smaller footprint and less weight. Larger rubber feet have been added in the rear so the fan remains where placed even though it is much more powerful due to additional performance output improvements on all of their props.
Mach Zero says that they have continued to use the same thick steel and welding that have made their fans strong and durable. The frame has a lifetime warranty against a weld braking due to normal use. Should that happen, Mach Zero will replace the frame for as long as you own it.
Mach Zero props are all maple and are available in a straight tip high performance propeller which moves more air then their previous design. Mach Zero now offers an all maple curved tip propeller for even greater output; the top of the line is an all maple four blade propeller. All propellers are manufactured to fit the Mach Zero standard bolt pattern which is used by most manufactures and a slightly smaller bolt pattern used by a competitor.
Introductory prices on the fans are $300.00 below Mach Zero’s regular price. The straight tip and curved tip propellers are discounted $40.00 below regular price and the four blade propellers are discounted $70.00. All three propellers are available in 24 and 30 inch sizes. Hubs are discounted $10.00 below regular price.
For more information contact Mach Zero Hot Air Balloon Company, 221 Shadowood Lane, Peachtree City, GA, or call 1-800-633-8015.
Lindstrand Balloons Ltd.
Lindstrand Balloons Ltd., Oswestry, England, has announced delivery of its second
LBL 400A basket to Stockholm, Sweden. The LBL 400A is the highest capacity
passenger balloon in the world being certified in Sweden to carry 20 passengers and is
flown by a crew of two. The second crew member can be a flight attendant i.e. trained
in passenger briefings and evacuations of passengers and normal safety procedures or
can act as a co-pilot. The latter will allow the training of new pilots when conducting
passenger flights. This has become an issue lately as there is a shortage of pilots
experienced in flying of very large passenger balloons.
The number of passengers that can be carried varies from country to country based on each certifying country’s rules. In the United Kingdom, for example, there is a limit of 19 passengers irrespective of balloon size.
The LBL 400 basket is 15 feet long and 5 feet wide. The pilot and fuel is in the central compartment and the passengers are divided into four compartments, two either side of the pilot. With the Superchute deflation system this balloon has a short stopping distance.
In a second announcement Lindstrand Balloons Ltd. said that they have received CAA (British approval) on a batch of titanium tanks made by the Russian Aerospace industry.
According to the Lindstrand press release, the collapse of the Russian Aerospace industry left them with vast quantities of titanium with no buyer for their services. As a result a number of unique products have started showing up in the west. One of these products is the T60 titanium cylinder.
Titatnium is a the ultimate aerospace metal used when cost is no object such as jet engine fan blades, nuclear submarine housing and space shuttles. Titanium is substanially lighter than stainless steel while considerablily stronger; it has an incredible corrosion resistance and an amazing ductility. Normally the cost fo titanium metal combined with very expensive metal forming techniques required would make a titanium balloon cylinder out of reach.
Because there are no certification standards for titanium tanks Lindstrand Balloons Ltd. had to certify a batch of tanks from scratch. The tanks were x-rayed looking for cracks. They used dye penetrant looking for weld cracks. A borescope was used for internal welding inspection. Each tank was then pressure tested. Ten tanks were then cut up with additional testing being conducted.
According to the press release, Lindstrand Balloons Ltd. is the only manufacturer in the world to offer a fully CAA Certified titanium balloon cylinder. Lindstrand is now in the process of receiving US Certification which they expect to take several months.
For more information contact Lindstrand Balloons Ltd. Maesbury Road, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8ZZ, England. In the U.S. contact Lindstrand Balloons USA, 228 Jefferson Street, Hanover, IL 61041 or call (815) 591-2200.
KAIBF Expands
The Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta experienced unprecedented
demand for participation this year. Pilot entry packets were mailed in early March for
the 25th Fiesta. On March 26 all of the original 650 spots had been filled. Within weeks
the waiting list had grown to more than 300.
In early May the AIBF Board met and voted to allow 200 more balloons to participate. Phone calls and letters were made in late May to the first 200 on the waiting list. Participation in the silver anniversary of Balloon Fiesta will now be 850 hot air balloons. They will be joined by approximately 20 gas balloons competing in a separate event at the site.
The expansion was made possible, in part, by the move to a new launch site. In April, construction began on a $1.73 million expansion of Balloon Fiesta Park north of Alameda Boulevard. The 78 acre site is being expanded to 2780 acres and will include a new 110 acre launch area.
The money for the expansion came from a combination of public and private funds, with the state legislature picking up the largest part of the tab-$1 million. The new park is expected to be completed in August.
This year’s Fiesta takes place October 5-13. For more information contact AIBF, 8309 Washington Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113 or call (505) 821-1000.
Cuervo 1800 Elevates Fine Art
Cuervo 1800, the world’s best-selling super premium tequila, has announced the
June launch of "Aero Cuervo 1800 Mexican Masterpices," a nationwide exhibition of
modern Mexican art that promises to be the world’s most "elevated" and "uplifting" art
tour. As part of the brand’s recogniation of prominent contemporary Mexican art, two
original images created by leading Mexican artists will be displayed on a giant 120-foot
tall hot air balloon, specially designed to resemble the unique Cuervo 1800 bottle.
"Cuervo 1800 is saluting Mexican artists for the tremendous impact they have had on the art world," Kay Olsen, Marketing Manager for super premium tequilas told Balloon Life. "Just as Cuervo 1800 represents the ultimate in the fine art of tequila-making, we believe this high-flying gallery tour will exhibit the finest in modern Mexican art."
One side of the balloon will display "Acrobata," a 50-foot tall Picasso-esque image of an acrobat by Mario Romero that will be featured in an upcoming Cuervo 1800 national advertising campaign. The second side will showcase another 50-foot tall image, "Paraíso Húmedo" by Hector Vazquez, created in black-and-white for the balloon tour. The black-and-white image will be subdivided into eight sections and will be an evolving "work-in-progress" for the tour. One section will travel to each of the tour’s eight cities, where it will be painted in at local "painting parties." During these painting parties, bar and restaurant patrons will be invited to complete the canvas by matching colors and strokes with the artist’s original painting, in exchange for a donation to a local charity.
Following the round of painting parties, the balloon will travel to these eight cities to collect and showcase the sections. This work-in-progress will be similiar to a giant coloring book page that has been "colored in" by Americans nationwide. After all eight canvas sections are complete, the black-and-white canvas will have transformed into a magnificent piece of "aero art."
The eight participating cities for the tour are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newport, and Miami. For more information on "Aero Cuervo 1800 Mexican Masterpieces," call 1-800-TEQUILA (1-800-837-8452).
FedWorld on Internet
The Federal Aviation Administration has published Advisory Circular 60-26
announcing the availability of of airmen certification knowledge and skill testing
information critical to flight safety via the Internet.
This information is useful to those airman students and their instructors in preparing for airman certification testing. The subject matter codes listed for the knowledge tests describes the specific reference from which each test item was developed. The references listed in each taks of the practical test standards indicate the specific publications used to develop the skill standards. This testing information comprises the FAA’s standards for airman certification.
The listing of Flight Standards Service airman information maintained in the FedWorld Information System is available by reviewing the file CERT_LST in the FAA- ATT Library.
FAI World Records
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has recognized the
following world records in Class A (free balloons) category:
Wilhelm Eimers and Bernd Landmann (Germany) for duration in an AA-7 (gas balloon 1,600 to 2,200 cubic meters) of 92 hours and 11 minutes. The flight launched from Wil/SG Switzerland on September 13, 1995 and landed in Ludzasraj, Latvia.
Josef Starkbaum (Austria) for altitude in an AX-7 (hot balloon 1,600 to 2,200 cubic meters). He reached a height of 14018 meters (46,258 feet) taking off from Dimbach, Austria on August 7, 1995.
Five Years Ago in Balloon Life
