Around-the-World
Steve Fossett has declared that his “launch window” opens on November 15. With a flight test in September (see Fossett Preflight page 20), refined equipment, and a new envelope, Fossett is planning to launch from Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. Fossett, like last year, is the only competitor waiting at the starting line as the favorable winter weather window opens.
Virgin Global Challenger was reportedly ready to conduct test flights in the Nevada desert as this issue of Balloon Life went to press. The team of Richard Branson, Per Lindstrand, and Rory McCarthy were the subject of a PBS NOVA TV special in October, Three Men in a Balloon. Tentative plans still call for the Virgin team to launch from Marrakech, Morocco in their attempt to be the first around-the-world in a balloon.
Bob Martin’s Odyssey project received a big boost this fall by signing on a major cash sponsor. Dymocks Booksellers of Australia is now the title sponsor of the project. The project is now known as the Dymocks Booksellers Odyssey. Joining Martin and Troy Bradley on the crew is John Wallington of Australia. Odyssey made the official announcements October 4, in Albuquerque. The teams planned launch window is now scheduled for December 29, 1997.
Martin told Balloon Life that the flight gondola is now 50 percent complete. The delay in finding a title sponsor has precluded the team from being able to make a winter launch this year.
A new hat has been tossed into the R-T-W ring. Wim Verstraeten and Bertrand Piccard, who won the Chrysler Transatlantic Challenge in 1992 (Balloon Life, October 1992), have announced their plans to fly a Roziere balloon around- the-world. The reported flight plan calls for the team to launch from Chateau ’d Oex, Switzerland after the November 15 weather window opens. Plans of their attempt are sketchy.
As reported in the October issue Henk Brink’s UNICEF project has been canceled.
Balloon Federation of America
Prior to the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta the Balloon Federation of America held its fall Board meeting. Executive Director Wally Miller unveiled the new Balloon Grow Book that will be given to local balloon clubs that would like written material to help recruit new members. Also making their debut were a new pamphlet from the Competition Division and a new color BFA brochure.
In response to Balloon Life’s inquiry as to why the BFA was no longer announcing the numerical results of elections the Board voted to revert to the past practice of publishing complete election results.
The Competition Division will continue to pay the BFA $20,000 per year over the next three years. This payment is in lieu of the previous sanction task fee split between the parent organization and its division. The change was necessitated when the sanction task card system was modified several years ago.
Mike Wallace was reelected by the Board as President. Marsha Neal won a coin toss over Rob Schantz for Vice-President when the Board deadlocked at 5-5. Glen Moyer is Secretary and Alan Yost Treasurer.
The BFA held its annual general meeting on October 5. Among the many awards given to members was the Shields-Trauger Award. This year’s recipients for Service were Dewey Reinhard and Tom Sheppard.
FAI
At the recently concluded 89th General Conference of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale meeting in Bled, Slovenia, the subject of sanctions against Belarus for shooting down and killing Alan Fraenckel and John Stuart-Jervis in September, 1995 were addressed.
The FAI once again declined to take sanctions action against Belarus. The FAI issued a statement that said in part, “Several FAI Members have proposed that FAI introduce sanctions barring the National Aeroclub of Belarus from participation in FAI events. In the light of the frustrations caused by the atrocity committed by the Belarus Air Force, these demands are understandable. Sanctions of this nature, however, would affect a large number of people whose only guilt is their citizenship. Considering also the unblemished record of FAI as an organization that has withstood even the severest of pressures to exclude or apply sanctions against its members for any reason other than breach of Statutes, I feel that the best way for both FAI and the next-of-kin to achieve satisfaction is the course of action that I have proposed above, of pursuing the actual culprits by legal means and contribute to their proper punishment.”
The FAI did go on to proclaim that until such time that there is evidence that remedial action has been taken by Belarus authorities to ensure that aeronautical activities can be conducted safely in Belarus airspace, FAI will not approve any FAI event which includes to use of Belarus airspace.
In a separate press release the FAI has approved Josef Starkbaum’s AX-6 world altitude record of 12,326 meters (13,480 feet). Starkbaum set his record with a flight on June 12, 1996 in Austria flying a Colt 56A.
Virgin Tether
The UK based Virgin Airship and Balloon Company, the aerial advertising and balloon division of the Virgin Group will be launching a new company on November 21st 1996. The company, to be called Virgin Aerostations will sell and operate large passenger ride, tethered helium balloons around the world.
“We have been analyzing the market for over two years now,” Mike Kendrick, group managing director of Virgin Airship and Balloon Company told Balloon Life, “and feel that the time and technology is now right to enter this new and exciting area of ballooning activity.” Virgin Aerostations have not yet revealed which type of equipment they will be operating but expect to be operating up to four systems by the end of 1997 and sixteen systems by the beginning of the millennium.
The managing director of the new company is Hugh Band, who was previously marketing director of Virgin Atlantic Airways and The Lightship Group. “We believe that there is a long term business in this sector of the marketplace” commented Band. “However, our projections, and world-wide balloon and airship operational experience indicate that an economy of scale is needed, together with multi-site operations, to make a suitable return on our capital investment.
“We believe that the way forward for us to achieve rapid global expansion is to enter into joint venture partnerships and franchise arrangements with suitable local partners,” said Kendrick. “Our financial stability and operational experience, coupled with local expertise should provide a winning combination,” he added.
Sites for the first phase of the new ride operations have not yet been disclosed but will be announced shortly . The company is keen to hear from potential partners in the USA. For more information contact Mike Kendrick or Hugh Band at +44 1952-292945 or Fax +44 1952-292930.