July 2000
(ISSN 0887-6061) is
published monthly by Balloon Life
Magazine, Inc., 2336 47th Ave SW,
Seattle, WA 98116-2331
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MAGAZINE
July 2000
Editor-In-Chief
Publisher
Tom Hamilton
Contributing Editors
Ron Behrmann, George Denniston,
Greg Livadas, Mike Rose,
Alan Sanderson, Peter Stekel
Columnists
Don Piccard
Staff Photographer
Ron Behrmann
Joseph Bore, Jim Ellis
Warren Harkaker, Terry Hendrickson
Fred Krieg, Amy Sides
K.L. Thompson
2336 47th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 9811 6
Fax: 206-935-3326
e-mail: tom@balloonlife.com
Internet: http://balloonlife.com/
Phone: 206-935-3649
Melton Scam
SeveralmonthsagoIreceivedastoryfroma contributor thatwasoneof those
wonderful,heartwarmingstories,thatjustmakesyoufeelgood.Balloonistsfrom
around the world had for months been sending pins, cards, and other collectibles to a ten
yearoldgirlinNorthCarolina.Itemsworthperhapsthousandsofdollarshadbeen
contributed to her sixth grade class assignment of starting acollection that she would use
tolearn about andstudy a subject of her choosing.
The storyhadthe addedtwistof a single mother with serious medicalproblems.
Balloonists foundout about this“little girl” through apostingto theInternetballoon
mailing list. Soon contributions were arriving in King, North Carolina from all corners
of the earth.
I was not aware of the saga until the article reached my desk. In reviewing the story
several things didn’t seem right. First, pictures of this remarkable project, winner ofnine
out of ten awards, were not available. Second, a ten year old completing the sixth grade
didn’t seem correct. Third, some of the facts, like name of the school, didn’t check out.
Thensomebizarreturnsinthe storycausedotherstocomeforwardwithadditional
conflicting information. Finally,a call to the school district showed no record of a student
by thatname in recent history.
Balloon Life’sfindingsinthecasewere turnedover tothe properauthoritiesin
NorthCarolina who confronted the individual. Subsequently the police recovered the
balloon collectibles which are beingreturned totheir rightful owners.
Balloon Life’s investigative report,Class Project, beginson page 12.
A recentaviation wire storysaid that Congresswas concernedwithnon-military
helicopter noise. That august body has directed the Federal Aviation Administration to
studythe effects ofhelicopter noise onindividuals living indenselypopulated areas.
According to the storythe study’s goal is to discernwhat kind of helicopter operations
provokethemostunpleasantresponses, thenfigureoutwhat,ifanything, air traffic
controlprocedurescandoaboutit.Amongthoseactivitiestargetedfor thestudyis
sightseeing flights.
Whatdoesthishavetodowithballooning? If theFAA’shasslefactor isbeing
increased by the hot air experts on Capital Hill, for a category of aircraft who can already
fly lower, whatare the chances of loweringor eliminating the minimum safe altitudes
for balloons under §91.119?
The photo credit for June’s cover was inadvertently left out. The picture was taken
by K. L. Thompson.
