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Balloon Life,December 2000

December 2000
Volume 15, Number 12

Checklist

The Magazine For Hot Air Ballooning

Features

4

Editor

6

Preflight
NewsandInformation

10

Calendar

28

Repair Station
Winterize Your System

30

Balloon Life Marketplace
Products andServices for sale

34

Logbook
Readington, New Jersey
Shirley, New York
Weilburg, Germany

38

Hangar Flying
withGeorge Denniston
An Early Tether Flight

Cover Photo:
M!CH!GAN
balloon
Photo: Courtesy
Michigan Balloon
Corporation

Special Report: The BoomerangEffect

21

TheBoomerangEffect:After Landing
Eddy currents produce low pressure areas,andcanbe created bya linear air
mass blowing over relativelysolidobstructions of anykind, such as hills,
buildings, silos, solid towers, large trees, etc. These eddies alsocause air
directionand velocity disturbance, and cancreate a wind direction switch.
Large-scale frontal activity canaddvariety to any of these micro-environ-
ments. Dr. Tom McConnell presents a case study of one balloon accident that
demonstrateswhatcan gowrongyou least expectit.

12

TheLogbook-Yourpersonalaviationdiary
Whatisthe purpose, what should it cover, endorsements, prove your flight
experience, andother interestingquestions provide youwiththought about
whatandhow your logbook entriesshouldbe made.

16

StateofBallooning
Balloon Life’s review of ballooningin the U.S.:
16New Hampshire
18Michigan

33

FiveThingsYou CanDotoAvoidBeingaDefendant
Every wake up in the night withina cold sweatbecause you were dreaming
about everypassenger whoyou ever flew was suing you? Dreamingabout
lawyers is almostas bad as rear-endingone. Learn five common-senserules
that will provide youa significant degree of protection from the worst effects
of the ultimate nightmare, the American tort system.

37

Reviews
Lighter-Than-Air- A novel set in Paris1901.
When Giants Roamed the Sky- The life of KarlArnstein and development
of airships.