Aerostar International

Aerostar International has announced the permanent waiving of the non-standard color change fee on the Rally series. This will allow balloonists all over the world the ability to design their own balloon within the four standard Rally patterns without incurring any additional cost.

This dramatic change in policy is due to the installation of the second automatic computerized cutting table in the Aerostar balloon production facility. In the past, all Rally balloons were cut by hand in multiple runs. With the addition of the second cutting table, Aerostar can cut more balloons faster and more accurately than manually possible.

Aerostar installed its first computerized cutting table to be used for hot air balloons in October of 1994. This table was predominantly used for cutting special shaped balloons, artwork for balloons and cold air inflatables. The second table at Aerostar was installed in the balloon production facility in April of 1997. This table is dedicated to cutting all of the fabric required for all hot air balloon production.

"After carefully reviewing our production costs and profits, we determined that we can offer our consumers a more personalized product for no additional cost" Allen Schlenker, National Sales Representative for hot air balloons at Aerostar, told Balloon Life.

"The other great benefit to the computerized cutting table is there becomes a permanent computer file of each balloon designed and built at Aerostar," continues Schlenker. "We will be able to produce an exact replica of a balloon built today ten years from now without having to maintain mountains of paper patterns."

Repair station operators and owners will also benefit from the cutting tables when it comes to repairing balloons. The cutting table can cut and entire gore or just a few feet of a specific design and send it to be installed directly into the balloon. Seam allowances are added and marked right on the fabric making installation smooth and efficient.

The automatic cutting tables at Aerostar are accurate to within 1/8th of an inch and can cut up to 40 inches per second.

For more information contact Allen Schlenker, Aerostar International, P.O. Box 5057, Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5057. Phone: 605-331-3500, Fax: 605-331-3520, e-mail: sales@aerostar.com, Internet: http:www.aerostar.com/

Sky Balloons

Chris Kirby, a founding member of Sky Balloons, has been appointed as Sales and Marketing Director to lead Sky's sales and marketing activites worldwide. Previously Kirby was a non-executive director advising on finance and marketing.

"I'm really excited about this opportunity," Kriby told Balloon Life. "It's ust incredible what Sky has achieved since it began production in 1995." The company has now obtained certification to produce it's complete range of balloons from 31 to 317's in virtually every country and has achieved sales in countries as far a field as Japan, Australia and even Argentina.

"We wish in a way to be known as the balloonists ballooning company, concentrating on providing a well manufactured and technically advanced range of hot air balloons and not being distracted with other projects and non main-stream ballooning activities. In that way I think we can continue to provide the service that our customers really want."

For more information contact Sky Balloons by phone at +011-1978-664-666. In the US contact Sky Balloons US at 1-800-320-8087.

Connecticut's first balloonist
Silas M. Brooks, Connecticut's first known balloonist, 1824-1906, was honored by the Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society with a ceremony and a bronze memorial marker which was placed on his unmarked gravesite in a small Burlington, Connecticut cemetery.
The November 22, 1997 ceremony, attended by 40 CLAS members, family, friends, and Burlington's First Selectman, was the culmination of the work of committee consisting of Kevin Brielman, Bill Colyer, Tony Roswell, and Kathy Wadsworth.
The committee spent a year researching the life of Brooks and desiging the marker.

Nationals in Rantoul

Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, January 13, anounced the release of $50,000 in state funds to help with expenses associated with hosting the Champaign County National Championships, scheduled to be held in Rantoul in August.

"The State of Illinois is proud to support this premier event," the Governor said. "Hot air ballooning is a sport that has recently attracted the world's attention, and is growing in visibility and popularity. These National Championships will have a significant economic impact on east central Illinois, and provide us with an excellent opportunity to showcase Illinois to the nation."

The family oriented festival will bring together the top balloonists in the country, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of tourists. In addition to the balloon events, there will be other family attractions, concerts and air shows.

The $50,000 grant wil be used to pay for costs including promotional items such as sponsor kits and radio and television advertisements.

The Governor worked in partnership with State Rep. Richard Winkel (R- Champaign) on legislative funding for the event. The Edgar administration previously awarded a $168,125 Tourism Private Sector Grant to assist in hosting the festival.

In other announcements Max Mitchell, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the balloon event told Balloon Life that, "Clearly sponsorships are critical to the success of any event of this size. At this stage of planning, much of our attention is focused on securing sponsors. The Board of Directors and the Championship office is very proud to announce that AMERITECH is the event's first official sponsor."

Also Bonnie Blair, five-time Olympic gold medallist speed skater and Champaign native, has agreed to become the honorary chairperson for the Champaign County Balloon Championships. According to Betsy Mitchell, Fundraising Chair, "We are very excited to announce that Bonnie Blair will lend her support to our efforts. As a highly successful athlete, Bonnie certainly understands that to compete in the most elite levels of the sport's world, talented athletes must also be successful in seeking significant levels of corporate sponsorships."

The Champaign County Balloon National Champaionship will be held at the Rantoul National Aviation Center, Rantoul, Illinois August 7 - 15, 1998.

Red River Rally

J. Pat Harwell, Chairman of the Board of the Red River Rally, Shreveport, Louisiana has announced the appointment of veteran balloonist Glen Moyer of Longview, Texas as Event Coordinator of this 3-day balloon rally, airshow and family fun festival. "We are extremely pleased to have attracted a person with Moyer's credentials," Harwell told Balloon Life. "His extensive knowledge of the sport of ballooning and ballooning events, plus his marketing, media and management experience were key elements we were searching for in an Event Coordinator." Moyer is a commercial balloon pilot , former editor of Balloon Life magazine, former Marketing Director for Thunder & Colt Balloons US and is currently Vice-President of the Balloon Federation of America. He is a frequent contributor to Balloon Life magazine. He is also nationally recognized as a public address announcer for many of the major ballooning events in the U.S. He was twice vice-chairman and four times media director for the Plano (Texas) Balloon Festival in the 1980's and he has served as a conultant to a number of other events. As Event Coordinator Moyer will be responsible for the overall production of the balloon rally, airshow and family festival including development of budgets, sale of sponsorship packages, as well as marketing and promotion of the event. One of his first tasks will be to equip, staff and open the event's new office at the Shreveport Downtown Airport (festival site) and to announce the donation of several thousand dollars in proceeds from the 1997 event to benefit aviation scholarships established by the Red River Rally at four Louisiana universities and to a half dozen other charitiable organizations. Moyer, who begins his duties immediately, is expected to relocate to Shreveport as soon as possble. The 1998 Red River Rally is scheduled for September 11-13th and includes 50 hot air balloons, a WWII warbirds and military airshow, and a custom car show as its main attractions. The Red River Rally phone number is 318-22 RALLY or 318-227-2559.

FAI News

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has received the following claims for balloon records:

Michael Emich flew a homebuilt AX-5, hot air balloon, from Peoria, Illinois to Wapakoneta, Ohio, 435 km (270 miles) on January 11, 1998. Current world record is 334.74 km by Kei-ichi Kojima on January 2, 1994;

Susan Harwell flew AX-4, hot air balloon, in the southeast U.S. a distance of 75 km (47 miles). The current feminine world record in this catagory is held by Julia Bayly of the United Kingdom who flew 59.57 km June 5, 1994.

The FAI has ratified the following records for free balloons:

Duration in AX-6, hot air balloon, feminine record of 12 hours and 18 minutes by Mrs. Toshiko Iciyoshi of Japan flying a Cameron N-56. She set the record flying from Merredin to Tampu, Australia, August 18-19, 1997. The previous record was held by Denise Wiederkehr of the U.S. with a time of 11 hours and 10 minutes set March 23,1 974;

Duration in AX-6, hot air balloon, 15 hours and 2 minutes by Masakazu Oiwa of Japan. He set the record during a flight from Southern Cross to Mount Hampton, Australia, August 18-19, 1997. The previous record was held by Bill Bussey of the U.S. of 14 hours and 14 minutes was set February 4, 1996.

The FAI has also announced that a general Code of Conduct, applicable to all air sports, has been drawn up by the Commission and can be seen in DRAFT form on the FAI website at http://www.fai.org/~fai/environment/code_conduct.html.

FAI Air Sport Commissions are being invited to comment on this general code, and to set about drafting their own specific codes, in amplification of the general principles. A final version of the complete Code of Conduct will be published later this year.