Yost Receives Cabot Award
Paul Edward "Ed" Yost, inventor of the modern hot air balloon and builder of successful transatlantic gas balloons, has been named the 1999 recipient of the Aero Club of New England's prestigious Godfrey L. Cabot Award. (October 1990 issue of Balloon Life told the story of Yost's invention of the hot air balloon, and the October 1994 Balloonmeister featured Yost.) The Boston-area based Aero Club of New England is the oldest aero club in the United States, having been founded by gas balloonists in 1902. The Cabot Award, named for the founder of the Aero Club of New England and first American president of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), is awarded annually to individuals or teams who have made unique, significant, and unparalleled contributions to foster, encourage, and advance aviation and space flight. The honor role of award recipients is even more exclusive than the National Aeronautic Association's Elder Statesman Award which Yost was previously awarded, with only one person or team being named each year. Previous recipients have included Igor Sikorsky, General Curtis LeMay, Dr. Charles Stark Draper, General James Doolittle, the Rutan/Yeager Voyager team, jet engine inventors Sir Frank Whittle and Hans Ohain, and Colonel Joe W. Kittinger, Jr. The formal presentation of the award will be at a luncheon in Boston on June 11, 1999. Anyone interested in attending should send a fax requesting more information to James E. Ellis at 978-772-3712.
FAI News
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale's new offices in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, Switzerland were officially inaugurated on January 21, 1999 with a reception attended by IOC Senior Representatives and leading authorities from the Lausanne municipality and Swiss aviation circles.
A special guest was Lausanne resident Bertrand Piccard, pilot of the Breitling Orbiter 3, who hopes to be the first to fly non-stop round the world in a balloon. He was presented with a first edition 2nd World Air Games special commemorative medal depicting his balloon.
FAI 1st Vice President, Wolfgang Weinreich, told guests that the move to Lausanne was the start of a new era for FAI, in which air sports would find their rightful place on TV, and perhaps one day on the Olympic program. The 2nd World Air Games, in Andalucia (June 2001) would be given wide media coverage throughout the world.
In a separate announcement the FAI has ratified the following three feminine Class A (Free Balloons) records for AM (Mixed Balloon: hot air/gas) size categories AM-03 (volume 400 to less than 600 cubic meters) up to AM-15 (22,000 cubic meters and above): altitude with a performance of 3,723 meters, distance 32.24 kilometers, and duration of 1 hour, 17 minutes 33 seconds. set by Janet Folkes, United Kingdom flying a Lindstrand LBL-14M. Ms. Folkes set her record in Oswestry, Shropshire, United Kingdom on May 22, 1998. No previous records existed.
For further information contact Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, Avenue Mon-Repos 24, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland. Email: press@fai.org. Internet: http://www.fai.org.
Junior Balloonist Challenge
The Iowa Balloonists Association issued a challenge to balloon clubs everywhere. The IBA membership voted to donate $1,000.00 to the Balloon Federation of America Bill Murtorff/Jr. Balloonists' Scholarship Program. A check for this amount was presented to Tina Reeves on October 3, 1998 at the Annual Albuquerque BFA meeting.
IBA's challenge is to see how much balloon clubs can raise to donate to the BFA Jr. Balloonists' Scholarship Program. To date more than $3,002.00 has been raised for this program. As more money is raised scholarships in the name of other prominent balloonists will be started.
What better way to acknowledge the achievements of young balloonists then by investing in their futures? This can also be considered an investment in the future of ballooning as well. This would be a great way for your club to start the New Year out. Get them to write a check to the BFA Jr. Balloonists' Scholarship Program.
If you have any questions contact Jill Rubin by phone 515-989-4034, email: jjrubin@raccoon.com or Tina Reeves by phone 505-792-3484, email: skyangel@nmol.com
Get your club involved in something good! You won't regret it.
BFA Competition
With Balloon Federation of America Board approval of the new Competition Committee, hot air balloon competition in the United States is off to a great start for the 1999 season.
The new committee, chaired by three-time U.S. National Hot Air Balloon
Championship Director Dan Sherrill, contains the following members:
Pilot members:
Phil Glebe-Great Lakes Region
Bill Bird-Western Region
Robert Ambeau-Southeast Region
Harold Cliver-Southwest Region
Paul Clinton-At Large
Jim Wolters-North Central Region
Brian Beazly-At Large
Observer members:
Jean Haire
Kathy Lester Ross
In addition, the following BFA members will serve the Competition
Committee in specific capacities:
Guy Gauthier-Equipment Manager
Joel Johnstone-Sanction Manager
Mike Tuten-Observer Manager
Sherrill told Balloon Life, "BFA competition pilots will see little change from the way competition has been conducted in the past. Competitors will pay their sanction fees in the same way, by sending them to the BFA Office. Former CD sanction cards will be used and honored until they run out. Organizers applying for BFA sanctions for their events will work through Joel Johnstone, Sanction Manager and the Competition Committee.
"BFA Observer programs will continue, as will observer ratings, training and testing. In addition, observers will eventually elect their representatives on the new Competition Committee, as will pilot members.
"The BFA is still the sanctioning body of balloon competition in the U.S.," said Sherrill, "as the ballooning affiliate of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the Committee International Aerostation (CIA), and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI).
"Pilots will still earn eligibility to compete in the World Championships only through participating in BFA sanctioned events and the BFA National Championships."
Observers at world competitions will also be chosen from BFA ranks, noted Sherrill.
The new BFA Competition Committee had its first meeting on February 6, 1999 in Kansas City, Missouri, to coincide with the BFA Board of Directors held February 5-6 in the same location.
"We're looking forward to the 1999 season," said Sherrill. "With this great team managing U.S. competition, we're confident that the United States will continue to produce the best competitive pilots in the world. The entire committee is excited to be part of that effort."
For more information, contact Dan Sherrill at: 512-280-2558, or email: Aeronaut@freewwweb.com
US Nationals
The U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships will remain in Champaign County, Illinois through the year 2002, thanks to successful negotiations by the Champaign County Balloon National Championships and the Balloon Federation of America.
Representatives from both organizations reached an agreement to continue the event throughout its scheduled three-year run, with an additional two year extension. The 1999 event is scheduled for August 6-14, 1999 in Rantoul.
BFA Competition Committee Chairman Dan Sherrill says balloonists participating in the championship should see little change in the event from the 1998 championships. In 1998, pilots, crews and officials expressed overwhelming approval for the event. That approval mirrored the support of Champaign County landowners, businesses and organizers for the championship.
"We're tremendously excited to be returning to Champaign County," Sherrill told Balloon Life. "With the recent reorganization of competition within the BFA, we're especially pleased to again offer our pilots the excellent facilities and services they experienced last year in Illinois."
CCBNC President Max Mitchell told Balloon Life, "We're very pleased to be able to extend the Nationals through the year 2002 in Champaign County, and look forward to working with the country's best balloonists for another four years."
Mitchell also announces the implementation of a new, 24-hour Championship Hot Line, which balloonists may reach by calling 217-378-7451. "We encourage anyone who has comments or needs information to use this telephone number," says Mitchell.
CCBNC Board Vice President Ray Boudreaux says that organization is very happy with the agreement, and looking forward to the balloonists' return. He says the CCBNC has continued its fundraising activities on an ongoing basis, and is progressing well toward meeting its financial commitments. "Now that we have an agreement," Boudreaux says, "we can begin our 1999 sponsorship drive with great vigor."
Dan Sherrill will again serve as Championship Director for the event. The BFA Office, he says, will soon forward address labels to CCBNC. Staff in Rantoul will begin within the next few weeks inviting competitive and sport pilots to register.
For more information, please contact Dan Sherrill at 512-280-2558, or the 24-hour Championship Hotline at 217-378-7451.
FAA News
The Federal Aviation Administration's Flight Standards Aviation Information website http://av-info.faa.gov/, has been updated and makes navigating the maze of FAA sites easier.
Revision of Advisory Circular 43.13-1A (now -1B), "Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices of Aircraft Inspection and Repair," is now available at http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/300/pdf/1a-cover.pdf.
The FAA Examiners Section in Oklahoma City has issued a statement that any Airmen Test Report without an embossed seal is not a valid report and shall not be accepted by Aviation Safety Inspectors and Designated Pilot Examiners during the testing process.
FAA Order 8080.6B is very specific that a Computer Testing Designee place the embossed seal on all validated test results. If the inspector or examiner accepts a report without the seal, the certification package will be rejected by the Oklahoma City FAA Center. Faxed or Xerox copies of a test are also unacceptable. Duplicate copies of an Airmen Test Report can only be obtained through a request sent to the Airmen Certification Branch, AFS-760, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK. 73125.
Prevent delay by insuring that any test reports you receive whether you are an examiner, student or private pilot upgrading to commercial has the seal on the Knowledge Test Report results.
Questions or issues regarding any subject relating to Airman certification or Testing, are encouraged to contact Phil Bryant, Chairman BFA Designated Pilot Examiners Committee, by e-mail: philip_m_bryant@msn.com.
Head Balloons
In an effort to hold down costs, Head Balloons, Inc. has added a second FlyTec instrument package to its line of instrumentation, the Flytec 4005. Last year, Head became the first balloon manufacturer in the United States to introduce the Flytec 3040 balloon instrument package. The FlyTec 3040 is designed exclusively for ballooning. It has a wireless envelope temperature indicator, as well as a digital altimeter and Vertical Speed Indicator. The Flytec 4005 is a simpler, less expensive instrument package. It contains a digital altimeter and a VSI. The 4005 is used in conjunction with a hanging style dial thermometer. Both the Flytec 3040 and the 4005 can be viewed on the Internet at: http://www.headballoons.com/.
Head Balloons, Inc. also announced that they have reached an agreement with Phil Kavanagh of Kavanagh Balloons of Australia to use their patented Smart Vent deflation system. It will be available as an option on all Head Balloons later this year.
For more information contact Head Balloons, Inc., PO Box 28, Helen, GA 30545, 800-HEAD BALLOONS, fax 706-865-3874, or email: thead@headballoons.com.