Soukup & Thomas Closes
Balloon Life has learned that the Soukup & Thomas International Balloon and Airship Museum in Mitchell, South Dakota has closed its doors. Balloon Life spoke with city officials who confirmed that the museum shuttered its door October 2, 1998. The museum building is owned by the city and the museum's collection is owned by a non-profit corporation controlled by the museum's founders Jacques Soukup and Kirk Thomas.
Balloon Life has learned that the museum closed as a result of insufficient revenue to cover the operating expenses. City officials in Mitchell did tell Balloon Life that they hope to open the museum during the summer tourist season, but that plans were indefinite at this time.
Becky Pope, former director of the museum, has left Mitchell and taken a job in another state.
FAI News
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has ratified the following world records for free balloons:
Absolute record for distance and sub-class record for AM-13 (mixed balloon-Roziere) of 22,910 kilometers (14,250 miles) by J. Stephen Fossett (USA). Mr. Fossett set his record during a solo around the world attempt last August. He took off from Mendoza, Argentina on August 16 and made a forced landing in the Pacific, near Chesterfield Islands, August 18. He also held the previous record of 16,673.81 kilometers.
A new duration record for sub-class BA-6 (lighter-than-air-gas airships) of 14 hours 8 minutes was achieved in s Skyship Industrie 600 at White Plains, NY September 5, 1998. The flight crew, all from the USA, included James Gross, John McHugh, Ken Petschow, and Mark Pinsky. The previous record of 8 hours 50 minutes 12 seconds was held by B. Allen in a Raven Helium set December 2, 1985.
A new distance record for sub-class AX-4 (hot air balloons) of 295 kilometers (183 miles) has been claimed by Michael Emich (USA). Mr. Emich made his flight February 13, 1999 from Galesburg, Illinois with a homebuilt balloon. The current record is held by Pat Harwell (USA) of 224.84 kilometers.
RTW Update
With the current winter season to attempt an around the world balloon flight in the northern hemisphere still being contested, British tycoon Richard Branson has announced that he, balloon builder Per Lindstrand, and American adventurer Steve Fossett will be making another bid. This time the trio plans on launching in Argentina. Balloon Life has learned that an advance team is currently in Argentina preparing for a summer launch window.
Conditions in the southern hemisphere become favorable in late Spring and last until late Summer..
"We would still love for a British team to be the first around the world and by flying in May and in the Southern Hemisphere we think it gives us a good chance," says Branson.
"But whether this will be the last trip or not, I'm not sure.
"I think maybe after this trip, if we fail again, it might be time to call it a day, but we are going to give it one last try."
His last attempt to fly around the world in a balloon last year failed when bad weather forced the team to ditch into the sea off Hawaii. The Virgin boss said traveling in the Southern Hemisphere would mean flying over more ocean.
"In some ways it is slightly more dangerous because we haven't been able to get the over-flying rights from various countries like Russia, Iraq, Iran, China.
"But I think that for a balloonist to go around the world now, the only way of going around is a Southern Hemisphere flight.
"We think that we have got the ballooning technology cracked and our balloon and our capsule worked perfectly last time and, therefore, we hope it's going to be fourth time lucky.
"The last trip was quite magnificent and we had the most wonderful voyage crossing 22 countries.
"It was a magnificent trip. Sadly, it wasn't successful."
The Breitling has proven Branson wrong by being able to fly south of the trouble zones and still cross the Pacific.
On Thursday, February 11 Jacques Soukup's Albuquerque based balloon team abandoned plans to try to fly around the world this winter, saying weather and international problems left them no choice.
"We're extremely disappointed," Jacques Soukup said. Soukup, Briton Crispin Williams and Albuquerque pilot Mark Sullivan had hoped to fly their Spirit of Peace balloon around the world this winter.
But the team never got the right combination of wind patterns and permission from foreign governments to make an attempt possible. They still hope to try circling the globe, they said, possibly along a southern hemisphere route this summer or again in the northern hemisphere next winter.
La Niña fouled the world's weather patterns, Williams said, making it impossible to safely attempt the flight.
Rescuers Honored
The 571st Medical Company, Fort Carson, Colorado, has been awarded the Army Aviation Association of America Air/Sea Rescue Award for successfully rescuing five people in a life-threatening situation. Maj. Robert Eaton, 1SG Donald Greg and Squadron Commander LTC Shannon Davis accepted the award at the AAAA Aviation Center Chapter's Annual Awards Banquet in Fort Rucker, Alabama, February 3, 1999. The AAAA Air/Sea Rescue Award, created and sponsored by Lucas Aerospace, honors members of air rescue commands for outstanding bravery and valiant performance in air/sea rescues.
On March 15, 1998, over a four-and-a-half hour period, county rescue crews, El Paso Search and Rescue, and Denver Flight for Life attempted to reach five stranded victims of a hot air balloon that had crashed on the side of a cliff on a mountain range northwest of Leadville, Colorado. After these attempts failed, the 571st Medical Company evacuation crew was called in to hoist the victims off the mountain. The crew used a jungle penetrator attached to a Lucas Aerospace internally mounted rescue hoist from a UH-60A Blackhawk Helicopter. Stranded on a 70 degree slope in a tight draw on a snow bank just below an ice chute, the victims had attempted to secure the basket and balloon to several trees to prevent them from falling. Because of the difficult terrain and high altitude the helicopter crew needed to make several attempts to rescue the balloon team. Joyce Bundgaard contributed to this story.
Balloon Federation of America Update
The Balloon Federation of American held a winter board meeting in Kansas City, Missouri February 6 and 7. Marlene Gaidzik was confirmed as the Director from the Great Lakes Region. She replaces Allen Yost who resigned. Members in the region will vote during this summer's election to fill the remaining two years of the position.
The Board reviewed and authorized a new petition to the Federal Aviation Administration from the BFA with regard to Federal Aviation Regulation 91.119 (minimum safe altitudes).
The Board, after presentation, by counsel and independent counsel on legal matters pertaining to the former competition division and its financial transactions, including outstanding funds, authorized attorney Robert Manchester to explore the appropriate legal actions required to resolve all outstanding issues pertaining to the former competition division, and to secure the proper allocation of all funds and assets under the control of that former division, its directors, officers, and appointees.
The Board also voted unanimously to direct Manchester to take immediate actions to freeze any BFA funds under the control of Albuquerque attorney Paul W. Smith, and to proceed with whatever actions may be necessary to recover those funds. Mr. Smith was the attorney for the former competition division and held in a trust account $19,096.64. The former division was dissolved in late December and ceased to exist. The President of the BFA had requested the return of those funds. Mr. Smith presented a "release of claims" from the former division board of directors as a condition to releasing the funds.
Balloon Life has obtained a copy of the "release of claims" letter. In part, it requests that "[BFA] does hereby release and forever discharge the BFA-CD and its officers, board of directors and agents from any and all claims, damages, costs, expenses, and causes of action, arising from any act or occurrence of the BFA-CD, up to the present time."
On February 24 the BFA filed a lawsuit against Paul Smith with the Second Judicial District Court, County of Bernalillo, State of New Mexico, for "Replevin and breach of fiduciary duty."
After the suit was filed against Mr. Smith, his wife, Beth Wright-Smith, former BFA board member, tendered her resignation from the BFA. In an open letter she stated, "Mr. Smith informed the BFA president that in the event the BFA and the former CD board could not reach an agreement on the release, that he would file an interpleader on March 1 allowing the transfer of the CD legal funds back to the BFA."
By filing an interpleader Mr. Smith would ask the court to decide to whom the money belonged. According to an attorney contacted by Balloon Life, when there is a question in the attorney's mind as to who is the rightful owner of the funds he should ask the court to arbitrate the matter.
By placing the funds with the court anyone who thinks that they might have a claim to those funds can petition the court. In other words, if the interpleader is filed the BFA does not necessarily get its money back. It is also possible that the cost to recover the funds might be more than the balance. Because of the pending lawsuit neither side was available for comment.
Balloon Life has learned that the former division's only financial records returned to the BFA was a computer disk containing several accounting files. By early March the BFA had not received any written financial documentation including invoices for past expenses such as the $11,211 the division spent on its Dead Center Drop brochure last fall. In that brochure the division prided itself on excellent financial management. According to Internal Revenue Service guidelines, written documentation is important to substantiate expenditure claims.
Additional legal action against the former division board of directors is currently under review by outside legal counsel retained by the BFA.
In other business the board created a development committee whose purpose will be funds generation through charitable donation and grants. Chair will be Ted O'Hara, other members include Glen Moyer, Charlie Sundquist, and Tina Reeves.
The competition committee presented the results of their meeting, which included a plan for the National Hot Air Balloon Championship as well as their 1999 proposed budget. The board accepted their report and budget proposal. Bill Bird is the committee treasurer. The BFA treasurer is a non-voting member of this committee and is one of the three signatories for checks. The committee's "treasurer" function is an actuarial function only with the BFA treasurer reviewing all statements and disbursements in a timely manner. The committee treasurer is not one of the allowed signatories on checks. All checks require two signatures, same as the main funds.
The new competition committee announced the first ever U.S. National Women's Hot Air Balloon Championship, to be held in conjunction with the 1999 U.S. Nationals in Champaign County, Illinois. Women who qualified during the 1998 competition year to enter the U.S. Nationals will participate in the Women's Championship at the same time.
As an incentive for more events to become sanctioned, the Competition Committee, with the approval of the BFA Board, will offer BFA sanctioning at no charge to any 1999 local event that meets BFA sanction guidelines.
"Sanctioning will provide significant value to an event," says Dan Sherrill committee chair, "because it carries with it coverage under the BFA's non-owned aircraft policy, and liability coverage for event officials, at no cost to the organizer."
Regional and state championships, says Sherrill, will be charged a sanctioning fee, which will be negotiated upon application for such a championship.