“HOT AIR, WINGS AND FLYING THINGS”
BFA’s Louisville Convention a Big Success: Part I
The 1300 room Galt House Hotel on the Ohio River front in Louisville, KY turned out to be a great place for the Balloon Federation of America’s first national hot air ballooning convention in at least 15 years, “Unbridled Flight 2008.” Approximately 470 balloonists turned out for the convention held on April 4-6. Kentucky balloonist Scott McClintock and his Kentucky-Ohio BFA team did a terrific job of putting together a well run event. The hotel had two towers straddling a Louisville street. A third floor bridge between the two sides of hotel had casual restaurant and bar with views of Ohio River where many balloonists would meet and talk. The elegant revolving Rivue restaurant on the 25th floor had great food and spectacular river views, and even a piano player setting a romantic mood playing “As Time Goes By” from the classic movie “Casablanca.”
Convention sessions and balloon vendor displays were also on the third floor. One of the only frustrations was having to choose between too many good session offerings, only a few of which were repeated at different times. During some time periods one had to choose from as many as four different subjects being offered. There was a bit of excitement early Friday evening when there was a small fire in the kitchen on a lower floor, causing an evacuation. Former BFA president Jim Thompson (no longer a young man) and his wife were in the Rivue and had to walk down 25 floors.
Sessions got underway 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. Highlights from three of the sessions will be included in this month’s article, with Don Cameron’s banquet speech and a look at the BFA and ballooning’s status and future prospects in Part II next month.
Computer in the Basket: Past National Champion Al Nels showed the incredible capabilities competition balloonists carry in their balloon baskets today. On a notebook computer, Nels had a Moving Map display; Sectional; the event Organizer provided map; and Google Earth Aerial Photo all were keyed to allow them to be overlaid and selectable inflight. For competition PZs could be added to the maps. (This was demonstrated at the session.)
Sectionals/Street Maps/satellite photos could be overlaid by keying in identical coordinates on each map. Compe software, European software available for 105 Euros (approximately $167), was best for overlaying and displaying different maps and satellite photos. Compe software was only available using Windows XP or Windows 2000, not the new Microsoft Vista. So anyone interested in using it this year better get on EBay quick and find a new or used XP computer before they are gone. Al Nels recommended the Panasonic CF18 or CF73, both of which had daylight readable displays. He had his mounted on a board with Velcro straps he could mount in his balloon or in a borrowed balloon basket.
You can “practice fly” a flight over the maps prior to the actual flight. You can also use flight logging to keep track of everything you did. Al Nels suggested that if you did anything that could be a problem that you might want to erase the track file when you land lest an overzealous FAA inspector use it to bust you.
Minimum Safe Altitudes: Kevin Cloney, who has been leading an Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (AAAA) effort to get FAR 91.119 changed presented a comprehensive look at the Minimum Safe Altitudes issue. He said the reg that became FAR 91.119 was written in 1947 to keep returning WWII pilots from barnstorming. First enforcement action against balloons for minimum safe altitude violation was in 1976. Every enforcement action included 91.13: Careless and Reckless.
The FAA spends countless hours and thousands of dollars issuing waivers of 91.119 for balloon rallies all over the U.S., but denied petitions to change it in 1991, 1995, and 1999 saying they didn’t have the resources to evaluate the petition and that it was not a great enough safety concern.
Even requests by ranking politicians to do something about the rule were ignored by the FAA. In 1997, the House of Representatives Report 105-3131 ordered the FAA to examine concerns and report back on the feasibility of exempting hot air balloons from 91.119. In 1998, New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici of the Senate Appropriations Committee ordered the FAA to look at the issue. They did nothing. Cloney said this was Contempt of Congress.
Over the past several years, two studies coordinated with FAA representatives collected data in support of changing 91.199. A BFA study had 320 coordinated flights meeting FAA rules and using GPS. AAAA has collected data on 6113 flights! Both studies clearly showed that changing 91.119 would increase safety with few if any resulting problems. The AAAA has provided all the justification and information the FAA regulations require.
Cloney is now working with New Mexico Congresswoman Heather Wilson. She is asking Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell to do something. (The objective is to simply add “and balloons” to the section of 91.119 that allows helicopters to legally fly lower.) The NPRM on Minimum Safe Altitudes was supposed to show up last September, but Cloney noted that the FAA has 1032 rulemaking changes in their queue and things may take time. Cloney remains optimistic. He concluded by saying “We will get this through.”
By Jim Ellis a Commercial SEL/SES airplane and hot air balloon pilot closing in on 2500 hours total time in over 160 different airplanes and 40 hot air balloons (and one autogyro). He is the author of “Buying and Owning Your Own Airplane, Third Edition” (ASA/www.asa2fly.com) and has written nearly 250 articles in the Atlantic Flyer. He has co-owned the same Cherokee 180C for over 30 years.