The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast Aeronauts

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1 IN THIS ISSUE: View from the Board 1-2 Board of Directors Minutes and Budget Details 1,5,6 PCA Safety Seminar Invitation and Registration Form 3-4 Thursday Thinker 7 Commercial Pilot / IACRA Updates / BFA Seminar 8 Jr. Balloonist Summer Camps 9 For Sale: Thermal Airship Upcoming Events 12 Article Writing Template / PCA Committees Balloonist Resources / Sunrise Calendar 15 Club Information & Membership 16 D o w n W i n d C h a s e The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast Aeronauts View from The Board and Newsletter Co-Editor by Suzanne Seiler Hello Aeronauts, Your pre-registration is very much appreciated. It facilitates planning, particularly for continental breakfast and lunch, not to mention snacks. For those of you who have not yet registered, and you hurry, you can do so using the enclosed form (page 4 -- one form per person) OR and this may be a better idea given the short time remaining you can the committee at pca@pcaballoons.org. Include the number of people attending and you can then pay upon arrival. Check out the seminar details on page 3. By the way, if you have gently used ballooning objects (clothing, knick-knacks, décor, equipment, etc, etc.), please consider bringing them to donate to the club s store and silent auction at the seminar. Thanks! It s March already! Better weather and more rally events are coming upon us quickly. If you haven t already, it s time to take care of that winter balloon maintenance checklist. Speaking of rallies, check the ever-growing list of events herein; we also have some details about a couple of events (so far) that are announcing openings for pilots. Upcoming Meetings Board of Directors Meetings Quarterly on the following Tuesdays: Apr 24 Jul 17 Oct 23 Dec 18 Club Meetings First Wednesdays except as noted* May 2 *July 11 *Sept 12 Nov 7 Dec 7 Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 1 Downwind Chase

2 Your continuing and new Board members and club officers started the year off with a board meeting the end of January. You ll find minutes from that meeting as well as a budget report for 2017 and the planned budget for 2018 within these pages. In addition, there are many plans underway for this year including behind-the-scenes activities for. More community groups and civic agencies are getting on board to keep this historic event thriving. And Chairman of the PCA Board, Patrick Moore, continues to do an outstanding job AND he can use enthusiastic balloonists to help. Please consider giving him an or call (check your membership directory or again, use that PCA address) to find out what you might be able to do -- inquiring minds want to know! Do you have a young, future balloonist in your family friend s family, crew member s family, your neighborhood? There is an opportunity for a teenage balloonist to be a firsttime participant in one of two balloon camps this summer. Lastly (for this time around, anyway), YOUR BALLOONING BUDDIES would LOVE to HEAR ABOUT (no, I m not yelling at you, but you did notice, didn t you?). If you take photos of balloon events you attend and use the writing template herein, it s easy to share about your experiences in this, your newsletter. Hint: print a copy of the template to take along with you. We ll all enjoy hearing about your trip, so please do! Minutes to Board of Directors Meeting January 30, 2018 Submitted by Patrick Moore, Chairperson and Secretary Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 2 Downwind Chase

3 You re Invited... Sponsored by the Pacific Coast Aeronauts To assist the committee with planning, please pre-register by using the form enclosed herein. Alternatively, you may us in advance at and pay upon arrival at the seminar. If necessary, you are welcome to register on the day of the seminar. Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 3 Downwind Chase

4 2018 Safety Seminar Registration Please complete one page per person - Thank you Name: Address: City: Phone: State: Zip: (H) (C) Address: Please Check One: Commercial Pilot Private Pilot Student Pilot Crew: Observer: Jr. Balloonist (10-17) BFA#: Seminar Costs: PCA Member Members: Pilots $40 each Crew Person/Observer $15 each Non-Members: Pilots $50 each Crew Person/Observer $20 each Youth / Jr. Balloonists: Free PCA Membership Dues for 2018: Single Person Membership: $20 Family Membership: $30 Total Amount Paid: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make Checks Payable to: Pacific Coast Aeronauts Mail to: Pacific Coast Aeronauts Safety Seminar Linda Walton Camden Avenue, Suite 76 San Jose, CA Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 4 Downwind Chase

5 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, continued from page 2 The PCA Budget Review for 2017 and Proposed Budget for 2018 can be found beginning on page 6 Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 5 Downwind Chase

6 Pacific Coast Aeronauts Budget Worksheet Accepted by Board Vote at Board Meeting of January 30, 2018 January to December 2017 Actual Income/Expenses and 2018 Proposed Income/Expenses Club Income 2017 Actual 2018 Proposed Club Dues Merchandise/Miscellaneous Safety Seminar 1, , Donations WHAMOBASS 2, , Total Income 4, , Club Expenses 2017 Actual 2018 Proposed Awards Club BFA Memberships Bank Charge Books (crewing essentials) Miscellaneous Expenses Flowers for Members Legal Fees PCA Archives Office Supplies Voting Website Hosting & Committees Safety Seminar Jr. Balloonist Grants Holiday Party Food, A/V, Handouts 1, , WHAMOBASS Expenses 2, , Expense Total 5, , NOTES: - Website hosting is not due until Office 365 is due in account cost is $7.99 starting January 31, 2018 Prepared by Linda Walton, PCA Board Member and Treasurer Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 6 Downwind Chase

7 FROM THE EDITOR: Below is a new feature we are accepting from Adam Magee, President of THE BALLOON TRAINING ACADEMY, a 501(c )(3) non-profit organization. Every Thursday, the organization publishes a post entitled Thursday Thinker. It focuses on a think-about or difficult question related to the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). More information about THE BALLOON TRAINING ACADEMY can be found at or at their website at By Adam Magee President of THE BALLOON TRAINING ACADEMY Below are a couple of recent questions asked of The Balloon Training Academy with their respective answers: Question #1: Chase, a private pilot, was contacted by the local animal shelter to donate a balloon ride for an auction to benefit the shelter. Chase loves animals and agrees to donate a ride to the charity. Chase will not receive any money for his donation or reimbursement of any expenses. The charity expects the balloon ride to sell for $500 during the auction. Is this a violation of the privileges and limitations of a private pilot certificate? Note: 28% of the 53 respondents answered this correctly. Answer: Yes, this is a violation of the privileges and limitation of a private pilot certificate and Chase can t do this! Although Chase is not being paid to conduct this flight, the sponsor of the event auctioning the flight will receive compensation in the form of the auction proceeds. In the preamble to the final rule of , the FAA recognized charity flights in this arrangement as compensation, but in the interest of the public good and charity, stated these flights should be permitted to operate outside of part 135 requirements provided the other requirements of are met, including the requirement that the pilot in command of the flight must have 500 hours of flight time was written specifically for airplanes and helicopters. It does not apply for balloons. Therefore, there is no ability for Chase to provide the ride to charity. The ride would be considered as flying for compensation or hire and is a violation of the privileges and limitation of a private pilot certificate. Question #2: Jack is a new student pilot in the area. He is SUPER excited about ballooning and plans to get his private and commercial completed within a year. He wants to take his commercial knowledge exam first and then the private. Can Jack complete the knowledge exams in this order? 22% of the 54 respondents answered this correctly. Answer: Yes, he can complete the knowledge exams in this order. Any person may take the commercial knowledge test at any time, but the test results are only valid for 24 months. Question #3: Sam, a student pilot, acquired a well used balloon. After 8 training flights the balloon is deemed unairworthy and Sam purchases another balloon to complete his training. Sam then decides that he wants to take his unairworthy balloon and practice landings on a tether. Can Sam practice landings on a tether with an unairworthy balloon? 89% of the 74 respondents answered this correctly. Answer: A balloon in flight (regardless of on a tether) must comply with all regulations concerning flight. This includes being airworthy. Be sure to give the next THURSDAY THINKER a try on our Facebook page! Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 7 Downwind Chase

8 After a July 2016 balloon accident in Lockhart, Texas, that caused 16 fatalities, the FAA took proactive steps to increase the safety of hot-air balloon tourism. As the result of a year-long FAA Call to Action with the commercial hot-air balloon industry, the Balloon Federation of America (BFA) has developed an Envelope of Safety accreditation program for balloon ride operations. Consumers can use the program to select a ride company or pilot that strives to reach a higher safety standard. To meet the BFA s program requirements, company pilots of balloons that are capable of carrying more than 4-6 passengers must be commercially certificated for 18 months, have a specified amount of flight experience, and hold an FAA second-class medical certificate. Pilots also must pass a drug and alcohol background check, have attended a BFA-sanctioned safety seminar within the last 12 months, and be enrolled in the FAA WINGS program. The BFA will verify this information annually, and will check the safety background of pilot applicants by researching FAA accident and incident data. A second part of the program provides balloon ride operators with a choice of three levels of safety accreditation: Silver, Gold, or Platinum. While any size company can achieve the highest level, the tiered structure is designed with different size companies in mind. Each level has increasingly stringent safety requirements. The FAA believes the BFA program will enhance safety and professionalism, and will allow consumers to be better informed before they choose a commercial balloon ride operator. For more information about program details, visit: Pro_Ride_ Operators/Envelope%20of%20 Safety% 20Program%20-% pdf. IACRA Updates to Online Processing FAA s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) is the web-based certification/ rating application at that guides the user through the airman application process. IACRA helps ensure applicants meet regulatory and policy requirements through the use of extensive data validation. It also uses electronic signatures to protect the information's integrity, eliminates paper forms, and prints temporary certificates. Some of the recent updates to the system include the minimum age being lowered to 13 years old; applicants at least 13 years old may now begin the Student Pilot application process, though the application can t be completed until 90 days before their 14th birthday; temporary certificates will now be issued for student pilots, and will be available for printing after FAA internal processing is complete and the applicant is at least 14 years old; and remote pilot certificate processing for small unmanned air-craft systems (suas) is available. The BFA Online Seminar will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2018 Registration Began on February 15 In a bid to improve the viewing experience the BFA will be hosting a shared video experience. Viewers will simultaneously watch pre-recorded video segment, and will have the chance to interact with the speakers via chatroom-like messaging system during the speaker s presentation. For more information go to: Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 8 Downwind Chase

9 The PCA has one scholarship for a first-time camper! Compose an essay about what you hope to learn at Camp! Send your submission to pca@pcaballoons.org From the Balloon Federation of America Camp registration is here registration began March 1st!! Register by going to the following website: There will be two camps this year: June 25th-30th in Waupaca, Wisconsin and July 7th- 12th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We only have 25 spots per camp. Spots will be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis with priority given to first-time campers. We expect both camps to fill quickly... so get your application in early! There are many scholarships available through local balloon groups or the Balloon Federation of America. Be sure to check those out and submit your essay. We are always looking for more youth sponsors! If you would like to sponsor a camper or contribute supplies to this year's camp, please contact Youth Program Chair, Mike Shrum. can be found on page 18 Pssst there s always room for more voices Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 9 Downwind Chase

10 Thermal Airship For Sale! We are actively looking for a buyer for our thermal airship system! It is a GEFA FLUG AS105 GD-4. The primary envelope has less than 20 hours on it and the entire system has just 2:40 hours on it since last annual inspection. It is clean (we always use tarps, even on green grass) as you can see in the included images, taken September It is ready to fly on delivery. It also comes with all accessory equipment necessary to inflate and fly including the tarps and trailer. Primary envelope (approx. 20 hours) There are three 15-gallon Titanium fuel tanks and one 15-gallon Stainless Steel fuel tank. It also comes with 10 airship main banners (used) in their own bags and two unused nose banners. The fuel hose panel seen in Banners and Fuel Adapter Panel Continued on next page Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 10 Downwind Chase

11 Thermal Airship for Sale, continued Primary envelope Secondary envelope the pictures is mounted in the trailer. It also comes with a second envelope which needs some work but is serviceable or a resource for parts. The truck in the picture is NOT included but can transport the trailer and equipment to a buyer anywhere in the contiguous USA if desired. Trailer 8.5 feet by 20 feet Added bonus: I can teach a new pilot or be available for hire as a pilot. Please share this with anyone you think may have interest or contact me any time for more information. Thanks, David Wakefield cheerspilot@comcast.net Gondola (Car) Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 11 Downwind Chase

12 Upcoming Events Event information in this newsletter is compiled from several resources, and is not to be considered as an endorsement by the PCA, its respective officers or members. There may be additional events not included here and dates may be subject to change. Check available links and respective websites for the most current information. Set Your Clocks Ahead Saturday Night, March 10th BFA Online Seminar Saturday, April 28, 2018 Registration began February 15 Winnemucca Balloon Festival May 18-20, 2018 Winnemucca Sports Complex, Winnemucca, NV Jeff Haliczer: Grants Pass Balloon & Kite Festival June 1-3, 2018 South Middle School, Grants Pass, OR Robert Raper, Balloon Event Director (406) PCA Safety Seminar Saturday, March 17, 2018 Emanuel Lutheran Church, Lodi, CA Linda Walton Heritage Balloon Festival & Centennial Celebration (New Event) McArthur, CA May 11-13, 2018 Larry or Lori or LSDonner@frontier.net Wings of History Fly-In Saturday, May 19, 2018 San Martin, CA Jeanne Anson: jats@lta2sum.com Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic June 9-10, 2018 Keiser Park, Windsor, CA Jennifer Lorne & Gladys Stewart pilots@schabc.org In addition to the event date and contact information above, we received copies of pilot invitations from Grants Pass Balloon & Kite Festival in Oregon and Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic. Be sure to review communications you may have received from these organizations or use contact information provided above to discover details regarding additional event details, pilot entry requirements and pilot benefits. In addition to sunrise/dawn launches, Grants Pass has night glow, media flight and tethering opportunities. They request your application be sent to them by March 15 and include the number of volunteer crew you anticipate needing from among local citizens. They are limiting the number of balloons to 20. Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic s deadline for pilot applications was February 15; you may however, still be needed (we heard that some phone solicitations were being made). This year s event will benefit the non-profit Redwood Empire Food Bank. Learn about more upcoming events by visiting the Balloon Federation of America website: (click on Events) Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 12 Downwind Chase

13 Think You Can t Write an Article? TEMPLATE FOR SHARING YOUR BALLOONING EXPERIENCES (and Brighten the Day for Other Ballooning Enthusiasts) So, you ve been to some balloon rallies? Will you share your experience with the club? Please? All the readers of this newsletter would love to hear about ballooning rallies going on in different locales. And perhaps some who couldn t attend will, in a way, relish your experience vicariously all because you shared! It s easy to share your ballooning experiences with others with the bullet prompts below to help you write a paragraph or two or more! These are just suggestions; use as many or few as you like, and go ahead, add some new prompts (and please let us know what you ve added). Here s what we d like to know: Name, dates and location of the event. How many balloons attended the rally? Did you bring crew with you or were you able to be assigned some local crew? Did the weather cooperate for all the flights? What were your flight tracks like? Which flight did you enjoy the most? Did you see some interesting sights or land formations that were especially striking from the air? Special passengers or landowners? Did you Glow? Were there any special shape balloons? Did you tailgate after flying or did you all head to breakfast? Were there other adventures after flying? Hiking, rafting, sightseeing, historic sights? How were your accommodations? Any other special aspects to your trip? Please share some photos as well. Send your article to the club s at pca@pcaballoons.org. The newsletter editors will happily answer any questions you might have about submitting your article and tidy up any spelling or glaring grammatical issues. Most importantly? Sharing your experiences will brighten up the day for our readers. Who knows? You might give someone new the spark for ballooning. Thank You! Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 13 Downwind Chase

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15 Pilot and Crew Resources If you re interested in acquiring these resources, or have some favorite ones to share, please contact Linda Walton at or The PCA has Crew Safety Quick Reference guides, also by Schwontkowski & Murray, available for $3.50 each including postage. (Contact us for quantity discounts) Crewing Essentials This is an excellent, wellorganized book with great details about all aspects of crewing, authored by Gordon Schwontkowski and Alyson Murray. Copyright 2008, paperback. Cost is $18 each or 2 for $35. SIX MONTH SUNRISE CALENDAR Jan :21 Feb :07 Mar : : : : : : : : : :02 Apr :51 May :04 Jun :45 8 6: : : : : : : : : :12 Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 15 Downwind Chase

16 PCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CLUB OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Name Patrick Moore Board Position Chairperson, Secretary Year BoD Term Ends Club Position 2018 whamobass Committee Chairpersons David Wakefield President 2019 President, Co-Secretary Website; Facebook Tom Sharpee Vice President Technical Linda Walton Treasurer 2018 Treasurer Safety Seminar; Winter Party; Gustine Suzanne Seiler BM 2019 Co-Secretary Newsletter Jeff Haliczer BM 2018 Jr. Balloonists Robert (Bob) Locklin BM 2018 Awards Jeff Downs BM 2019 Awards Jeanne Anson Jr. Balloonists There s always space for more voices! Pilot Briefing: Tools to Plan Your Flight Tracy AWOS San Martin AWOS Flight Service If you have a favorite flight planning resource, send us a note at pca@pcaballoons.org and we ll publish it here. Disclaimer Information contained within this issue of the Downwind Chase is the most up-to-date and correct information available at the time this newsletter was issued. The PCA, its Officers and Directors are not responsible for the accuracy of the material enclosed herein. Opinions expressed in the Downwind Chase are solely those of the individual authors and should not be perceived to be those of the PCA, the Editor, Publisher, or its leadership. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATI ON / RENEWAL Membership & Merchandise: Cost: Pilot or Crew: $20.00 Family Membership: $30.00 For Postal Delivery of the Newsletter: $5.00 PCA Pins: 1 for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00 WHAMOBASS #50 Pins: $10.00 Shipping for Pins: $1.00 TOTAL ENCLOSED: $ Please make checks payable to: Pacific Coast Aeronauts Mail to: Linda Walton Treasurer Pacific Coast Aeronauts Camden Ave., Suite 76 San Jose, CA Please print clearly. You may use this form to update your contact information as well. Pilot Crew Name (s): Address: (Number) (Street) (Apt) (City) (State) (Zip) Phone please check preferred: (Home) (Mobile) Pacific Coast Aeronauts March 2018 Page 16 Downwind Chase