Next CLAS Business Plus Meeting Thursday, Oct. 19, :30 PM Plainville Town Building Calendar of Events

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1 The Scoop The Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society publishes this newsletter for its members and interested parties. Portions of this newsletter may be reprinted if credit is given to the writer and to CLAS. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the organization or members of this organization (but if they are, they ll be exceptionally good ones). For more information contact Penny Christy 12 Blue Grass Rd., Middletown, Ct Phone (860) Volume XIX, Issue 9 October 2006 Next CLAS Business Plus Meeting Thursday, Oct. 19, :30 PM Plainville Town Building Calendar of Events Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Albuquerque, NM Oct. 7 th - 15 th America s Challenge Gas Balloon Race. Albuquerque, NM Oct. 7 th - 15 th Holiday Balloon Festival Battle Creek, MI Dec. 1 st - 3 rd New pilot: Tom Murphy IV, Congratulations, Tom! Another Murphy Takes to the Sky by Santo Galatioto How many Murphy s and friends does it take to crew for a balloon? The answer is about a dozen. I actually lost track of the actual number. On September 4 th, I had the pleasure to give an exam to Thomas F. Murphy the 4 th. We started out at the Southbury commuter lot off of Exit 14 on I 84. After a while Clyde arrived. We waited a bit longer to see if we could draw a crowd but a dozen was about all she wrote. So, off to the launch field we went. I was now riding in a van filled with people, coffee cups and munchkins while we wound our way through the hills to a nice soccer field in Washington, CT. We used the time at the parking lot and the drive to the launch field to cover most items in the oral exam. 1

2 Tom Murphy IV (Cont d) Over the years Murf had heard enough stories about pilots and their experiences that he was able to respond to my answers using most of our mistakes as illustrations of what not to do in certain circumstances. He was well prepared. Right from the start, young Murf was in command. He directed everyone in this symphony that we call setting up a balloon (after all, who is going to mess with someone that is 6 8 tall and around 250 pounds). Everyone pitched in including mom, dad, siblings, the soon to be Aunt Karen, Uncle Mick and Clyde. I know I left out a few people but it was a crowd. When you consider that he was flying a 105, we decided to take along ballast, otherwise known to us a Mick. There was a bit of fog around the area. My drive up from the New Haven area had me down to 20 mph in spots. However, by the time we got to the launch field and after the sun came up, the fog began burning off into great flying weather. The landscape of rolling hills below provided us with the opportunities needed to complete all aspects of the test. I will say that the wind speed had picked up and that getting the lightly loaded 105 to stop was going to be a challenge. We flew for over than an hour when he had completed all of the requirements. Murf selected a front yard of a house that we all dream about. He made a nice landing right along the paved drive that was about a tenth of a mile from the main road. I learned the advantage of having all those Murphy s around; they help pack up. The landowners were thrilled to see us and welcomed us back any time. We went to a local breakfast place where Murf Sr. knew everyone. He was proudly telling the tale of his son the new private pilot. The only thing missing was the handing out of cigars. Congratulations to Tom the IV. He indicated he would promptly begin the commercial and bring ballooning to the UCONN campus. He, like others that follow him, is the future of our sport. If he is any indication of the future, we are in good hands. Report from CLAS Meeting, September 21 st, 2006 In attendance were: Ellen Dressel, Mark Sand, Cindy Smith, Rob Macfarlane, Charlie Perreault, Lina & Todd Balcom, Al Theodore, Mike Bollea, Penny Christy, Garry Guertin, and Kevin Brielmann with special guest John Griffin. Meeting began at 7:45 p.m. John Griffin spoke on behalf of the Shantz Insurance agency. John told about the balloon coverage that Rob Shantz has to offer. There is a Release of Liability on their web site for us to download and use. John also cautioned about under insuring our systems. John also stated that balloon insurance is the only type they handle. He had a handout for everyone that went into detail about the coverage they can offer. Photo Contest: About 45 photos were displayed around the table, ballets were passed out and the contest began. It took quite a while because of the number and fine quality of the pictures. During refreshments the votes were tallied. And the Winners Are: 1 st Place Deb Smith, 2 nd Place Jack Perry, 3 rd Mark Abraitis, 4 th Mark Sand, 5 th Mike Bollea, 6 th Daryl Smith, 7 th Garry Guertin, 8 th Mark Sand, 9 th Beverly Theodore, 10 th Garry Guertin, 11 th Charlie Perreault, and 12th Beverly Theodore. Meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Mike Bollea has refreshments for the next meeting on Oct. 19 th. Respectively submitted, Ellen Dressel, Secretary 2

3 James S. Chubbuck CHUBBUCK, James S. James S. Chubbuck 66, of Middletown, died Tuesday (September 26, 2006) at Middlesex Memorial Hospital, the hospital in which he was born. Jim leaves behind his beloved wife of 44 years Mary ( Atsales) Chubbuck whom he had met while attending the University of C onnecticut and children Stephanie and Charles. James was born August 3, 1940 the son of R. Daniel and Elsa (Thompson) Chubbuck. He was the younger brother of Betsey (Orlando) Chubbuck and elder brother of Pamela Chubbuck. Jim retired from the Middletown Fire Department in 1999 after 26 years of service. He was one of the first certified emergency medical technicians in the department where he championed the program believing it a necessary aspect of firefighting. After serving the Middletown community as a firefighter for 14 years James was promoted to the position of Deputy Fire Marshall. With the help of fellow firefighters George Dunn and dear friend Guy Johnson the Firefighter's Heart and Hypertension Act was created. This statewide act provides financial support for the widow of any firefighter (either active or retired) who dies from a heart attack or cardiac condition that is related to stress. His beliefs and actions leave a legacy of caring for both his fellow firefighters and his community. Jim's love of the sky led him to command several aeronautical disciplines. He was a licensed pilot of private aircraft and sailplanes, and both private and commercial hot air balloons and airships. Jim combined his hobby of flying with his love of people as often as possible. This led him and his hot air balloon to Zimbabwe Africa to raise support for their national team so that they could travel to New Haven to participate in the Special Olympics. With a team of his closest friends he traveled to many parts of the world to fly balloons and airships. Africa, Ireland, Iceland, England, and France were some of the many places that they visited, always with a desire to meet new people and share in their delight at the balloons and their new friends from America. Wherever he traveled he brought joy and his sincere love of people. He will be missed the world over. A Memorial Service will be held at South Congregational Church, 9 Pleasant St., Middletown on Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. Donations may be made to Weiss Hospice c/o Middlesex Hospital, Crescent Street, Middletown, CT Published in the Hartford Courant on 9/29/2006. Paying Last Respects to Jim On October 7 th, a beautiful but breezy Saturday afternoon about balloonist gathered at the South Congregational Church in Middletown to pay last respects to the Gentle Giant. The church was filled with family, friends and the Middletown Fire Dept. It was a beautiful memorial service for fellow balloonist James Shackley Chubbuck. James lost his fight against lung cancer but never once complained during his illness. There were the usual prayers, songs and eulogies. Charles Chubbuck honored his father and Betsey Chubbuck Orlando spoke of their growing up years. Not a dry eye was there to be seen. Following Amazing Grace played on the bagpipes we adjourned to the Social Room for fellowship and reflection. For Sale: Robert Z at (860) RobertZirpolo@comcast.net Cleaning out some of my balloon stuff. Basket Cover Blue Cordura for Balloon Works 4.9 basket $25 Quick Release TBW $25 Winter boots One pair size 12 Northern Outfitters Extreme Winter boots good for -50 degrees F. I've seen pictures of people wearing them on Everest. 3

4 Scenes from the Adirondack Festival Penny flying down the runway to land by Erwin, Jim Regan: Of course they have cows in the barn! Kenny Shumate s puppy has always wanted to sit on the Purple People Eater s eyeballs! 2006 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Gas Balloonists, Mike Wallace and Kevin Brielmann, have a successful flight to Louisiana The scoring team has done its work, and the results are now official. Andy Cayton and Kevin Knapp are the winners of the 11th America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. They are firsttime winners. Cayton and Knapp flew 1,478 miles (2,381 km) from Albuquerque to Citra, FL to capture the title. Their gutsy flight included a swing over the Gulf of Mexico and a long, slow traverse of the Florida panhandle and peninsula. They were in the air for 60 hours, 45 minutes, one of the longer flights in the history of the race. (The race's duration record, 67 hours plus, was posted in 2002 by Mark Sullivan and Cheri White. The race distance record, set in 2000 by David Levin and Alan Levin, is just under 2,000 mi.) In winning, Cayton and Knapp edged out the German/American entry of Wilhelm Eimers and Greg Winker, beating them by just 13 miles. Eimers and Winker flew to Riceboro, GA, just south of Savannah. Third place went to Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis. Barbara Fricke and Peter Cuneo finished fourth. The America's Challenge is considered to be the U.S. qualifying race for the Coupe Gordon Bennett. The Gas Division of the Balloon Federation of America chooses the U.S. Gordon Bennett team and usually invites the primary pilots from the top three American teams in the America's Challenge to compete. If this tradition is followed, Cayton, Abruzzo, and Fricke would head the three U.S. teams at the next Gordon Bennett, to be held in 2007 in Belgium. 1. Andy Cayton/Kevin Knapp 2381 km/1479 mi. in 60 hr, 21 min 2 Wilhelm Eimers/Greg Winker 2359 km/1466 mi. in 41 hr, 46 min 3: Richard Abruzzo/Carol Rymer Davis 1913 km/1189 mi. in 44 hr, 25 min. 4. Barbara Fricke/Peter Cuneo 1893 km/1176 mi. in 41 hr, 38 min 5. Brian Critelli/Phil McNutt 1699 km/1056 mi. in 37 hr. 8 min 6. Louis Vitanza/Bert Padelt 1428 km/887 mi. in 33 hr. 36 min 7. Janet Folkes/Bill Arras 1424 km/885 mi. in 31 hr. 19 min 8. Mark Sullivan/Frank Wechter 1345 km/836 mi. in 20 hr. 30 min 9. J. Michael Wallace/Kevin Brielmann 1279 km/795 mi. in 27 hr. 59 min 10. John Kugler/Dennis Brown 1166 km/725 mi. in 20 hr. 46 min 11. David Levin/Ron Martin 1140 km/708 mi. in 29 hr. 46 min 12. Ruth Lind/John Davis 570 km/354 mi. in 10 hr. 22 min. 13. Tom Donnelly/Colin Butter 568 km/353 mi.* in 20 hr. 47 min 4

5 The 36 th Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships by Santo Galatioto This event is one of the longest-running ballooning events in the world and I am sure that there is none other like it anywhere. The rules for the Championship make it clear that if you take it too seriously you will be disqualified. This year s event was held in the lovely town of Athlone, located midway between Dublin and Galway and truly in the heart of the Irish midlands. Athlone straddles the River Shannon at the base of Lough Ree, one of three lakes that are part of the River Shannon system. You can get more information about Athlone at The event was organized by Malcolm White and Pauline Baker. If you ever see their names in connection with any event, you can be sure that it will be professionally run and fun. The official championships web site will give you a bit of perspective on the event this year. There are also a few photos in their gallery for your viewing pleasure. Many of our CLAS members have been to this event at one time or another and have appropriately hailed it as a must attend event. This year s CLAS attendees included Jim O Brien, Santo Galatioto, Mick Murphy and his wife of 3 days, Karen, Bill Colyer and Pauline Baker, event co-organizer and PAID dues member of CLAS. One other notable included George York from Maine. People came from far and wide to include Chile, France, Great Britain the US and other locations. You get the picture. Jim and I arrived on Saturday in the pouring rain and were able to enjoy his family to including his father, who rounded out my collection of colorful Irish expressions, his lovely mom, beautiful sister, witty brother-in-law and adorable nephew. They joined us at the hotel for the first couple of days and added to the trip immensely. Ballooning started on Sunday with registration around midday. Did I mention that it was raining? Pilots received pilot packs that were complete with everything needed for safe and informative flights. Most participants were sporting bright red windbreakers embroidered with the event logo and one of the sponsor s names, Sean s Bar. (Is there a hidden theme here?) After registration a miracle occurred - the rain stopped and we launched the first flight of the event (keep in mind that last year they only flew one time in the entire week). The launch site was Summerhill College, a nearby school on the western edge of town. Thirty pilots were registered for the event and 21 balloons launched on that first night. Tony (Jim s Dad, thinking Eejits! ), Santo, Pauline and Jim, by the 120 before the Sun pm flight View from the 120 on Sun pm as Santo prepares to explore his first of many bogs We were treated to gentle winds that took us to the northwest along the western edge of the lake. Jim and I were flying with Pauline and 3 passengers in the 120k. What is that saying about 2 pilots being in the basket being dangerous? We had three so it was essential that we clearly communicated who was doing what to insure safety. We all shared the flight starting with Pauline, Jim in the middle of the flight and me at the end. My first glimpse of the countryside from the balloon was breathtaking. Ireland has many small towns that are joined by endless rolling hills of green fields with sheep (more on sheep later), cows and horses, dark bogs (where peat is harvested), few houses, and crazily laid out power lines. Since we took off from the western edge of the small city of 20,000 people, we were quickly over the countryside. The flight was just short of an hour and most of the balloons landed near a cluster of houses with adjoining fields. 5

6 Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships (Cont d) Once we decided that we would begin the landing phase of the flight, I asked Pauline if she wanted to land and she declined, I asked Jim and he declined, I asked them again to ensure no one was just being polite and from the back of the basket came the voice of one of the passengers saying I LL LAND THE THING!! Our crew that evening consisted of Mary, Pauline s sister and Caroline, an associate of Pauline s. They were part of the team and were superb. The neighbors were delighted to see all of the balloons. This was the kick-off of what was to be a great event with 6 flying slots. Most of the pilots stayed at the Shamrock Lodge, a modern hotel in the town of Athlone. That allowed for a centralized location for gathering, briefing, eating, refueling (a large tank was on premises with a refueling stand that had 8 hoses), oh and yes some sleeping. After our return from the first flight we all headed to Sean s Bar for our first toast of the event. Sean s, the Oldest Pub in Ireland according to the Guinness (the beer of choice in Ireland!) book of world records is a lovely pub in the Irish tradition. It is set in the heart of Athlone across Sun pm Malcolm prepares to land the 260 a little further down the road. from Athlone Castle and right on the river. It has the main pub area, a back room, then a beer garden outside and then a picnic area behind that. The back of the place is just across the street from the River Shannon. This is truly in a spectacular setting. When we arrived, we were greeted by Tim Donovan and his wife Aisling, the pub owners and an event sponsor (Aisling, by the way was the passenger who had offered to land the balloon earlier that evening). We had sandwiches, sausages, Guinness and it was all on the house. Ballooning people were scattered throughout the establishment. A great time was had by all. Some of us left earlier than others to take advantage of the sleeping part that comes with hotels prior to the morning flight. Monday morning provided us with another great launch. Jim and I flew off in Pauline s Concept 60, Mystique. Santo and Jim about to fly off in Pauline s Mystique on Mon am Ultimate trust Pauline and her sister Mary watch us take off in Pauline s balloon What a great and responsive system! Pauline had a basketful in the 120 and Malcolm flew off in the Smart Telecom 260k. Jim and I were very impressed with the equipment and crew that Malcolm uses in his ride business in Ireland. He has a 12-passenger van to carry around the passengers when flying the 260. His mostly-female crew includes Tess, Mary, and Caroline. Tess is married to Brian who is one of the funniest crew people I had ever met. Tess was a small woman crewing for the largest system. Her constant smile was infectious. Brian has a sixth sense for chasing. 6

7 Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships (Cont d) That special sense is an essential ingredient when chasing in the Irish countryside where the roads are few and narrow and the hedges alongside are high, often obscuring your view. It became clear to me that anyone could fly in Ireland but that it takes a special person to be an effective crew member. Our flight took us right over the city of Athlone and the River Shannon. The city of Athlone and the River Shannon More bog on Mon am. Santo got current in this one. Since it was a Monday morning, the city was full of people going to work and children going to school. Comments that we received throughout the week were so positive. The local people were continually thrilled to see the balloons. Work stopped everywhere as we passed overhead. Once again we were quickly over the countryside. We approached a bog where I maintained my currency by making the 3 required take-offs and landings. Balloons were everywhere in the sky and the cows below couldn t avoid us. Everywhere you looked the view was as spectacular as the last. In light of the fact that our team had 3 balloons up, our crew that morning was reduced to one person, Mary. Jim selected and landed in a nice-sized back yard with great black top access. Mary was right there but somewhat dismayed, referring to us as cheeky, for landing in someone s yard. We soon learned that this was not the custom but it was not at all an issue. Pauline later confirmed for Mary that we do that all the time in the States. We had some free time in the afternoon between flights but it was quickly filled preparing for the arrival of the newlyweds from the States. Pauline and Mary enlisted Jim and me to help decorate the trailer and basket of Mystique. Mary, Jim and I cut and tied pink ribbon as a scalloped bunting around the basket (the fact I know what that is, is a frightening thought) and we attached 4 (this number has some significance later on) long streamers., one from each corner of the basket. We also attached balloons and a Just Married banner. Pictures were taken of us during and after the decorating. The 3 of us were posing for a picture where Jim and I are holding the just married banner, but Mary stepped out of the shot leaving me and Jim alone. So somewhere in the international ballooning scene is a picture of the newlyweds, Jim and me Mick and Karen arrived in time for the evening briefing and we were soon off to our third flight of the championships. The plan was for Mick and Karen to fly off in the decorated Mystique while Jim and I were to ride in the 260 Airbus with Malcolm and Pauline. We arrived at the field and began setting up the 2 balloons. Mick and Karen were sufficiently embarrassed by our earlier handiwork. The fans were inflating the balloons when all of a sudden one of the fans came to a screeching halt (Did I say the basket had 4 or 3 streamers attached to it?). Malcolm fixed that problem. We then got Mystique inflated but Mick noticed that the pilot light was malfunctioning. After some effort in trying to fix it we abandoned that idea (this was the second links in what was becoming a bad chain of events). Jim and I sent them off to the 260 to fly while we packed up Mystique and joined the chase. Brian summarily declared that we were the cause of the equipment failure with his quick wit: you broke it this morning! The flight was fast. We had a 2 car chase going and they flew into the countryside with all those narrow roads that I mentioned earlier. I gained quite an amount of respect for our crew and their skill. We were in the second car driven by Mary and co-piloted by Caroline, who informed us that they don t listen to the pilots on the radio cause they are generally wrong (who are we to argue with that rationale?). There Jim and I sat in rear seat captivity being driven around the countryside by two crazy women. We were zigging and we were zagging and we were driving fast down narrow roads in what looked like an ongoing game of chicken with oncoming traffic. TO BE CONTINUED 7

8 Adirondack Festival (Cont d) Bill Whalen s remote controlled Mini Balloon flies like the real thing! Bill readies his RC balloon: pilot, basket, fuel and burner system 2 feet tall! Thank-you, everyone, for your contributions to the stories and photos this month. Contributing photographers this month are Mike Bollea, Mark Sand, Penny Christy, Deb Smith and Charlie Perreault, Pam Bogart-Macfarlane and Rob Macfarlane, Jim and Lisa Regan, Pete Hubbell, Santo Galatioto, Jim O Brien and the Irish team and Bob Bernard s friends from Albuquerque... Balloon Federation of America Pay BFA Dues Online BFA members can renew their BFA membership directly online at the BFA web site by going to and select "Join the BFA" in the upper corner of the front page. Pilots, Student pilots and crew who wish to join the Balloon Federation of America can join on line as well, at or by calling the Balloon Federation of America office, CLAS 2006 Competition Schedule April 8 (Called for Wind) Ellington, CT Rt. 83 Ellington Supermarket parking Lot May 20 (Called for Wind) East Windsor CT Balloons over Skylark Airport June 10 (Called for Wind) Cheshire, CT Rte 10 Commuter lot July 8 (Successful event) Cheshire, CT Rte 10 Commuter lot Charlie cleaned up! August 26 (Successful Plainville, CT Plainville Balloon Festival at Norton Park Aug. Event No Competition) (Launched Sat PM, Sun AM between rain drops) September 16 Plantsville, CT Mark, Jim, and Charlie scored. October 14 Cheshire, CT Rte s 10/691 Commuter lot. Launched at AquaTurf, No tasks or scores. November 18 TBA Meet at 6:15 December 9 TBA Meet at 6:00 January 6, 2007 Southington, CT Frozen Buns fly-out Competition flights are scheduled for Saturday mornings. The next morning (Sunday) is the back-up date. Meeting times are usually ½ hour before sunrise. 8

9 Charlie Perreault on a Photo Shoot Charlie flies-in for a photo shoot of a neighborhood landing and tether on Ruy Lane in Southington. Read about CLAS at Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society CLAS Officers President: Penny Christy pmchristy@earthlink.net Vice President: Charlie Perreault bythefireplace@earthlink.net Secretary: Ellen Dressel edressel@cox.net Treasurer: Mark Sand mdsand@snet.net 9

10 CONNECTICUT LIGHTER THAN AIR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION The Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society is a club for anyone interested in learning about, participating in, and improving the sport of ballooning. Pilots, crew, and enthusiasts alike are welcome and ALL can contribute to the safety, enjoyment and education of the sport. Meetings are scheduled monthly on the 3 rd Thursday of the month at the Plainville Municipal Building (Route 372 at Whiting St.) at 7:30 PM. For more information, contact any of the officers listed in this newsletter. CLAS DUES $20 include membership privileges and newsletter. Extra voting family member add $5 Newsletter Subscription Only $15 CLAS Member Pins $5 ($3 members) Decals $2 ($1 members) Landowner Pins $4 ($3 members limited quantity) NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP TELEPHONE (Home) (Work) (Cell) Will accept newsletter electronically? Yes No (Default will be electronically unless notified otherwise.) CLAS Membership Info: Single ($20) Family ($20) Extra Vote ($5) Name: Newsletter Only ($15) New Renewing Crew Student Pilot Private Pilot Commercial Pilot N# BFA # BFA CAAP Level BFA PAAP Level FAA Wings Level Completed Pilot Certificate # Type(s) of Certificate(s) Make Checks payable to CLAS and mail to: CLAS PO Box 53, Southbury, CT Stamp The Scoop/ CLAS FIRST CLASS MAIL PO Box 53 Southbury, CT