AeroStats January 2019 The Monthly Newsletter of the Willamette Aerostat Society Volume 21, Number 1
Table of Contents S/T Report Page 3 Happenings Page 4 Party photos Page 5 Jr. Balloon Camps Page 5 Airworthiness Page 6 & 7 Safety Seminar Page 7 AoY Criteria Page 8 Seminar Form Page 9 WAS application Page 10 2019 Please Join Us at the January WAS Meeting Saturday, Jan. 12 at 1 PM Lynx FBO, Building C Aurora Airport, Keil Road NE, Aurora, OR It s a potluck. Please bring a plated dish to share. There will be a presentation on the history of ballooning. 2019 WAS Officers Have you......renewed Your WAS membership? You can find an application on page 10 of this newsletter. President: Shari Gale sharigaleor@gmail.com Vice President: Matt Webster chevy1320racing@yahoo.com Secretary/Treasurer: Dale Justice Outerlimits41@aol.com Others: Newsletter Editor: Shari Gale sharigaleor@gmail.com Activities Director: Pasha Luber pjluber@gmail.com WAS website: http://www.wasballoon.info AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 2
Willamette Aerostat Society Secretary/Treasurer s Report Willamette Aerostat Society General Meeting Saturday, December 15, 2018 Present: Shari Gale, President Matt Webster, Vice President Dale Justice, Secretary-Treasurer Shari Gale, Newsletter Editor Pasha Luber, Activities Director and 16 additional members. 1. Meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Shari at Edie Stoaks house in Portland, OR. Introductions of attendees were held. The annual WAS party potluck dinner was enjoyed by all. 2. Minutes of the October 27, 2018 meeting were moved by Pasha and seconded by Carmen Blakely to be approved as printed in the November, 2018 Aerostats newsletter. Motion passed. 3. Treasurer s report from Dale, as of December 14, 2018. 2018 Members 85 2019 Members 7 Checking $ 1017.53 Savings 105.00 Cash 107.00 Total $ 1229.53 4. Election The election of officers was held. There were two email votes. The slate was elected unanimously. Shari and Dale will be serving their final year in 2019. 5. Correspondence A tax receipt for the $450.00 for the Junior Balloonist activity was received from the BFA. 6. Announcements Aeronaut and Crew of the Year Awards One nomination for AOY was received and one for COY. The guidelines were discussed. There will be another discussion at the January meeting. 7. Regulatory 1. The FAA budget bill passed in Congress. No Notice of Proposed Rule Making has yet been issued for the medical requirement for balloon pilots. 2. New guidelines from the FAA regarding waivers for Aviation Events were issued. Coming Events Arizona Balloon Classic (ABC8) January 2019 Cheryl/ Carmen/Dale to attend. Winthrop Balloon Rally in March several members and their crews plan to attend. Three Junior Balloon Camps are scheduled next year. 8. Old business 1. 2019 Safety Seminar in Jefferson, OR Tim Gale The topics are getting finalized. 2. 2019 Portland Winter Lights Festival Dale reported that there will not be a balloon glow this year, since a suitable venue has not been arranged. 9. New business 1. Web master Shari a new volunteer is needed. Jess Lundie may be available. An allowance of $15.00 to $30.00 was moved by Marianne Ledoux and seconded by Matt. Motion passed. 2. Meeting dates for next year January 12 Saturday Matt will chair the meeting. It will be about the history of ballooning, and the variety of stories told after flights. February10 Sunday March will be an Executive Committee meeting, due to the Winthrop rally and the Safety Seminar occurring on the first two weekends. April and May will be decided later. June through September there will be no meetings. October December will be decided later. 10. The next meeting will be January 12 at 1 p.m. at the Aurora Airport, Lynx FBO, Building C in Aurora, OR. It will be a potluck. 11. Marianne moved to adjourn. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Dale Justice, Secretary /signed/dtj/12-26-2018 Event reports Gallup Cheryl They were not able to fly this year. AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 3
Happenings in the Pacific Northwest and beyond Event information in this newsletter is not to be considered as an endorsement by WAS, its officers, or its members. Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair January 10-13, 2019 Lake Havasu City, AZ https://havasuballoonfest.com Saturday, January 12, 2019 1:00 PM WAS WAS General Meeting Lynx FBO, Building C 14356 Keil Rd NE, Aurora, Oregon January 25-27, 2019 Arizona Balloon Classic Goodyear, Arizona http://abcfest.com Sunday, February 10, 2019 WAS General Meeting 2:00 PM (please note time change) Lynx FBO, Building C 14356 Keil Rd NE, Aurora, Oregon March 1-3, 2019 Winthrop Balloon Festival Winthrop, WA http://winthropwashington.com/ event/winthrop-balloon-festival March 9, 2019 Pacific Northwest Safety Seminar Greater Jefferson Community Center Jefferson, Oregon Contact: Tim Gale HABSafety@comcast.net August 23-25, 2019 Northwest Art & Air Festival Albany, OR http://nwartandair.org September 6-8, 2019 The Great Reno Balloon Race Reno, NV For more information: http://www.renoballoon.com September 27-29, 2019 The Great Prosser Balloon Rally Prosser, WA For more information: http://www.prosserballoonrally.org Pacific Northwest Safety Seminar Date: March 9, 2019 Location: Greater Jefferson Community Center, Jefferson, Oregon Cost: $50 for the first 50 applicants The seminar meets BFA and FAA Wings program standards. This is only a partial and preliminary list of 2019 events. Many rally organizations do not have their information updated at this time. Stay tuned. More information will be posted as it becomes available. All interested parties should reach out to Tim Gale to reserve a spot. HABSafety@comcast.net AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 4
2018 WAS Christmas Party Was Fun For All Our hard working hostess, Edie Stoaks, put on a great party once again in 2018. Roger Rollman won the Christmas hat competition with his electrified cowboy hat. Pasha and Justin Luber helped get the party organized. Marianne LeDoux once again created two wonderful watercolor paintings. Cheryl Isaacs took home a painting of her balloon. Sarah and Matt Webster opened the second painting by Marianne. They didn t really want to display it during the gift exchange. Eventually they did flip it around so everyone could see it. That was a mistake. Terri Dean grabbed it soon afterwards. Know a Teen Dreaming of Flying a Hot Air Balloon? Do you have a family member or valued crew member between the ages of 13 and 18? Would they like to attend one of the BFA s Jr. Balloonist camps this coming summer? The campers are well supervised. The course material is excellent. Anyone truly interested in hot air ballooning will benefit a great deal from attending a camp. A side benefit is getting to know other teens from around the US who equally love our sport. WAS, as we have for many years, will support the camps this year.. We d prefer to send a camper from our own geographical area. Check with the teen you think deserves to go to camp. Are they interested in going? If yes, please send in your nomination to Dale Justice, Outerlimits41@aol.com WAS will be discussing/voting on this topic in future meetings. The deadlines for signing up for camp will take place sooner than you think, so get your nomination in quickly. The following is a listing of the Jr. Balloonist Camps offered in 2019: June 23-28 High Sierra Camp, Reno, Nevada July 7-11 Keystone State Camp, Factoryville, Pennsylvania July 13-18 Rio Grande Camp, Albuquerque, New Mexico AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 5
The following article is being reprinted from Balloon Life Magazine with publisher Tom Hamilton s permission, as well as the permission of the author, Alan Sanderson. Alan, as you probably know, is a WAS member and runs an active repair station in Albany, Oregon. A huge thank you goes to both Tom and Alan. Airworthiness and Paperwork By Alan Sanderson Reprinted with permission from Balloon Life, June 1999 PIC PIC stands for Pilot in Command. In addition to being in command of the aircraft, the PIC is responsible for everything related to the operation of the aircraft. When the PIC prepares to fly, the condition of the aircraft is no longer the sole responsibility of the manufacturer or the repair station that responsibility belongs to the PIC. The Rule FAR 91.7 Civil aircraft airworthiness No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition The pilot in command of a civil aircraft is responsible for determining whether that aircraft is in condition for safe flight. The pilot in command shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical, or structural conditions occur. What It Means When the balloon leaves the manufacturer with logbook endorsements for a production flight test and issuance of an airworthiness certificate, it is known to be in airworthy condition. When the balloon leaves an FAA Approved Repair Station ABCD-123Z with either a maintenance release or an endorsement, I certify that this aircraft has been inspected in accordance with (an annual) or (100 hour) inspection and is determined to be in an airworthy condition it is also known to be in airworthy condition. Once the balloon leaves the factory or the repair station, the pilot in command becomes responsible for determining its airworthiness. Neither the factory nor the repair station has knowledge of the balloon s condition once it is returned to the pilot. Many things can happen to a balloon to affect its airworthiness, including improper storage, transportation, inflation, flight, and pack up. One other reason a balloon can become unairworthy is improper or missing paperwork. What s Required In The Balloon First, the pilot must carry a valid pilot s certificate in the aircraft. The aircraft must also carry the following paperwork on board: 1. A valid permanent registration certificate or a current temporary (pink) registration certificate. 2. An airworthiness certificate that matches the aircraft. 3. A flight manual containing a current weight data sheet page and all applicable supplements. When we have inspected balloons, we have found that some pilots have not made an entry in the weight data sheet since the balloon was new, even after they have added accessories, changed fuel cylinder configurations, or fly the system with more than one envelope. We recommend that you review the weight calculation page and compare it to the current balloon system configuration. If it does not match, update any items that have changed. If you fly different configurations by adding or removing fuel cylinders, create a page for each configuration. Once you have created each page, you may find it useful if you refer to the loading chart for your envelope and calculate some useful load data points for your normal flying conditions What Else? When a repair station performs repairs and inspections on a balloon system, it is required to maintain certain records pertaining to any repairs and inspections it has performed. The repair station is required to retain the records for two years. After two years, it may dispose of the records. We recommend that the balloon owner keep a copy of each record that repair station generates for his/her balloon. The repair station should provide copies of the following items to the balloon owner upon request: 1. The work order requesting the repair and inspection. This work order itemizes any problems found by the balloon operator, any labor performed on the balloon, and any parts installed on the balloon. It may also have a maintenance release. This should be kept to prove that life limited parts, such as fuel hoses, have been replaced as required. 2. The inspection checklist. This check list provides the steps in a systematic inspection of the balloon system. It also provides space to list any discrepancies and items that need correction before the balloon can be returned to Continued on page 7 AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 6
Airworthiness and Paperwork continued from page 6 service. A completed checklist is a good indication that a complete inspection has been performed. Following a typical checklist to perform a proper inspection will take a small repair station approximately a full day. A large shop is able to inspect a system in less time by using a large work force. 3. FAA Form 337 Major Repair and Alteration. If a major repair or alteration is performed on your balloon system, FAA Form 337 must be completed, and a copy must be submitted to the FAA. You should also obtain a copy of this form. 4. The repair station will make entries in the aircraft maintenance records. Normally, that is the aircraft logbook. Preflight Inspection The pilot in command must always watch for any sign of damage or improper operation of any part of the balloon system before deciding to fly. Many different preflight inspection check lists exist you may either adopt one that is complete and fits your thinking style, or write your own. The preflight inspection should cover the following items: 1. Launch site. Is it free of sharp objects that could damage the envelope? Is it clear of downwind power lines or other tall obstructions? 2. Paperwork. Are the flight manual, airworthiness certificate, and registration in the basket? Has the system had an annual inspection within the last 12 months, or a 100-hour inspection within the last 100 hours? 3. Fuel System and Burner. Are the tank straps tight? Are all connections tight? Sniff test joints and valves for leaks. Does the pilot light operate properly? Test fire the burner and any backup fuel systems. 4. Carriage/Basket. Check the structure, suspension, all attachments, skids and instruments. If there are any bent or broken structural parts, make sure they are within limits. 5. Envelope Attachments. Check to make sure cables are not cut, burned, or stiff. Make sure they are securely attached at both ends. 6. Envelope Integrity. Check the envelope fabric for rips, tears, or burns. Check valve or vent lines to make sure they are free. Make sure that the valve fits properly. If you find any problems, correct them or have them corrected before flying. Remember that the pilot in command is responsible for flying only an airworthy balloon. Local Safety Seminar Coming Soon by Tim Gale I hope you will join me for the upcoming Pacific Northwest Safety Seminar. It will be held in Jefferson, Oregon at the community center on Saturday, March 9, 2019. All of the speakers have committed to the seminar. I have obtained approval from the FAA for WINGS credit, and the BFA approval is pending. You can look forward to the following lineup of speakers: Jefferson Fire Department Lt. Halzard will speak on fire fighting and first responder support. Koh Murai will discuss low level wind shears and accidents. Meteorologist Jon Saltenberger will once again make a dynamic presentation for our group. This time it will be titled, The Thermal Trough in the West. Mark Trujillo will present a segment on interfacing with other types of aircraft. Terri Schofield will be moderating a panel of local pilots who have personal experience with power line contact. Matt Webster will tackle the.vigilant crew members and their important role in safe flight operations topic. Shari Gale will make an entertaining presentation during the lunch hour on her escapades in Paris with Estelle. If you have questions, please contact me by email at: HABsafety@comcast.net You can also find an application form on page 9. AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 7
Please Read We will be discussing this topic at the January meeting Guidelines and Procedure for the WAS Aeronaut and Crew Member of the Year Awards At the December meeting it sounded like a group of WAS members want to change the guidelines for the Aeronaut of the Year and Crew of the Year Awards. The discussion was tabled until the January meeting. In order to have a well informed discussion please read the following guidelines prior to the meeting on Saturday, January 12th at 1:00 PM. Thank you! The Award The Aeronaut or Crew Award of the Year is presented to a person, or persons, who made substantial efforts to promote the sport of ballooning during the preceding year. While the club looks to recognize the accomplishments of its members, the Award is not limited strictly to the Club Membership. At its option, the Executive Committee, upon receipt of a nomination by a club member, may elect to present the Award to someone outside its membership to recognize a more global accomplishment. To preserve the significance of the Award, the Executive Committee may (or not) elect to present the Award annually based on contributions made. Criteria for the award may include, but not necessarily be limited to recognition of an accomplishment or nomination by a Club Member. Award Timing The nominations, election and presentation of the Award will be made during the First Calendar Quarter of each year for contributions made in the preceding calendar year. The Executive Committee will determine the timing for the nomination and election process and will publish the schedule to the General Membership prior to the annual Officer/Board Member induction. Your 2018 WAS membership has drifted away. It s time to send in your dues for 2019. You will find an application form on page 10. Just print it, fill it out, and send it along with your check to WAS Secretary/Treasurer, Dale Justice. It s as easy as that. Do it now, before you forget again. AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 8
2019 Pacific Northwest Safety Seminar Seminar Registration Form First Last E-mail address: (If you want Wings credit, please be sure to use the same email address on file with the Wings Program.) BFA #: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Phone #: Phone #: cell phone land line q Crew q Private Pilot q Commercial Pilot q Student Pilot Do you wish to have a BFA filing for your attendance at this seminar? q Yes q No If yes, please be sure to include your BFA number above. Cost: $50 for the first 50 people to sign-up. Lunch included. Please print out this form and send it along with your check to: Tim Gale Please make your checks payable to Tim Gale P.O. Box 723 Contact information: 503-369-6123 HABSafety@comcast.net St. Helens, OR 97051-0723 AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 9
WAS Membership Application Pilot Crew Interested in hot air ballooning Birthday: Month Day Address: City: State: Zip: Date Submitted: Home Phone #: ( ) Cell Phone #: ( ) E-Mail Address: @ BFA Membership #: Pilot/Crew Achievement Awards BFA Crew Level: FAA Wings Level: BFA Pilot Level: Other: Family Member Information Pilot Crew Pilot Crew Pilot Crew Pilot Crew Pilot Crew Membership Type Charter ($20 Single or Family ($20) Newsletter Only ($10 outside Oregon & SW Washington) Membership The Willamette Aerostat Society communicates via e-mail, the WAS Facebook page and the website. We recognize and respect our member s privacy. If you do not wish personal information about you shared with other members, please indicate below. Your personal information will never be published on our website. It might be shared with other club members if a request is made unless you prefer to opt out. Do Not share name Do Not share address Do Not share phone number Do Not share cell phone number Do Not share e-mail Please use a 2nd page if there are two pilots in the family, or if you have family members with additional information such as cell phone # and/or BFA # s. Mail completed form with fees to: Willamette Aerostat Society c/o Dale Justice 2902 E. 2nd St. Unit 76 Newberg, OR 97132 AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 10
Willamette Aerostat Society Waiver Willamette Aerostat Society Mission Statement To promote the sport of Hot Air Ballooning To educate new balloonists and the public To embody safety in all aspects of Ballooning To do all we can to support and encourage land owner relations To support our fellow balloonists and crews personally and in our sport To obtain Member Contact information, send an e-mail to the Secretary/Treasurer. For Privacy reasons, AeroStats will not publish member contact information without their express permission. Contact and Submissions Submissions of articles and photographs are encouraged and welcome! The editorial staff reserves the right to determine the suitability of a submission for inclusion in the newsletter. Please email your pictures, articles, and comments to: sharigaleor@gmail.com Advertising Policy Club member s ballooning related or event information is published on a space available basis at no charge. Business Advertising by Club members is considered Commercial Advertising, subject to fees shown below. Material must be submitted in computer word processing format with pictures in JPG format. AeroStats reserves the right to decline publishing submitted information. Commercial Advertisement Space Rates Full Page $30 1/2 Page $20 1/4 Page $15 Business Card $10 Ads will be published for 3 consecutive months, or until withdrawn, for the fee shown above. The publishing of advertising in AeroStats does not imply an endorsement of the ad or its contents. Text and images will be printed as submitted by advertisers. Front Cover Photo: For grins and giggles Laura Hancock decided to tether in the snow last year in Winthrop. Photo by Shari Gale. AeroStats is a monthly publication of the Willamette Aerostat Society. WAS welcomes you to reprint material from this newsletter by individuals or balloon club organizations for their personal or organization use. We ask that you credit WAS, AeroStats and the author in any reuse of newsletter material. Commercial use of material (articles or images) for any reason is prohibited without the express written consent from the Willamette Aerostat Society. Material to be considered for publication should be mailed or e-mailed to the Newsletter Editor at sharigaleor@gmail.com Publication deadline is the 2nd Saturday of each month. AeroStats reserves the right to deny publication of submitted material for any reason. Material published in AeroStats does not imply endorsement by WAS, its officers, newsletter editor, or its members of an event. Nor does it imply agreement with opinions, comments, or endorsement of any product. AeroStats January 2019 Volume 21, Number 1 Page 11