Balloons Have the Right-Of-Way

6/4/2014

Balloons have the Right of Way

Larry Konash RPS IMC Balloon Agency Minneapolis, MN

Balloons have the Right of Way

• Why did I pick that title? – First, they do ! – But, why do they ?

– What we will cover in the next hour is not me trying to lecture you about the aviation insurance business.

Balloons have the Right of Way

• What we will cover is an introduction to ballooning. Then, we will look at ballooning as a business, their needs, and aspirations, and some fun facts that all of us as pilots know about airplanes, but have probably never thought about when it comes to these beautiful and colorful giants.

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History (short course)

• 1783 was the year – Montgolfier was the family – November 21, 1783 First Flight • Champagne – Can’t balloon without it

History

• Hot Air vs Gas – Gas dominated – Both used

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• Don Piccard – First plastic tube balloon – 1957

History

• Gas Today – Helium, Hydrogen, Ammonia, Natural Gas – Competition is 100% Hydrogen today – Near space is Helium

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Types & Construction

• Hot Air • Gas • Airship – Gas – Thermal (hot air) • Fringes

Types & Construction

• Hot Air – Envelope – Basket – Burners – Accessories • Truck, Trailer, Radios, GPS, Fans, Ropes, Safety

Hot Air Envelope

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Hot Air Envelope

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Hot Air Basket

Hot Air Burners

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Hot Air Burners

Hot Air Accessories

• Gloves • Fans • Ropes • Restraint Harnesses • Radios • GPS • iPad

Gas Balloon Envelope

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Gas Balloon Envelope

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Gas Balloon Envelope

Gas Balloon Basket

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Gas Launch

Rozier Balloons

CREW

• Crew Training – Skill based • Driving • Crowd Control • Operational Knowledge of Equipment • Standard Procedures • Emergency Procedures

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Sources of Balloons

• Cameron • Head • Lindstrand • Avian • Kubicek • Cloud 9 • Firefly • National • ~20 Worldwide • UltraMagic • Zing

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Sources of Balloons

• Used Balloons – Blastvalve.com – Ballooning – Balloonist.com – HotAirBalloonist.com

– Internet

Repair & Maintenance

• Repair Stations for Balloons – Where the balloons are – Long distances & limited resources – Shipping, Storage, Return – Limited numbers

Repair & Maintenance

• Annual Inspection / 100 hour inspections – Just like airplanes – Major systems – Burner valves rebuild – Tank certification/fuel hose replacement – Envelope inspection • Pull test • Porosity test • Costs

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Pilot Requirements

• Private – Age 16 – Log entries of instruction & competence – 10 flight hours / 6 hours with instructor – Written, oral, flight test with DE – 1 flight to 3000’agl or higher

Pilot Requirements

• Commercial – Age 18 – Log entries of instruction & competency – 35 hours flight time • 20 hours in balloons, 10 flights in balloons • 2 flights as PIC • 10 hour of flight training • 1 flight to 5000’agl or higher – Conveys Instructor Privileges !!!

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Balloon Performance

• Most common sizes vs job – Sport: 77,000 cu ft – Comm: 105 to 120,000 cu ft – Ride ops: 150 to 175,000 cu ft – Large ops: 210 to 450,000 cu ft • Burners: – Single, Twin, Triple, Quad • Fuel ‐ Propane

Balloon Performance

• Flight Manual • Standard size 105,000 cu. Ft. twin burner – Assent: 900 ft/min – Descent: 1000 ft/min – Arrest Terminal Descent: 800 feet

Weather

• Light Winds – Morning & Evening – It’s the ‘landing’ we guarantee ! • Low level high –high level low is perfect • Sources of Weather Products – Blastvalve.com – My Radar app & RUC winds

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Insurance vs Market

• Minimum hours: – In type – For events – For larger balloons / ride balloons

Bucket List

• A hot air balloon ride is near the top of everyone's bucket list

Balloon Ride Market

• Ride market is everyone – Includes old and young alike – Includes physically challenged individuals

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Balloon Ride Market

• Private Pilot Rating – Same as airplanes

• Commercial Rating – Fly for food

• ATP ‐‐ Instructor

Balloon Ride Market

• Who flies them? – Sport and Pleasure flyers – Weekend ride companies – Professional ride companies

Balloon Ride Market

• Where are they flown – Literally anywhere • In the country • Suburbs • Events – Differences across the United States and Canada

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Balloon Ride Market

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Balloon Ride Market

• Rules ? We don’t need no stinkin’ rules ! – FAA Part 91, 135, 141 ? – Pick one ?

– We currently fly under Part 91 with no supervision – The closest the FAA gets is at Festivals

Balloon Ride Market

• Balloon Federation of America (BFA) – Similar to AOPA – Only umbrella organization for balloonists – Safety net • Sport fliers • Commercial ops • Competition

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Commercial Ballooning

• Banners • Custom Art Envelopes • Special Shape Balloons

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Commercial Ballooning

• Common to all: – Tether ops for the photo ops – For the Crowd – For the Media – For TV

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Commercial Ballooning

• Flight characteristics – Bannered and Custom Art Envelopes • Fly exactly as round balloons

– Special Shapes Balloons • Fly exactly like the round balloons • Landing is a different animal altogether

Competition Balloons

• Hot Air – Simple Hare & Hound – Multi Part tasks, Timed approaches, Self Declared Targets, Observers both human & Recording • Gas – Americas Cup – Gordon Bennett

Competition Balloons

• Racers – Capable of extreme Performance

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Competition Balloons

• Americas Cup – First Saturday of ABQ Balloon Fiesta • Takes about 6 hours to fill all balloons from tank trucks • Draw straws for launch sequence • “Walked” to stage • National Anthem • Launch (6 pm to midnight) – Objective • Furthest great circle distance

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Competition Balloons

• Gordon Bennett – Same general idea as Americas Cup – Country of last year’s winner hosts this year – Europe presents unique challenges – Water presents even greater challenges – Furthest great circle distance

Fringes of Ballooning

• Experimental • Homebuilt • Cluster

Fringes of Ballooning

• Cluster Balloon

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“Walk” Balloon

Landowner Relations

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Insurance

• One game in town since inception – $1m CSL – $100k BI – $5k Med Pay – Hull: stated value (with limits) – Pilot + 8 max

Insurance

• Recent improvements – $2M csl – $250k BI – $25k Med Pay – Voluntary Settlement AD&D – Airport Auto – Balloon Premise – Host Liquor