Presenters CV’s Balloon Event Symposium Scott Appelman is President/CEO Rainbow Ryders, Inc. providing balloon rides and corporate promotion. In its 36th year and is the largest balloon ride business in the United States, we operate 29 balloons year-round doing over 2800 flights per year flying over 25,000 passengers. Rainbow Ryders has been the official Hot Air Balloon Ride Concession for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® (AIBF) since 1999. Scott, in conjunction with Hot Apple Productions, organizes the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off Balloon event attracting 165,000 spectators, 70+ balloons, entertainment, concerts and concessions. Scott served on the Board of Directors of the AIBF from 1986 to 1991 and was its originator and organizer of AIBF’s “BALLOON GLOW” 1987- 1992 . Andy Baird has been involved in ballooning for over 40 years including 20 years in balloon manufacturing, and 20+ years as an active competitor. He works with the FAA and NTSB on many levels including accident investigation. He’s been an event director at a handful of events, plus safety officer and weather officer – but he prefers to spend his time as a competitor, including National and World competition. He has served as Team Manager for the US Team at various World Championships. He chairs the CIA’s Competitor’s Subcommittee, and is a member and contributor to other committees, including rule-making. Andy was on the BFA board for 6 years (President for 2 years) and was an active Board member of the HACD. In his spare time, he has also written software for competitive flying, including software to collect and share wind data in real time. Gary Britton has served as the Chief Scoring Officer or as a Jury Member for 18 National, North American, and World Championships. He holds a Senior Level ranking for CIA Jury Members and since 2009 has been the Jury President for the US National Championship. In addition to serving as the Event Director, Safety Officer, or Debriefer for several regional events, he was a Steward at the World Air Games events in Turkey and Spain. Gary is a member of the HACD Board of Directors and recently has been representing the Board at a National Conference which builds relationships between CVB Sports Commissions and Sports Events Planners such as the BFA. He holds FAA certificates for both fixed wing and lighter than air and has competed in several Hot Air Balloon National Championships. Kathleen Gallagher-Burton has been at RPS for 10 years and is experienced in all lines of insurance. She has worked the majority of her career in the Excess and Surplus Lines, but also has worked for a national carrier and as a retail agent. Kathy has worked on many national specialty programs including Animal Mortality, Hot Air Balloons, Jewelers Block and Fine Arts, Special Events and Liquor Liability. She has underwritten many local, regional and national special events including the Super Bowl Half Time performances. Bill Bussey is the Event Coordinator and 3-year chairman of Great Texas Balloon Race now in its 42nd year. Bill has accumulated 3455 hours in balloons and also holds a Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Commercial and Instrument Rating. A long-time innovator in the business of balloon events, Bill is credited for ‘inventing’ the Balloon Glow a staple at all balloon events. He is currently developing his concept of Young Guns that promotes competitive ballooning amongst our younger pilots. Bill has led or organized ballooning events and served as safety officer and assistant Balloonmeister at US National Championships. Well recognized for his contributions to ballooning Bill has the following in his long list of achievements. • 15 World Records • 30 United States National Records • Texas Aviation Hall of Fame (only balloonist) • United States Hot Air Balloon Hall of Fame • ArkLaTex Sports Hall of fame (only balloonist) • Two Shields Trauger Awards • Montgolfier Diploma • One of 10 Most Significant Flights • Ed Yost Master Pilot Award • BFA President's Award • Spirit of Albuquerque Award Dean Carlton is a commercially-rated balloon pilot from Danville, Illinois. He along with 2 other pilots restarted a 35-balloon rally in his home town after a 15-year absence. In its third year now, the Balloons Over Vermilion event draws over 20,000 people to this fun weekend event, with over 400 volunteers to make it happen. Dean currently oversees the BFA's On Line Seminar project and is involved in managing the online content for the organization. Dean is a past president of the BFA Board of Directors and currently serves as the Great Lakes Region Director. Patrick Cannon has been involved in ballooning for over 37 years and is the owner of Mission Air Service, located in Lewisville, Texas. Mission Air has been involved in the operations of commercial ballooning including both corporate sponsorship events and balloon rides. Pat has been a certified pilot for 51 years and has over 22000 hour of flight time in everything from hot air balloons to corporate jet aircraft. Pat has also been a Designated Pilot Examiner in airplanes and lighter than air for over 37 years and Accident Prevention Counselor and FAAST Team Lead Rep for over 40 years. He has organized and served as event director in over 70 events to include Plano, Texas, which attracted up to 90 balloons and attracts well over 100,000 participants, Highland village, Tulsa Gateway, Gainesville, Texas and San Angelo, Texas and has served as safety officer in numerous events around the country. Pat is involved deeply in competitive flying events and is a two-time U.S. National Champion and three times Senior National Champion. Pat has been involved with the BFA in the past as an accident investigator and is currently involved in the FAA Call to Action committee, FAA FSIMS re-write and is the current BFA Government Liaison. Mike Gilligan’s notable recognition includes the Spirit of Annie Award 2013, BFA HACD Board member and BFA Director’s Award 2015. Mike has been involved with ballooning since 1989 and has served the hot air ballooning community in the following: • BFA HACD At Large Director Officials 2007 – Current • Author/Developer of the BFA Scoring Program • Author/Developer of the BFA Declarations App (Android and iPhone) • Author/Developer of the Teams Scoring Program • Chief Scorer World Air Games 2009 – Mondovi, Italy • Chief Scorer World Hot Air Balloon Championship 2010 – Debrecen, Hungary • Chief Scorer World Hot Air Balloon Championship 2012 – Battle Creek, MI • Chief Scorer U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship 2007 – 2011, 2016 – 2018 • Chief Scorer U.S. National Women’s Hot Air Balloon Championship 2016 • Jury Member Tochigi, Japan 2013 • Assistant to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Scoring Officer - 2014 – current Barbara A. Haluszka has been the Executive Director for the Battle Creek Hot-Air Balloon Championships, Inc., organizers of the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival since 1988. She had additionally been involved with every event held by this organization since 1980. This event started as basically a “hot-air balloon” event and in 1988, Haluszka added another team to the tier of committees called “air show.” By adding the air show, it took the Battle Creek Field of Flight to a whole new level of success! 2018 marks 30 consecutive years for this huge community event. Laura Johnson (T.H.E. Insurance Company.) has been with T.H.E. Insurance Company for 6 years and is experienced in all lines of insurance. She has worked the majority of her career in the Excess and Surplus Lines, but also has worked for a national carrier and as a retail agent. Laura specializes in Hot Air Balloon Underwriting for individuals and commercial operators, Hot Air balloon Festival General Liability and Non-Owned Balloon Liability, Racetrack Liability, including stock racing, drag racing and snowmobile racing. She has underwritten many national events including the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair. Scott McClinton is the owner and operator of SkyCab Balloon Promotions, Inc. based in Louisville, Kentucky. SkyCab operates 17 balloons across the U.S. including corporate balloons, small ride balloons and special shapes. SkyCab also offers event organizer services and has organized over 108 events over the last 14 years with fields ranging from 6 balloons to 70. In 2008 Scott organized and led the first Balloon Federation of America National Convention held since 1993. He holds a Lighter-than-air free balloon certificate as well as a SEL fixed wing certificate and has logged over 2300 hours in the past 30 years. Patrick Smith (Aviation Insurance Resources) attributes his love of all thing’s aviation to his grandfather who was a crewman on a PBY Catalina in the Pacific during WWII. After has had his eyes set skyward since childhood being introduced to ballooning in the early 1990s at a balloon event in Maryland. Patrick received a BS in Aviation from Liberty University in 2008, has logged over 4,000 hours of flight time, and holds a Commercial Lighter than Air, Airplane Single and Multi-Engine, Instrument, CFI and CFI-I ratings. He has been a pilot and regulatory information specialist for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), a sales and service underwriter for AVEMCO insurance company and a Property Casualty insurance agent for Aviation Insurance Resources. Patrick is the program manager for the Lighter Than Air Insurance Program offered by Aviation Insurance Resources, offering Hot Air Balloon insurance for individuals and commercial operators, Hot Air balloon Festival General Liability and Non-Owned Balloon Liability. Aside from his desk-work life Patrick owns and operates the largest balloon operation in Maryland and has logged over 950 hours of time in hot air balloons.