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. 1 6/4/2014 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 2 6/4/2014 • Don Piccard – First plastic tube balloon – 1957 History • Gas Today – Helium, Hydrogen, Ammonia, Natural Gas – Competition is 100% Hydrogen today – Near space is Helium 3 6/4/2014 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 4 6/4/2014 Hot Air Envelope Hot Air Envelope Hot Air Envelope 5 6/4/2014 Hot Air Basket Hot Air Basket Hot Air Burners 6 6/4/2014 Hot Air Burners Hot Air Accessories • Gloves • Fans • Ropes • Restraint Harnesses • Radios • GPS • iPad Gas Balloon Envelope 7 6/4/2014 Gas Balloon Envelope Gas Balloon Envelope Gas Balloon Envelope 8 6/4/2014 Gas Balloon Envelope Gas Balloon Basket 9 6/4/2014 Gas Launch Rozier Balloons CREW • Crew Training – Skill based • Driving • Crowd Control • Operational Knowledge of Equipment • Standard Procedures • Emergency Procedures 10 6/4/2014 Sources of Balloons • Cameron • Head • Lindstrand • Avian • Kubicek • Cloud 9 • Firefly • National • ~20 Worldwide • UltraMagic • Zing 11 6/4/2014 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 12 6/4/2014 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 !!! 13 6/4/2014 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 14 6/4/2014 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 15 6/4/2014 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 16 6/4/2014 Balloon Ride Market 17 6/4/2014 18 6/4/2014 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 19 6/4/2014 Commercial Ballooning • Banners • Custom Art Envelopes • Special Shape Balloons 20 6/4/2014 21 6/4/2014 Commercial Ballooning • Common to all: – Tether ops for the photo ops – For the Crowd – For the Media – For TV 22 6/4/2014 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 23 6/4/2014 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 24 6/4/2014 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 25 6/4/2014 “Walk” Balloon Landowner Relations 26 6/4/2014 27 6/4/2014 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 28.