The World Championships of Hot Air Ballooning will be held in Battle Creek Michigan on August 18-25, 2012. Holiday Balloon Fest of Battle Creek, under the leadership of Derrick Jones, sponsored the USA Nationals in 2009. Derrick has long had the dream of.....
Congratulation to Jonathan Trappe, 36, of Raleigh, N.C., was strapped in a specially equipped chair below a bright cluster of balloons when he lifted off early Friday from Kent, in southeast England. About five hours later...
The San Diego County Balloon Association met Monday, May 10, 2010 at Del Mar, California.
The meeting was attended by owners and pilots from each of the balloon-ride companies currently operating in the Del Mar area of San Diego County: Panorama Balloon Tours; A Skysurfer Balloon Company; California Dreamin’; Sun Balloons; and Magical AdventuresBalloon Rides. The initial funding is for the purpose of filing the necessary documents with the California Secretary of State to incorporate this Association as a Mutual Benefit, Non-Profit Corporation under the laws of the State of California; and initial start-up costs associated with the filing.
The Association elected Pierre Brunner as its President, Denni Barrett as its Secretary, and Eli Benarieh as its Treasurer. The members reviewed maps prepared by the joint city-county Geographical Information Service SAN GIS at the request of the Association, on which are presented the environmentally- sensitive areas which balloonists must strive to avoid. The maps also show, by exception, those parcels of land which are not environmentally restricted for balloon launches and landings. Thirty-four such “safe” landing parcels were identified in the Carmel Valley landing zone alone.
The members agreed to abide by the by-laws, ethical code, and Standard Operating Practices of the Association, which provide, among other things, limitations on operations during conditions when wind speeds may result in high-wind landings which could damage the turf upon landing; or when a flight, for passenger safety reasons must terminate in an environmentally sensitive area, the balloon will be met by ground crew before touchdown, and “walked” out of the sensitive area to a road or other non-sensitive place for actual landing.
The group agreed that, after filing the documents of incorporation, our staff attorney will meet with the Assistant Director of the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. Such meetings will be for purposes of identifying the members of the San Diego County Balloon Association (SDCBA); explaining the Association’s goals, methods to be used to protect the environment, and to begin discussions which may lead to operating permits to be administratively issued by the City through the auspices of the SDCBA.
The Board of Directors for the National Balloon Museum voted at their meeting April 20, 2010 to extend the contest period for another 30 days. The new deadline is May 31, 2010. Click here for the details.
The first solo attempt to cross the Polar Icecap and the North Pole by balloon is now underway. Polar explorer Jean-Luis Etienne launched his Rozier-type Generali Arctic Observer early on the morning of April 5 in what is expected to be a flight of 7-10 days duration, ending with a landing in Alaska. Etienne says this is the last of his three-part exploration of the polar ice cap, having already done so on foot and on the sea.
