COMPETITIVE BALLOONING

1. COMPETITIVE BALLOONING by Jim Thompson Graphics by Jeff Thompson

2. PRESENTED AT Balloon Safety Seminar Lakeland, Florida February9, 2008

3. COMPETITIVE BALLOONING • How many of you fly competition? • How many of you are competitive pilots?

4. COMPETITION BALLOONING • Unorganized competition • Organized competition • Sanctioned competition

5. UNORGANIZEDCOMPETITION • One balloon • Obtain detailed weather forecast • Use pibal to obtain local wind direction and speed • Pick targets or landing locations before takeoff • Use GPS for navigation during flight • Practice throwing markers from various altitudes and speeds

6. UNORGANIZEDCOMPETITION • Two balloons • Obtain detailed weather forecast • Use pibal to obtain local wind direction and speed • Agree on targets or landing locations before takeoff • Use GPS for navigation during flight • Practice throwing markers from various altitudes and speeds

7. UNORGANIZEDCOMPETITION • Additional balloons • Obtain detailed weather forecast • Use pibal to obtain local wind direction and speed • Agree on targets or landing locations before takeoff • Use GPS for navigation during flight • Use marker to determine pilot closest to target

8. ORGANIZED COMPETITION • Balloon club flights • Weekend events • Weeklong events

9. SANCTIONING ORGANIZATIONS • FAI • CIA • NAA • BFA

10. FEDERATION AERONAUTIQUE INTERNATIONALE • FAI, the world air sports federation founded in 1905. It is a non-governmental and non-profit making international organization with the basic aim of furthering aeronautical and astronautical activities worldwide. • www.fai.org

11. FEDERATION AERONAUTIQUE INTERNATIONALE • FAI Ballooning Commission • FAI General Aviation Commission • FAI Gliding Commission • FAI Aeromodeling Commission • FAI Parachuting Commission • FAI Aerobatic Commission • FAI Astronautic Records Commission • FAI Hang Gliding & Paragliding Commission • FAI Microlight Commission • FAI Rotocraft Commission

12. COMMISSION AEROSTATION INTERNATIONALE • President : Jean-Claude WEBER (Luxemburg) • 1st Vice-President :  Hans ÅKERSTEDT (Sweden) • 2nd Vice-President :  Uwe SCHNEIDER (Germany) • 3rd Vice- President : Mark SULLIVAN (USA) • www.fai.org/ballooning

13. NATIONAL AERONAUTIC ASSOCIATION • The primary mission of NAA is the advancement of the art, sport, and science of aviation and space flight by fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and by promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. • www.naa.aero

14. BALLOON FEDERATION OF AMERICA • As the official ballooning branch of the United States National Aeronautic Association, the Balloon Federation of America (BFA) represents the interests of some 2,500 member hot air and gas balloon pilots and crew. • www.bfa.net

15. BALLOON FEDERATION OF AMERICA • The BFA provides programs of educational and safety training, organizing and operating the US National Balloon Championships as well as other local, state and regional competitions, and selecting US representative pilots for participation in World Championships and the prestigious Coupe de Gordon Bennett gas balloon race.

16. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP • 2008 Championship in Anderson, SC • August 27 through September 1, 2008 • 50 competitive pilots & 30 non competitors • $50,000 prize money for competitors and $20,000 for non competitors • Championship Director – David Levin

17. FUTURE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS • Hot Air Competition Division is actively soliciting locations for 2009 and future championships

18. NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP • 2011 – Open for submittal of bid by host organization and city

19. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP • 2008 – Hofkirchen, Austria (September 13 – 20) • 2010 – Bids being considered by CIA for Hungary and India • 2012 – Submittal of bid being considered by Anderson, SC,

20. 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP USA expects to have 8 competitors • Johnny Petrehn • Joe Heartsill • Pat Cannon • Nick Donner • Paul Petrehn • Al Nels • Owen Keown • Joe Zvada 2006 US World Team

21. BFA HOT AIR COMPETITION DIVISION • Sam Parks – Chair – Southeast Region • Steve Lombardi – Vice Chair – Southwest Region • Barb Davis – Secretary – Event Official member • Dick Donnelly – Finance Manager – Great Lakes Region

22. BFA HOT AIR COMPETITION DIVISION • Richard Sabin – At Large • John Davis IV – At Large • Jim Thompson – North Central Region • Al Nels – Northeast Region • Dale Wong – Western Region • David Levin – Championship Director • Mike Tuten – Chief Observer • Andrew Baird – BFA Board Liaison

23. BFA HOT AIR COMPETITION DIVISION Elections • 2009 • Great Lakes Region Board Member • Southwest Region Board Member • 2010 • North Central Region Board Member • Southeast Region Board Member

24. PURPOSE OF BFA SANCTIONING • Establish common rules and procedures for competition • Establish a fair method of evaluating pilot skills • Develop a National Ranking System • Qualify pilots for participation in U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship • Develop list of pilots qualified for International and World Competition

25. BFA SANCTION COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS • Similar to International Rules • International rules used for Nationals • HACD reviewing rules • Available from BFA Office • On BFA web site

26. BFA GUIDELINES FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS • Event Guidelines presently being reviewed by HACD • Goal to update and streamline procedure • Review should be finalized in April • To be published on BFA web site

27. BFA SANCTIONED COMPETITION • Safety Sanction • Open Sanction • Traveling Sanction • Local Sanction • State Championship • Regional Championship

28. BFA SANCTIONED COMPETITION • The Hot Air Competition Division will be reviewing the rules and requirements for each type of sanction • A SANCTION IN A BOX is being developed to provide details of what BFA will provide for each type of sanction

29. WHAT DOES COMPETITION DO FOR YOU? • Challenges your pilot skills • Measures pilot skills • Improves pilot skills • Increases crew involvement and skills

30. CHALLENGES YOUR PILOT SKILLS • Competition forces pilots to establish goals or targets • In order to reach a target you must fly the balloon, not let the balloon fly you • When flying the balloon, you learn to read the speed and direction of different wind layers • You learn to recognize changing conditions and how to adapt to them throughout the flight

31. MEASURES PILOT SKILLS • Compare skills with others flying is same area • With pilots on individual flights • With pilots at competitions • Compare skills on a Regional basis • Compare skills on a National basis • National Ranking System • National Championship • Compare skills on a World basis • World Ranking List

32. IMPROVES PILOT SKILLS • Requires preflight planning • Requires additional knowledge of weather and wind conditions during entire flight operation • Requires use of GPS in flight planning and in each flight • Requires continual good decision making • Requires controlling the balloon under varying flight conditions

33. INCREASES CREW INVOLVMENT AND SKILLS • Crew learns to work as a team • Crew learns to obey rules • Crew required to practice good landowner relations • Crew improves map skills • Crew gets to experience excitement of competition • Crew takes pride in accomplishments of pilot

34. RESOURCES • On Target by Pat Cannon – (Two time National Champion) in BALLOONING • CD containing all segments of On Target available from BFA Office

35. On Target by Pat Cannon - BALLOONING

36. CHALLENGE • I would challenge each of you to fly each flight like it was a competition, to become more involved in organized competition to improve your pilot skills and decision making, and to gain an additional edge on flying safely

37. QUESTIONS

38. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?