Recent News & Events
BFA Members Message
Apr 12, 2008 by: Robbie Wahl
Dear BFA Member,
The last few years have been a period of tremendous change for the BFA, and indeed for ballooning in general.
Our sport has seen gradual decline, followed by a sharp downturn
immediately after 9-11. However, for the last few years we have seen
some renewed growth in ballooning. While we are still seeing a
‘graying’ of our sport, I am pleased to say many areas are reporting
new participants, and we are seeing new events start to spring up
around the country. Like many activities, our sport is cyclical to
some degree.
Likewise, the BFA is seeing growth in its membership – particularly
with the pilot population (crew and family memberships remaining
stable). As our membership changes, and as technology advances, the
way we do business has changed too. Thanks to a number of dedicated
volunteers, we have spent considerable effort restructuring the
website, paving the way for future expansion.
In this technology age, certain products like ‘Skylines’ have fallen by
the wayside and been replaced by other more immediate channels of
communication – such as the BFA website. I am pleased to announce that
one key element of our communication system is finally in place – user
subscribed email. While conventional email would have been far quicker
to implement, we felt it important to allow each of you to unsubscribe
from mailing lists that don’t interest you. We have created several
mailing lists, some of which you have been automatically subscribed to.
For example there is one for all members, one for each region, and
additional lists for Hot Air Competition Division, Gas Division, Junior
Balloonists, and Balloon Clubs, etc. The messages you receive via
these lists will contain instructions for unsubscribing.
We look forward to keeping in much more frequent contact with you, so
that late-breaking news or important issues can be addressed in
real-time.
However, I need your help. Currently about 1,400 members have
submitted their email address via the BFA website. You are receiving
this message because you have taken the time to fill out your
member-profile, but many members have not. Please encourage your
friends and fellow members to take the 2 or 3 minutes needed to
complete their member-profile. The more complete our mailing list, the
more able we are to communicate with and respond to our membership. [A
word about privacy: rest assured that the BFA will not sell, lease or
otherwise distribute your contact information to other organizations.]
Lastly, I would like to publicly thank all of the volunteers who have
spent countless hours planning and preparing for next week’s BFA
Convention in Louisville. Organizing such an event is a mammoth task,
made bigger by the fact that it is the first National Convention in 15
years. With nearly 450 attendees registered and over 40 speakers on
the agenda, it promises to be an exciting and memorable event. If you
are planning to attend I congratulate you, I’m sure it will be time
well-spent. Whether you are able to attend or not, I hope you will
join me in thanking the many committee members for volunteering their
time, energy, and talents to make this event a success.
I look forward to seeing you next week and talking with you in the near future.
Andrew Baird
President
BALLOON FEDERATION OF AMERICA
Balloonist Dr. Norman 'Doc' Cohen Passes Away
Apr 12, 2008 by: Robbie Wahl
Dr. Norman "Doc" Cohen, 80, of
Doc was in the first Jubilee, pulled his balloon trailer
with a big late-model Cadillac, but loved to pinch pennies. For years his
constant companion was a dog he "adopted" on a trip through
HODBC Annual Safety Seminar
Jan 12, 2008 by: Cathy D. Wahl
HODBC's annual Cheap Seats Balloon Safety Seminar will take place Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, at Wahl Supply, Inc. 935 Old Trinity Road, Decatur, Alabama.
This one-day seminar-on-the-cheap is held in a barely-heated warehouse. Bring your own chair (we're not kidding!) and dress warmly. Speakers will include FAA DE David Sullivan, Nashville pilot Lou Bottiggi and more to be announced. Watch this space for more info soon!
Minimum Safe Altitudes FAA Rule Change
Dec 26, 2007 by: Robbie Wahl
FAA NPRM # FAA-2007-29291 is not 91.119 related.
The recently issued FAA NPRM #FAA-2007-29291 has created an undue sense of urgency in recent days regarding balloonists’ long-hoped-for revision of FAR 91.119 – minimum safe altitudes. In fact, this NPRM is not intended to address that issue. This is a routine NPRM that allows the FAA to seek public comment on FARs they feel are unnecessary or have a negative economic impact. Indeed this NPRM might be likened to a simple “Suggestion Box.” Its purpose is to bring attention to issues the public feels need review that are not already under consideration by the FAA. It does not warrant a massive letter writing campaign to revise 91.119.
In fact, the BFA/Quad A petition to revise FAR 91.119 is already under serious review with a NPRM pending. Following a one-year study that included the gathering and analysis of GPS- supported altitude data, the FAA agreed with our premise that balloons need to be able to operate at altitudes lower than current minimums for optimum safety. In effect, they agreed to the need to revise 91.119. At that time, the project was put on hold for lack of FAA budgetary funds to proceed with the NPRM process. However, this past July the BFA received notice from the FAA that the decision was made to "commit agency resources to complete the project." Again in effect, the FAA now has agreed to issue a NPRM to revise 91.119. This does not guarantee a change. It merely means the FAA will (eventually) issue our proposed revision for public comment in the form of a NPRM. It remains for the FAA to assign a priority for this rulemaking effort, draft the NPRM, review it, and then publish the NPRM. That is the NPRM we so anxiously await and that will be the time for supporting comments.
No timetable was promised for the completion of this project and we know the FAA regulatory process does not move quickly. However, you can be certain the BFA leadership is monitoring our 91.119 petition and will immediately announce the release of this important NPRM and issue a timely call for your support.
Andy Baird
President, BFA
Annuals
Jan 12, 2008 by: Cathy D. Wahl
Bob Boswell will be in Decatur the weekend of Feb. 23, 2008, to perform annuals. If you would like to schedule your balloon for an annual at that time, please contact Mike Wahl at 256-355-4303 or 256-350-6983, or e-mail mrwahl@hiwaay.net.