CHAMPAGNE TALES

April 2006

Published almost monthly by the

Greater Mesilla Valley Aerostat Ascension Association

P.O.Box 279

Fairacres, New Mexico 88033

President: Orbin Stone

Vice President: Sherry Richardson

Secretary: Burt Whirry

Treasurer: Janette Stone

Editor-with-help: Patrick Scoggin

Champagne Tales

April 2006

The Accolades and Achievements of

the Greater Mesilla Valley Aerostat Ascension Association

Next Meeting

8 May 2006 at 6:30 pm

Mesilla Valley Inn

From the Presidents Corner :

Well, it’s been awhile since I made an entry in to the president’s corner column so I want to let you know that I am still alive and kicking.

Things have been really busy lately, but as most of you know there is a new balloon in the club that is answering to the commands of Walter and Travis Hawkins who are also fairly new members of the Greater Mesilla Valley Aerostat Ascension Association. ‘Midnight angel too’ has been majestically entering the glorious skyways of southern New Mexico and providing the instructional platform for both Walter and Travis in their endeavor to achieve the title of Private Pilot LTA\ airborne heater. The race is on to see who will become the 1st Pilot in the Hawkins Family! Both seem to be very dedicated in their endeavor and will eventually become very good pilots with the watchful help of several in the ballooning community.

In the very near future, You should see at least a couple of more new balloons dotting the skies in the Mesilla valley as one new Linstrand is on order and is being manufactured as we speak! Two others are being dreamed about and hopefully may become a reality soon!

I entrust in you to keep peering into the sunny, blue skies and maybe someday there will appear in the blue yonder a NEW Aerostat that you have not seen before and will wonder who that beauty belongs to!!!

Please remember that the monthly club meeting for May is approaching very fast and is May 8 at 6:30 at the Mesilla Valley Inn. Hope to see you all there!

Orbin Stone

President

GMVAAA

Greater Mesilla Valley Aerostat Ascension Association

GMVAAA Minutes

April 10, 2006 GMVAAA Meeting
6:30 pm, Mesilla Valley Inn

Members Present:
Orbin and Janette Stone, Jeanne Gartner, Burt Whirry, Barney Watson, Marta Rose, JR Turner, Patrick Scoggin, Jeff and Vicky Shaw, Joan and Lance and Brian Smith, Sherry Richardson, Millie Green, Walter and Travis Hawkins

Call to Order:

6:30pm

Previous minutes:

approved and accepted.

Treasurer Report:
March Balance $2,534.53
Expenses                 30.00 Safety Deposit Box
                               55.00 News Letter
Income                  54.00 Dues
New Balance $2,503.53 Approved and accepted

Committee Reports:
PZ : no report
PR: no report
Parade: No report
Fly Ins: BangTail Muster 30 April 1950’s attire
Safety Seminar: 24 June. Fee $35 per pilot, $15 per crew member.

Old Business:

None

New Business:

Possible new FAR per letter from BFA.

Adjourn: 7:10 pm

91.119 Effort Moves to Albuquerque

The project to lower minimum safe altitudes for balloon flight has been sent to the FAA’s Albuquerque Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), which has been tasked with preparing the Notice For Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). Following the Albuquerque FSDO’s document preparation, the effort will enter the official NPRM process, will be assigned a docket number, and will move toward a final resolution.

Following the conclusion of the BFA’s Minimum Safe Altitude Study in 2004, the FAA notified the BFA that its study had proven without doubt the justification and necessity of lowering the minimum safe altitudes mandated for balloon flight by FAR 91.119. Data received from a similar study conducted by the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association also contributed to the recommendation. New wording suggested by the FAA would add the words, “and balloons,” to the current exemption for helicopters to the restrictions of the current rule.

While the FAA’s concurrence with the finding of the two studies was most welcome, it was countered by the agency’s tabling the project indefinitely in February of last year. Budget cuts and other priorities were given as reasons for lack of further action toward changing the rule

Upon receiving notification of the setback, the BFA and AAAA formed a joint committee dedicated to moving the effort forward. After preparing a legislative action package that balloonists could use to enlist the assistance of their states’ federal representatives, the committee was notified that the project would be sent to the Albuquerque FSDO for the next step in the rulemaking process. After a few more months of document preparation toward that end, the committee received notification on March 16 that the package had been sent.

The effort to lower minimum safe altitudes for balloons is now in the hands of the Albuquerque FSDO. Once personnel there have prepared the NPRM, it will return to Washington to enter the next phase of rulemaking. While the Albuquerque FSDO is doing its work, the 91.119 committee will be preparing extensive documentation that balloonists can use in writing their letters to the FAA to support the change. Instructions for submitting the letters, as well as a lengthy list of points balloonists may cite in their support, will be found on the BFA web site and in the BFA and AAAA publications when the time has come to write letters. This information will also be sent to all balloon clubs currently registered with the BFA.

While the rule has not yet been changed, we feel that this step marks significant progress, and look forward to the day when balloon flight will be legal in the manner that it has always been safest

Insurance Issues: (Submitted some time ago by Jeanne)

Barney and I attended a safety seminar in ABQ this past weekend, (Ok a weekend some time ago) and one of the speakers was Beth Miller, from IMC Insurance Agency. She was explaining a lot of the different aspects of our insurance and how to get discounts. One of the new ways to get a discount is to use the passenger release forms - they are finding out that they actually do work - especially IF they are sent out to the passengers ahead of time and are signed 24 -48 hours ahead of a flight, rather than under 'duress' at the time of the flight because everyone is in a hurry to go. Realize that's not always possible, but anything we can do to help ourselves is a good thing. She did suggest that we get together, as a club, and each pitch in toward the cost of a lawyer in our particular states, to have them review it, and then each use the same one. She needs a copy of it in each of our files for us to get the discount. I think it should be fairly easy around here to find a lawyer that could help us for both Texas and New Mexico, that would apply for all of us. Seems there are different particulars for each state where liabilities are concerned. Since this would involve all or most of the club, it should be discussed and/or decided online after it appears in the newsletter, and not just by the few members who show up at the meeting. I don't know much about lawyers, but I would be willing to check around if there is enough interest in this project. If you're interested, and already have a passenger release that you're using, if you could forward it to me, I could take the several drafts to a lawyer and get their advice. Let me know! Cheers, Jeanne