The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast AeronautsTo Register: Complete the registration form...

© Pacific Coast Aeronauts — February 2020 Page 1 Downwind Chase

IN THIS ISSUE:

From the Board & Meeting Schedule 1-2 PCA Safety Seminar Info & Registration 3-4 January Club Meeting Minutes / Welcome! 5-6 Passages—Steve Turner 7 Junior Balloonist Camp News 8 ADS-B is Here! 9 Tracy Airport - Important Info 10 A Chase to Remember 11 CA Hot Air Balloon Fest 12 Havasu! 13 BFA Long Jump Challenge 14 Upcoming Events / Balloon Needs Home! 15 For Sale: Three Aircraft 16-18 PCA Awards 19 Pilot Resources 20 Club and Membership Information 21

The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast Aeronauts

PCA Club Award Nominations

Awards are presented annually at the PCA Safety

Seminar. Have you nominated anyone for an award?

Please take a look at award categories on page 19 and give serious consideration to those people in your ballooning circle whom you’d want to acknowledge.

Send nominations to Bob Locklin at [email protected].

Deadline for submissions is February 21st.

Registration Form &

More Details Herein

View from the Board by Linda Walton, Treasurer

The PCA is making plans for 2020. First, I want to ask if you have paid your

membership dues? Many members paid their dues at WHAMOBASS, and

can ignore the reminders. You can also pay your 2020 dues on

memberplanet.com. You should have received an email with instructions

for logging into memberplanet.com. This is an easy way to use your credit

or debit card to pay your annual dues. If you need another email with

instructions, please email [email protected].

The annual PCA election for the Board of Directors was completed in

December. Board members returning for 2 more years are, Dave

Wakefield, Jeff Downs and Suzanne Seiler. Many thanks to them for their

contributions to the PCA.

continued on page 2

Wed. 3/4 7pm Club Meeting*

Sat. 3/28 8am - 4pm Safety Seminar in Lodi, CA

Tues. 4/21 7pm Board of Directors Meeting (all may attend)

Members receive an email with information to join in the

FREE conference call for the club and board meetings.

* Club meetings are held every odd-numbered month on the first Wednesday (with rare exceptions).

If you haven't already, please …


View, continued

January events include Lake Havasu and Mesquite balloon festivals. Following shortly thereafter,

is the PCA-sponsored safety seminar scheduled for March 28. Do you realize the PCA has been

hosting and sponsoring safety seminars since 1985? We are finalizing the list of speakers and at

this time, we are expecting Pam Purdue from PG&E, Brann Smith to make a presentation on

tethering, Larry Seiler will lead a group discussion on sectionals and charts, Pat Moore will lead a

group discussion on weather tools and briefings, Dana Thornton will give a review of the recent

balloon accidents, Gary Michelek will discuss the Tracy Airport Protocol and Alan Sanderson will

give a talk about maintenance and repair. You do not need to be a PCA member to attend but

club members receive a discount. Lunch, coffee and snacks are included. A list of attendees will be

sent to the BFA a week after the seminar date. The registration form is included in this newsletter.

If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].

As you walk around your house or go through your drawers and closets, please consider what

balloon treasures you might decide to ‘recycle’ (read ‘donate’) to the PCA. Every year at our Safety

Seminar (and at WHAMOBASS) there is space for displaying and selling your donations. Proceeds

are deposited to the PCA account to help keep the budget balanced. If you are not able to attend

the Safety Seminar on March 28th, contact me at [email protected] and we can make

other arrangements.

Publishing this newsletter is a group effort and we need your help. The committee is comprised

of Jeanne Anson, Suzanne Seiler and me, Linda Walton (and President David Wakefield holds the

power of uploading the newsletter to the PCA website). We are limited to the events we can

personally attend and therefore count on PCA members to cover and share those events we are

unable to go to. Can you take a few minutes to email a few pictures and a brief description of a

2020 event? What made it special? Did something happen

that you’ll remember for the remainder of your ballooning

future? We are also interested in hearing about how you were

introduced to ballooning. Just spare a few minutes to write it

down. Your newsletter team is available to help you as well!

Just contact us via the PCA club email at [email protected].

As I wrap up this letter, I want to remind you that we don’t

always hear about the events you are invited to. If you don’t

see it listed on the Upcoming Events section of this newsletter,

please send an email to that PCA club email so we can post it

for the benefit of others who may wish to attend those events

as well.

Many thanks for reading this letter to the end!

Sincerely,

Linda Walton


When: Saturday, March 28, 2020

• Breakfast and On-site Registration begins at 8:00am. • Presentations start at 8:30am. • Pre-register with the attached form or register the day of the event.

Where: Emanuel Lutheran Church

1540 W. Lodi Ave.

Lodi, CA 95242

(209) 403-6208 (Larry Seiler)

What: 7 hours of classroom study and presentations. The speaker list will be available on http://www.pcaballoons.org after February 15.

Who: Pilots, crew, observers and junior balloonists. Lunch will be provided. Handout information provided by the presenters will be available after the event.

To Register: Complete the registration form on the next page (one form per person), include a check payable to the PCA, and mail form(s) and check to:

PCA – Safety Seminar

Linda Walton

14938 Camden Ave., Suite 76

San Jose, CA. 95124

You are invited to attend the 2020 Safety Seminar

Sponsored by the Pacific Coast Aeronauts

http://www.pcaballoons.org


2020 Safety Seminar Registration Please complete one page per person - Thank you

Name: Address: City: State: ______ Zip: Phone: (h) ________________________ (c) Email Address:

Please Check One:

Commercial Pilot _____ Private Pilot _____ Student Pilot _____

Crew: _____ Observer: _____ BFA#: _______________________________

Seminar Costs (per person):

PCA Members: Pilots $40 each _____________

Crew Members $15 each _____________

Non-Members: Pilots $50 each _____________

Crew Members $20 _____________

PCA Membership Dues for 2020:

Single Person Membership $20 _____________ Family Membership $30 _____________ Total Amount Paid : _____________


Attendance:

Officers: [x] President -- David Wakefield [x]Treasurer - Linda Walton

Secretaries - [x]David Wakefield & [x]Suzanne Seiler

Members: Katrina Lomas, Ken Wendall, Jeff Downs, Melanee Scarborough, Joe Lamberti

Guests:

Meeting Called to Order: 7:10pm PST by Linda Walton

1. Treasurer’s Report – as of date 1/8/2020, the current balance is $10,045.23.

2. Old Business:

A. Safety Seminar Update: Please see important updates in the Committee Reports section below.

3. New Business: none at this time

4. Flight / Event Reports:

Kim Lomax & Ken Wendell have been crewing for balloons in Tracy.

DW: had extra ReMax flying credits to use up for 2019. A Valley Springs ReMax agent worked with Dave to make it happen in on New Year’s Eve day at the juncture of Highways 12 & 26 in Valley Springs (the busiest intersection in the area). They tethered for almost 2 hours. There are 2 competing real estate offices across the street, but the small ReMax balloon dominated the scene. Firefighters, employees of local businesses and passersby helped as crew. The weather was kind of funky weather but was okay for the duration of the event.

Katrina, Ken, Dave Lester and Gary Michalek and a few other people gathered to fly Gary’s and Dave’s balloons in Tracy on January 1st. Kim has been crewing for 6 years but has never flown due to crew shortage. She got to fly with Gary that day, went east & returned to the airport. Did a hop & changed out passengers with foreign exchange student Katrina and Ken were hosting.

Katrina and Ken also crewed for Andrew Holly from the UK at an event in Palm Springs. They had beautiful weather. They noted a problem with the refueling site. It wasn’t in a secure area but rather behind an abandoned strip mall and often there were about 5 people in each vehicle (all other events restrict the refueling area to the pilot or crew chief and one other crew member. At one point, they went to eat at Denny’s. While enjoying their meal, they noticed a man jumping out of a truck with a balloon basket in back that was on fire. The guys went out while Katrina did crowd control. The man jumped out when he saw them but they detained him until police arrived. Fire fighters waited for tanks to blow (3 of them did blow). Apparently the man wanted to kill himself & set the basket on fire. Locked zipper basket cover required as a result of this situation for all systems not secured in covered unit/trailer.

Jeff D: He and Magic Bob have had several flights in recent weeks. A 90-minute flight New Year’s Eve day included a marriage proposal (she said “yes”). An afternoon flight New Year’s day in Clovis and a flight on December 16. Another proposal scheduled for Friday 1/10 will likely be a tether flight.

5. Upcoming Events:

Katrina would like to invite Andrew to come fly with a club member, maybe get a couple flights in during February or March.

Joe Lamberti & Jeff Downs are going to the Albuquerque Fiesta grounds on February 21-23 to attend a 2½ day ground school to prep for the exam. Beth Wright Smith, coordinator of a 141 school there , will be presenting Friday evening and then the course on Saturday and Sunday. They’ll take the written exam on the Monday immediately following. (Melanee is staying home!).

Sonoma Balloon Event: Melanee reported the Classic is confirmed to return this year on June 26-28 at a new site, the

Sonoma County Fairgrounds. It will be the 30th anniversary. Plans are for 30-plus balloons and they are already receiving a very good response from interested pilots. Exciting special shapes and other “exciting and different stuff” are planned for the event. Volunteers will begin their work at the end of January. The event website will be up and running in a couple of weeks.

Action Item: Linda requested that the PCA be given new event artwork for publication in the PCA newsletter.

continued on page 6

PACIFIC COAST AERONAUTS

CLUB MEETING MINUTES FOR JANUARY 8, 2020 Minutes submitted by Suzanne Seiler

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


6. Committee Reports:

A. Awards: DW wondered whether BL and JD have discussed any pilot award submissions. Need to get prepared for presentations at Safety Seminar

B. Bylaws: nothing at this time.

C. Email/Internet Account: nothing at this time.

D. Facebook: David has been posting virtually every day. There have been almost 200 new likes in the past 4 days. (Thank you Dave!)

E. Financial: no report at this time.

F. Jr. Balloonists: no report at this time.

G. Newsletter: Linda & Suzanne – People who post pictures and comments on Facebook can contribute the same towards our club newsletter. And if contributors look for the article writing template that’s always in the newsletter, they can add additional information about their experiences – for everyone’s reading enjoyment!

H. Safety Seminar: Suzanne confirmed the date is Saturday, March 28 with set-up on Friday, March 27 at about 4pm. Seminar location is again at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Lodi. Willamette’s seminar is scheduled 2 weeks prior, on March 14. List of prospective speakers is being currently being developed.

Please note: Safety seminar committee will hold its first formal conference call meeting to further develop seminar plans on Wednesday, January 15 at 7pm. Please use the same phone number and conference code as that which is used for our club and board meetings.

I. Web Site: Dave has updated the PCA website regarding copyright info and most of the data. If he didn’t have info, he left respective items as they were. Joe Lamberti requested that the name and ownership of his “new” Technicolor Green balloon be updated. Joe bought it June 8 and had its first flight December 16.

J. WHAMOBASS: no report at this time.

K. Winter Party: Those who attended the party hosted by the Coffman’s in Fresno had a great time.

7. Closing Round-Robin:

Jeff Downs: Happy New Year!

Melanee S: Ditto.

Joe Lamberti: HNY. Looking to get in more flights in near future.

Linda Walton: Everyone be sure to put date of March 28 on your calendars for the safety seminar, and have a prosperous New Year.

Dave Wakefield: Many thanks to Linda for running tonight’s meeting.

Suzanne Seiler: Many thanks to Jeanne Anson, who has handled the club newsletter for the last few months and doing a fantastic job!

8. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 8:23pm.

Katrina Lomax --

Welcome back!

Jeff Johnson --

Arroyo Grande

Club Meeting, con’t.


It’s been a week. All the official bits are complete. Now I just have to get used to

not getting your daily (or sometimes more) phone call.

You could be frustrating, you were often silly, and you were always my go-to guy

for answers. 1-800-ASK-DAD is closed. Steve isn’t available to pick up the phone.

I never would have become a pilot if it wasn’t for you. I wouldn’t know how to fix

an engine if it wasn’t for you. You taught me how to drive (and back up!) a

trailer, enabling me to show horses anywhere. You bought me my first computer,

launching the career that provides for my family. You were so excited to take

Ryan for his first balloon ride at three years old. You delighted in finding him

flying toys during your travels, plus the teddy bears you

would bring back from places like Alaska and Wales. You

attended all the school plays and supported Ryan’s class at

school auctions.

You were a good grandpa, and you were a great dad.

It’s the little things that will be hard. Fuji apples make me

cry. I’ll no longer buy Costco muffins in bulk. Picking up a

wrench reminds me of when you first showed me how to

use one. (I was five). I’m not looking forward to my next

birthday - it’s the first time in my life I won’t have to share

it.

The last couple years have been hard with your mobility

becoming more challenging. You stole my office chair because it was

on wheels �. The engineering department had four different walkers.

I’m glad I stayed last Sunday, and spent your last day with you. We

didn’t know. Maybe if we did there would have been more talk and

less television. I miss you.

Our flying club has

graciously set up a

scholarship fund for Junior

Balloonist camp in dad’s

name at https://

www.pcaballoons.org/

turner-memorial.htm He

loved any chance to share

his favorite sport.

Seventies Steve -- Left, in front of the fountain in Justin Herman Plaza at the

embarcadero (long before we moved) and right, at home in Chicago.

Two pictures here are from the Great Reno

Balloon Race. The earliest, where he’s wearing

an Apple shirt is from the christening party for

‘Espirit de Pauvrete.’

A recent photo in Half Moon Bay

https://www.pcaballoons.org/turner-memorial.htm?fbclid=IwAR3AZQ3t0-jLpxUPM4pTPiiw9JtDn-EXuQX1pfCS7ucR23thFpmX-8YKK_whttps://www.pcaballoons.org/turner-memorial.htm?fbclid=IwAR3AZQ3t0-jLpxUPM4pTPiiw9JtDn-EXuQX1pfCS7ucR23thFpmX-8YKK_whttps://www.pcaballoons.org/turner-memorial.htm?fbclid=IwAR3AZQ3t0-jLpxUPM4pTPiiw9JtDn-EXuQX1pfCS7ucR23thFpmX-8YKK_w


Junior Balloon Camps... … are coming! This year there will be two balloon camps. Both camps will take up to 20 campers each,

ages 13-17. Dawn Chase, BFA Youth Coordinator, is looking for volunteers for each camp as well.

WHY IS THE JUNIOR BALLOONIST PROGRAM SO IMPORTANT ?

IT BENEFITS THE YOUTH OF BALLOONING AND ENSURES THE FUTURE OF BALLOONING!

The Summer Camps are the ultimate experience for teens aged 13-17 who want to learn more about hot air ballooning. No previous experience with balloons needed! Balloon tethers are scheduled throughout the camp (weather permitting) under the leadership of certified pilots. As part of the event, visitations to balloon and aviation related sites are scheduled as well as plenty of hands-on activities. In years past, topic presentations and discussions have included: Crew Safety, Balloon Systems, Basic First Aid, Power Line Safety, Weather, Pilot Training, FAR/AIM, Mapping and GPS, and much more!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Look at your calendars to see which of these two camps will work for you:

• Southeastern Balloon Camp Gafney, SC June 14th-19th

• Rio Grande Balloon Camp Albuquerque, NM July 11th - 16th

Registration opens on March 1st at https://bfa.net/divisions/junior-balloonists.

Camp cost this year is $575 and a $75 deposit is required at registration.

Interested in Volunteering (pilots, counselors or other roles)? Please go to https://bfa.net/register-to-volunteer.

Like/Follow the camps at https://www.facebook.com/RGBC2016/ AND at https://www.facebook.com/SEBalloonCamp/.

Interested in Sponsoring a Junior Balloonist? Please contact the Pacific Coast Aeronauts at [email protected] OR go to https://bfa.net/index.php/information/bfa-temp-store2/category/19-donations. Sponsors can specify the Junior Balloonist they wish to sponsor. In addition, donations in any amount can be made via the link.

The PCA is looking for a camper to sponsor!!! Do you have a crew or relative or friend

who has a teenager who would like to go? No experience necessary!

Have the camper send info & essay to [email protected]

ESSAY TOPIC: Why do you want to go to Balloon Camp & what do you hope to learn?


ADS-B Is here!

And It Applies to Hot Air Balloons

The Balloon Training Academy Facebook page has a blog which explains it all. Take a look!

The PCA will be covering this ruling at the Safety Seminar March 28th.

NEW YEAR, NEW RULE?

ARE YOU ADS-B READY?

At 12:01 am on January 2nd, aircraft must comply with ADS-B.

What the heck is ADS-B and why am I just now hearing about it? To learn more about ADS-B

aircraft requirements and how it applies to hot air balloons, visit our blog!

https://www.theballoontrainingacademy.com/blog/

https://www.theballoontrainingacademy.com/blog/?fbclid=IwAR2WZI3fQmSSh4d0i_SiAv9ajiwVqL2BSWHnHOGolnuKdsl9z-Yt8x2hYbg


PROTOCOL FOR OPERATING BALLOONS AT THE TRACY AIRPORT (KTCY) The manager of the Tracy Airport, Paula Jessup, has made some changes in the protocols for operating balloons at KTCY and in discussions with Gary Michalek and David Robinson, has developed the following protocols which must be adhered to.

> Please see attached airport diagram (below). > Please see informational supplement after #5 below.

PROTOCOL FOR OPERATING BALLOONS AT THE TRACY AIRPORT (KTCY):

The current gate code for KTCY is #2190. Please control its use and do not share it with the public. These are the protocols that Tracy Airport manager Paula Jessup is requiring of balloonists operating at KTCY, as follows: 1. Launch only from the areas indicated on the attached map. 2. Bring only one vehicle per balloon to your launch site. 3. Use only the approved vehicle route, as indicated on the map, when driving beyond the inner gate of the airport. 4. Just before launching, broadcast your intention to launch on the KTCY CTAF/UNICOM frequency 123.075. Include your N number and your location on the airport in your announcement. 5. If you want to do either of the following, contact Paula Jessup IN ADVANCE to talk over protocols:

a. Make a return flight to KTCY; b. Use the field containing the wind tetrahedron as a launch site or any vehicle routes beyond the inner gate

of KTCY.

NEW! Supplement regarding #5: Paula's only additional requirement is that she wants to go over the return flight protocol ONCE and in ADVANCE with all pilots. This CAN be done over the phone, with follow up email exchange of information. Once pilots have that conversation and she is comfortable that they understand everything, there is no further need to speak with her.

Paula is familiar with balloons, is very solicitous of balloon activity and loves seeing us in the air, but wants to speak with each pilot to ensure that they understand the return flight protocols and accept the responsibility for themselves and their crew regarding vehicular retrieval.

Airport Contact Information: Paula Jessup Airport Manager City of Tracy

209-831-6215 - office 530-708-1436 – cell 5749 S. Tracy Blvd. Tracy, CA 95377 [email protected]

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL PCA SAFETY SEMINAR ATTENDEES READ THIS PAGE PRIOR TO THE SEMINAR.

mailto:[email protected]


By Jeanne Anson

January 4th was a picture-perfect day to fly. Two balloons launched from Tuthill and Spencer Parks. These parks are across the street from each other. Tuthill had quite an accumulation of snow and when my chase truck drove into the field, it be-came overwhelmed with the amount of snow. Undaunted, the crew unloaded the balloon and the inflation began. John Parezo arrived, saw our dilemma with the chase truck and quickly moved his launch operation to Spencer Park (all asphalt and not so much snow.) The balloons lifted off at the same time.

With an abundance of crew (hadn’t flown in South Dakota since October), two of the crew, Mark and Rusty, proceeded to free the truck and trailer from the snow so the chase was not delayed.

The winds had a top speed of 15mph, yet there were 4 directions of steering making for a fun flight and knowing there were plenty of options to finding good landing sites.

About half way through the flight Tom radioed to say ”I won’t be able to pick you up, a turkey committed suicide on the windshield!” I looked back and saw him pulled over on the road side. Ah, well. Flying on with confidence that someone

would show up for the deflation, I found a perfect landing site at a middle school in Brandon. As I gently set down, 3 chase vehicles arrived in the parking lot. As we finished up packing the balloon in the trailer, on Keith and Brenda’s Pickup, Tom pulled into the parking lot with our 2nd chase vehicle. What a great morning of cooperation and happy passengers. Hopefully we’ll have some more good weather in the near future.

Oh, and the Turkey ended up going home with crew. After cleaning it was put in a smoker; he was quite tasty!

A Chase to Remember!


By Katrina Lomax

Despite our loss of Puddles, we had another good weekend of ballooning.

California Hot Air Balloon Festival Cathedral City November 22-24, 2019

https://www.hotairballoonfest.com


Havasu Balloon

Festival and Faire 2020 Each January, 80-plus balloons gather

in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Here are a few photos taken from

Peggy Meinke’s facebook page.

Hope you enjoy them!


The 2019-2020 Long Jump season began December 1. For three decades, the Balloon

Federation of America (BFA) has been sponsoring the Long Jump Challenge to encourage

pilots to improve their personal best flight distance while promoting safe flight planning

and execution. For the first 10 years of the event, 232 pilots participated; from 2000 to

2019, 86 pilots logged results; and in the last decade, less than 30 long jump flights were

officially recorded. The distances achieved ranged from 7 to 750 miles [see database

table below]. As we begin our fourth decade of the challenge, the goal for the BFA Long

Jump Committee is to promote awareness of event and improve participation.

As a balloon club president, you have a lot of influence in encouraging club events. Please consider adding a

long jump flight to this winter's schedule. You just need a Saturday or Sunday with skies clear below 10,000

feet, comfortable surface winds, and winds aloft over 25 knots to have a great flight. With most balloons

having at least a two-hour duration capability in colder temperatures, it is pretty easy to log a flight of 50 miles

or more. I have found that there are few thing more exciting to a pilot than improving on a personal best

distance, altitude or duration record. And if your group does go more than a 100 miles, they will be talking

about that adventure for a long time.

Most less-experienced pilots are a little nervous about flying at altitudes of 10,000' MSL or at speeds of more

than 20 knots. However, it is human nature to have strength in numbers, so a group flight will reduce the

apprehension for those who are stepping out of their comfort zone. It is also a lot more fun to make a long

jump with a bunch of friends. For new pilots who would like to fly with someone with a little more experience,

we have a team category with two pilots or a pilot and crewmember.

The military instilled in me the "Six Ps for Mission Success": Proper Planning Prevents P---- Poor Performance.

To help your club members properly plan and equip themselves for their own flights, I have included my

personal long jump checklist for the central USA and an article written by Bill Coninger of Ohio. While both of

these documents are aimed at serious distance endeavors, they will give all long jumpers some things to

consider during their planning phase. I am available by phone or email if someone has any questions about

equipment or procedures. I have also attached detailed information from the BFA website.

This year, I will be writing an article for the May issue of Ballooning telling about all of the long jump activities

of the 2019-2020 season. I would like to include your club's flight(s) in my report, so take a few notes and

pictures and send them to me before April 1. Also, all participants will receive a certificate from BFA.

A long-distance flight can be a real morale-boosting activity for your club, as well as an educational experience

for individuals. Please join in on the fun with us this year and encourage your group to fly a BFA long jump.

Bill Smith

BFA Long Jump Chairman

[email protected]

(502) 338-6397

The Seven Long Jump Participation Categories are

designated as follows:

Balloon Size Team Solo

AX-6 and Smaller AX-6 Team AX-6 Solo AX-7 AX-7 Team AX-7 Solo AX-8 AX-8 Team AX-8 Solo AX-9 and Larger AX-9 Team Not Allowed

1

1Solo flights in large, lightly loaded balloons are considered a safety hazard for landing



Pahrump Balloon Festival February 21 –23, 2020

Pahrump, Nevada

[email protected]

Pacific Northwest Safety Seminar March 14, 2020

Jefferson Oregon

Tim Gale: HAB [email protected]

PCA Safety Seminar March 28, 2020

Lodi, CA

[email protected]

Sonoma Balloon Event June 26-28, 2020

Sonoma County Fairgrounds, CA

Event information in this newsletter is compiled from several resources, and is not to be considered as an endorsement by the PCA, its respective officers or members. There may be additional events not included here and dates may be subject to change.

Check available links and respective websites for the most current information. Please advise us at [email protected] if you have new or different information than is posted below.

Elise Osner is losing access to the hanger where she keeps her

balloon. If she could find a temporary “enclosed” place to park the

trailer, it would help her out immensely. Otherwise, the alternative is

to sell the balloon and all its supplemental equipment, including the

trailer. Trailer is approximately 6-1/2’ wide by 12’ long including the

tongue. Cargo area is 4’ x 8.’ Only 76 hours on the balloon 77K,

Make an offer!

If you can help with either option, please contact Elise directly at

(cell) 209-988-7883 or (email) [email protected].

Balloon Needs a Home


From Owner, Jeff Haliczer, Pilot/Owner of Empty Pockets Balloon

Team —Reno:

‘High Top Flier’ is for sale as I am not utilizing it enough to warrant keeping it

and need to move on to other projects in my life. The Shoe has been at very

few events and I have only done one ‘free flight’ due to the fact of

transporting the crew, but it does fly well and is fun to see in the air!

About the Balloon: “High Top Flier” (of course you can change the name). 2001 Cameron ‘Shoe 90’, with US

Standard Type Airworthiness Certification (NOT experimental) built in Bristol, England, and accepted

anywhere in the world. It has less than 150 hours (4 previous Cameron ‘Shoe’

balloons went 500+ hours.

• Annual is current until May 2019.

• Clean Title and Registration (NO issues with the ‘N’ number).

• 40,000 Cu. Ft. with the lift of a 90,000.

• Custom Cart (Shoe Box) built on a 1200# garden cart, with solid tires (from Tractor

Supply), easy to load wooden box which is steerable with the attached handle.

Envelope bag included if you wanted to ‘bag’ it. Envelope and cart weigh about

1000 pounds.

The Trailer: 2000 Wells Cargo 6X10 Trailer TW-101 (rear cargo doors) with 30” side

door.

• 8-foot Aluma shield awning on the side, rolls up so the awning is protected by

aluminum slats.

• New tires, bearings recently replaced (preventative).

• Set up to haul this system, with a detachable ramp to move the ‘Shoe Box’ inside.

The Basket: Older (refurbished) Raven/Aerostar Classic basket with all new HDPE

Skids, new reinforced corner brackets and new rope handles.

• Dual HPII burners; 2 lay-down 20-gallon tanks recently certified; new hoses in 2017;

miscellaneous other stuff that goes with the bottom end; drop line; instrument

bracket, etc.

• Have the FMS (Flight Manual Supplement) from Cameron to approve the Aerostar

under the Cameron ‘Shoe 90.’

In Addition: ‘High Top Flier’ web domain through Go Daddy, paid until 2020. I never did

anything with the web site. It goes to the new owner; I assume it is transferable.

Costs: Complete system including all of the above: $35,000. Envelope only: $30,000. Trailer: $3,000. Basket:

$2,000.

• Only serious offers will be entertained.

• E-mail at: [email protected]

• Or call me at (775) 853-4109 home number/land line (please don't text; the

machine is always on).



We are actively looking

for a buyer for our

thermal airship

system! It is a GEFA

FLUG AS105 GD-4.

The primary envelope

has less than 20 hours on it and the entire system has just 2:40 hours on it since last annual

inspection. It is clean (we always use tarps, even on green grass) as you can see in the included

images, taken September 2017. It is ready to fly on delivery.

The airship comes with

all accessory equipment

necessary to inflate and

fly including the tarps

and trailer. A second

envelope is included; it

needs some work but is

serviceable or a resource for parts.

Included are three 15-gallon Titanium fuel tanks and one 15-gallon Stainless Steel fuel tank. It also comes with 10 airship main banners (used) in their own bags and two unused nose banners. The fuel hose panel seen in the pictures is mounted in the trailer.

The pictured truck is NOT included but can transport the trailer and equipment to a buyer anywhere in the contiguous USA if desired.

Added bonus:

I can teach a new pilot or be available for hire as a pilot.

Please share this with anyone you think may have interest or contact me any time for more information.

Also, more info at: http://www.cheersaerialmedia.com/forsale.htm

Thanks,

David Wakefield [email protected]

Primary envelope (approx. 20 hours) Secondary envelope

Trailer 8.5 feet by 20 feet

Gondola (Car)

Banners & Fuel Adapter Panel

$120,000 Offers Considered



Custom Built

Triangular Basket with Woven

Rainbow Accent

ENVELOPE: 1993 Balloon Works Firefly 7-15 with 395 Hours

Basket: Triangular with Woven Rainbow Accent

Burner: Mirage

Custom-Built Enclosed Wells Cargo Trailer & Contents: 5 hp Inflator Fan: Mach Zero

Utility & Tool Box

Rug & Blankets

Blankets protect grass on basket and grass under burner from being damaged

Rug under fan keeps rocks, rocks and other debris out of envelope.

Spare Tire

Tether Ropes: 3@ 100 ft.

Tether Harness

Tie-off Ropes: 1 @ 15' & 1 @ 24'

E-Z Squeeze

Helium Tank

Tanks(4) - with Fuel

Large Parachute Tarp: Lightweight, Custom Made, Bagged

1 Aircraft Radio: I-Com IC-A6 Transceiver

3 Hand Held Radios

$8,000

Orval Choate / 714-343-9317 / [email protected]

Balloon with Trailer


PCA Award Categories and Criteria Awards are to be advertised throughout the year and awarded at the Safety Seminar in the Spring

of each year. Not every award will be issued every year unless there are nominations.

Pilot Award

a) Purpose of this award is to acknowledge outstanding accomplishments or extraordinary

contribution to the sport of ballooning by a pilot.

b) Award Type: Trophy award.

c) Criteria: Outstanding personal or national best, such as a long flight or high altitude, etc.

Help with organization or bringing in new crew or enthusiasts to the sport. Sharing the

love of the sport with the community.

Crew of the Year Award

a) Purpose: To acknowledge a crew member who is not a current member and has been an

outstanding crew for area pilots and to expose them to a broader world of ballooning.

b) Award: PCA Membership and BFA membership.

c) Criteria: Person is selected by each pilot submitting a name of a crew person that has

shown to be outstanding crew for them at rallies and flying in their home area.

d) Name is drawn from a hat at the Safety Seminar.

PCA Membership Award

a) Purpose: Awarded to someone (crew or pilot or balloon enthusiast) to introduce them to the

PCA.

b) Award: 1-year PCA membership.

c) Criteria: Each PCA member can submit the name of someone who deserves this award.

d) Name is drawn from a hat.

Life Time Award

a) Purpose: Acknowledge a longtime contributor to the sport of Ballooning and the PCA.

b) Award: Lifetime membership to the PCA and a trophy award.

c) Criteria: Given to a member who has supported the sport of ballooning by spreading the

word about ballooning by promoting an event, organizing an event and contributing to the

sport of ballooning.

Above and Beyond Award

a) Purpose: Acknowledge someone who has given outstanding effort to promote ballooning or

the PCA in the last year.

b) Award: Trophy Award.

c) Criteria: To be given to a member of the PCA who has contributed to the growth of the PCA

and/or has contributed to the sport of ballooning.

Something to Think About:

As you go about your typical ballooning activities, are there aeronauts

who deserve your nomination for any award(s)?


“Crew Safety Quick

Reference,” also by Schwontkowski & Murray, available for $3.50 each including

postage.

(Contact the PCA for quantity discounts)

“Crewing Essentials”

Excellent, well-organized book

with great details about all

aspects of crewing, authored

by Gordon Schwontkowski

and Alyson Murray. Copyright

2008, paperback.

$18 each or 2 for $35.

www.pinterest.com

Sunrise Chart for Tracy, Ca. (Morgan Hill will be approximately 1 minute later)

SIX MONTH SUNRISE CALENDAR

Jan 2020 5 7:21 Feb 2020 2 7:09 Mar 2020 1 6:35

12 7:21 9 7:02 8 7:26

19 7:18 16 6:55 15 7:16

26 7:14 23 6:46 21 7:05

29 6:55

Apr 2020 5 6:44 May 2020 3 6:07 Jun 2020 7 5:44

12 6:34 10 6:00 14 5:43

19 6:24 17 5:54 21 5:44

26 6:15 24 5:49 28 5:47

31 5:46

If you’re interested in acquiring these

resources, or have some favorite

ones to share, please contact Linda

Walton at [email protected]

or [email protected].

https://www.pinterest.com.mx/pin/340021840593695982/


Please print clearly. You may use this form to update your contact information as well. _____Pilot _____Crew

Name (s): _______________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________________ (Number) (Street) (Apt) (City) (State) (Zip)

Phone — please check preferred: ❑ (Home) _______________________ ❑ (Mobile) ________________________

Email: _______________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer

The PCA is a non-profit incorporated organization. Information contained

within this issue of the Downwind Chase is the most up-to-date and

correct information available at the time of publication. The PCA, its

Officers and Directors are not responsible for the accuracy of the

material enclosed herein. Opinions expressed in the Downwind Chase

are solely those of the individual authors and should not be perceived to

be those of the PCA, the Editor, Publisher, or its leadership.

Membership & Merchandise: Cost:

• Pilot or Crew: $20.00

• Family Membership: $30.00

• For Postal Delivery of the Newsletter: $5.00

• PCA Pins: 1 for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00

• WHAMOBASS #50 Pins: $10.00

• Shipping for Pins: $1.00

TOTAL ENCLOSED: $____________

Please make checks payable to:

Pacific Coast Aeronauts

Mail to:

Linda Walton—Treasurer

Pacific Coast Aeronauts

14938 Camden Ave., Suite 76

San Jose, CA 95124

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / RENEWAL

Pilot Briefing:

Tools to Plan Your Flight

Tracy AWOS 209-831-4335

San Martin AWOS 408-918-7724

Flight Service 800-992-7433

If you have a favorite flight planning resource,

send us a note at [email protected] and we’ll

publish it here.

Name Board

Position Year BoD Term Ends

Club Position

Patrick Moore Chairperson,

Secretary 2020

David Wakefield President 2021 President,

Co-Secretary

Tom Sharpee Vice President

Linda Walton Treasurer 2020 Treasurer

Suzanne Seiler Board Member,

Co-Secretary 2021 Co-Secretary

Alta Fernandes Board Member 2020

Bob Locklin Board Member (AL) 2020

Jeff Downs Board Member 2021

Committee Chairperson Assistants

Awards Bob Locklin Jeff Downs

Christmas Party Linda Walton Host:

The Coffman’s

Junior Ballooonists Jeanne Anson

Newsletter Co-Chairs: Jeanne

Anson, Linda Walton & Suzanne Seiler

David Wakefield

And All Members!

Website/Facebook David Wakefield Jeanne Anson, Linda Walton

WHAMOBASS Currently Open

2020 PCA Committees

The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast AeronautsTo Register: Complete the registration form...

Documents

Transcript of The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast AeronautsTo Register: Complete the registration form...