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Nominations for Torok & Decker Awards:
Each year GEBA recognizes club members for their contributions to ballooning, the
club and sportsmanship. The awards are presented at the annual dinner dance held in December. Nominations are
currently being sought and should
be sent to Jennifer Goldbloom prior to November 2, 1997. One individual will be selected
as the recipient for the Torok Sportsmanship Award. Four crew members will be recognized with the Decker
Scholarship to the annual safety
seminar.
1996 Torok Sportsmanship Award: Johann Schneider
Previous Torok honorees are: Chris Mooney, Doug Lane, Dave
Wilsey, Barry Nixon, Bob Dicks,
Marie Dicks, Sue Brown, Dean Maurer.
1996 Decker Scholarships: Teri Lyman, Diane Maurer, JR Maehr,
Gene Burnstein
New Automated Weather Information:
Real time weather information is now available from (new) equipment that has been
installed at Solberg Airport,
via telephone or radio. The service is operational 24 hours a day, and includes: wind
speed, direction, temperature,
dew point, visibility and sky cover. Contact: 908-722-2139 or radio frequency 118.325.
Flying at 21,000 feet - in Bolivia:
Club member Fred Grotenhuis of Harmony, NJ has spent several weeks in Bolivia
(South America) in an attempt to use
a hot air balloon to fly samples of ice down from a mountain top for an Ohio University
expedition study team. The ice is
part of a study on global warming. A balloon was selected as the altitude prevents using a
helicopter and there is insufficient
take off/landing space for conventional aircraft. Fred, a former helicopter pilot, has 16
years of ballooning experience. A custom built
balloon will be back-packed to the top, for the six trips needed to bring the ice core
down. Among the problems facing the
expedition include the effort to carry the equipment up the mountain, bad weather with
respect to attempting to fly down,
thin atmosphere and so on.
Passing of the Old Guard:
We recently learned that GEBA member Jack Grinton passed away in North Glenn, Colorado.
Jack was the founder of the Air Pirate Balloon Academy and one of the first balloonists to
book rides around the
world through his other company "Festival Flights".
Balloonists Bert & Joanie Padelt:
A multi page article highlighted this ballooning couple, noted for their work in balloon
repair and manufacture. Bert & Joanie
operate a repair station, Best Aviation Services in Bally, PA. They are busy throughout
the year inspecting and repairing hot air balloons;
re-weaving of baskets, total fabrication of (experimental) envelopes, manufacture of gas
balloons (basket & envelope).
Innovators, the Padelt's have created light-weight envelopes and even a collapsible
basket. "Lighter and easier" is the trend, Padelt
says. "That's where I see the sport of ballooning going."
In addition to the many activities noted above, Bert has partnered with Ed
Heltshe, a
balloonist from Lancaster, PA, in a venture
that will culminate in a trans-Atlantic flight in 1998. The balloon will use a combination
of hot air and helium for lift.
Summer Festival With A French Twist: (submitted by Kathy Coulahan)
Vous permettez d'attierir ici? (may we land here?)
That's a phrase that's good to know if you're ballooning in Quebec, (Canada) but
you certainly don't have to be fluent in French
to have a lot of fun at the Festival de Montgolfieres in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Other balloonists had told us about this 14 year old, 9 day festival held in August with
beautiful farm country for flying, a scenic town
on the Richelieu River, volunteer local crew to help bridge the language gap, and on top
of that, an exceptionally well organized
festival. So we tried it this year for the first time, and everything we were told turned
out to be true.
The basics were painless, there were assigned launch sites and launch directors,
computerized check-in, printed weather sheets at
briefings and two sets of maps (one for the balloon - one for the chase truck) - with
written descriptions of each "PZ". (The dynamite
factory was one that got our attention). There was food and drink available before each
flight and an extremely smooth passenger ride system.
These things alone would make it one of the best festivals we've been to, but there were
additional "nice-to-do" touches, including: a list of pilots, launch site
numbers and hotels so you could easily locate other balloonists. A free car wash was set
up at the airport, with each balloonist given coupons for two washes. The 125 balloonists
(over 25 from GEBA) were given free admission to the amusement rides at the festival one
afternoon. Top ten memories of the event include:
Boat rides on the Richelieu
Splash 'n Dash in the Richelieu
The Weather Channel (in French) - you don't need to be fluent to understand "vents
maximum"
Landing in a field recently fertilized with liquid manure (thus our gratitude for the free
car wash)
Shopping spree at the local chocolate factory
Legendary Leota Parties at the Auberge Harris Hotel (yea Vince!)
The Balloonist's prayer in French
Visiting Old Montreal in the rain
Breakfasts in what became the "GEBA Room" at Le Relais
Winning a trip for two - to Cuba
As fractured French communicated with fractured English, our local crew person may have
summed up
this festival best when he told us, "Is very fun..."
Flyout For Spina Bifida: (submitted by Joe Doerer)
On Saturday, September 6th, over a dozen local balloonists, many of them GEBA members,
gathered at Alexandria Field in New Jersey for
what all hope to be the first annual Flyout for Spina Bifida. This event, organized by
David Fort, was held in conjunction with the annual Spina Bifida Association of New Jersey
picnic. Dave, a member of the Board of Directors for SBANJ worked with Linda Castner
(Alexandria Airport) to create a memorable experience for both the children and the
balloonists.
The crews who arrived early had the opportunity to partake in picnic food supplied by
SBANJ and had the chance to sit and talk with the SBANJ families. When flight time
approached there was a slight southwest breeze with forecast of decreasing winds. Using a
tree line for protection, 15 balloons set up to fly, some with SBANJ passengers ready to
board. As we flew overhead, Dave set up to tether those who remained behind, including
wheelchair bound children and adults. There were lots of smiling faces on the ground and
in the air.
For the pilots who flew low, it was a short ride heading toward Spruce Run Reservoir.
Those who flew at 4000 feet were able to skirt the east side of the reservoir for an
extended flight. Either way, the flying was fun and the landings gentle. After the flight,
all pilots and crews returned to the field to join in a combined tailgate party. Everyone
agreed that his event was an excellent opportunity for balloonists to get together to give
something back to the community we fly in. We are all looking forward to the second annual
Flyout.
Top Ten Ride Questions For 1997 - (submitted by Sue Hanbicki) as compiled
by crew members and pilots of Color the Sky, Inc.
10. How much without the champagne ?
9. My son is only one, how much would his ride cost ?
8. It doesn't look too windy to me
7. Well, it's not raining here
6. Where are the parachutes ?
5. Do you deliver balloons to Philadelphia ?
4. Do you have extra tape ?, I forgot one (said by a film student who had come out to
interview pilot and film the launch)
3. The batteries for my camcorder are dead, can I plug it in to the balloon ?
2. We had arranged for them to fly alone. Why is that other person there? (reference to
the pilot of an engagement flight)
1. How much to drive some place that isn't too windy ?