Balloon fire/crash

KSCessnaDriver said:
All things considered, a 16 passenger balloon isn't really that big. I've seen some in places up to 30 passengers. You just have to have a really, really big envelope.
Click to expand...
I guess I am just not all that familiar with balloons in general, the only ones I have seen are the smaller, 4-6 passenger ones around here. I need to get out more! :)
 
N747JB said:
I guess I am just not all that familiar with balloons in general, the only ones I have seen are the smaller, 4-6 passenger ones around here. I need to get out more! :)
Click to expand...

They certainly aren't common when you get to that size. Think tourist traps, that's where you find the huge balloons (pyramids in Egpyt, stuff like that)
 
PPC1052 said:
His point is that people might look at this and say, "See look what happens when we don't require a medical!"
Click to expand...
Valid concern. From CNN this morning:

Nichols didn't have to tell the FAA about those problems because oversight for balloon pilots is not as stringent as for airline or helicopter pilots, the National Transportation Safety Board said. They are expected to self-report any drug or alcohol driving offenses within 60 days, the FAA says.

Unlike pilots for other aircraft, balloon pilots are not required to obtain an FAA medical certificate to fly, NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said Monday at a news conference.
Those certificates, which can expire after a few years, require pilots to answer whether they've been arrested recently for drunken driving and have alcohol problems, Sumwalt said.
 
Lowflynjack said:
Valid concern. From CNN this morning:

Nichols didn't have to tell the FAA about those problems because oversight for balloon pilots is not as stringent as for airline or helicopter pilots, the National Transportation Safety Board said. They are expected to self-report any drug or alcohol driving offenses within 60 days, the FAA says.

Unlike pilots for other aircraft, balloon pilots are not required to obtain an FAA medical certificate to fly, NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said Monday at a news conference.
Those certificates, which can expire after a few years, require pilots to answer whether they've been arrested recently for drunken driving and have alcohol problems, Sumwalt said.
Click to expand...
NBC says the FAA asked for paperwork....
And Nichols' court file includes a 2013 letter from the FAA itself saying it was investigating his latest DWI case and asking for copies of the paperwork. A spokesman for the FAA told NBC News that some records are expunged after a couple of years.
Click to expand...
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...sb-clash-over-pilots-disclosure-rules-n621286
 
midcap said:
I always thought you kind of just went where ever the wind took you on a hot air balloon.
Click to expand...
What I remember from ballooning is that they send up a kid's helium balloon to test the winds aloft at various levels. The balloon pilot usually knows the way the winds normally blow in the local area. The reason they fly so early is that it tends to be calmer.

I was part of a chase crew years ago in Boise, and also took a few rides when there were no paying customers. They were encouraging me to get a balloon add-on but I moved away before I got around to it.
 
Everskyward said:
What I remember from ballooning is that they send up a kid's helium balloon to test the winds aloft at various levels. The balloon pilot usually knows the way the winds normally blow in the local area. The reason they fly so early is that it tends to be calmer.

I was part of a chase crew years ago in Boise and also took a few rides when there were no paying customers. They were encouraging me to get a balloon add-on but I moved away before I got around to it.
Click to expand...

that sounds like a lot of guestimating, definitely not for me.
 
PPC1052 said:
Yes, this guy's stick and rudder skills were non-existent.
Click to expand...

Yes, personally, I would not feel comfortable getting on board an aircraft, whose directional stability depends 100% on the direction of the wind.

Cheers
 
Lowflynjack said:
Unlike pilots for other aircraft, balloon pilots are not required to obtain an FAA medical certificate to fly.
Click to expand...
Food for thought: should commercial balloon operators carrying paying passengers maybe require a medical?
(just like for us fixed-wing pilots, we need a higher medical certificate to carry passengers for hire)
 
BigBadLou said:
Food for thought: should commercial balloon operators carrying paying passengers maybe require a medical?
(just like for us fixed-wing pilots, we need a higher medical certificate to carry passengers for hire)
Click to expand...
Medical aside, is there currently any FAA oversight of balloon operators such as the LOA requirement for sightseeing flights?
 
Fearless Tower said:
Medical aside, is there currently any FAA oversight of balloon operators such as the LOA requirement for sightseeing flights?
Click to expand...
AFAIK, no. That was what the NTSB asked the FAA to put into place.
 
brien23 said:
before any of you experts start jumping to conclusions, how many of you hold a Hot Air Balloon certificate and fly balloons.
Click to expand...
I'll have you know that I'm highly qualified to criticise any balloon operation. Afterall I've flown past balloons in flight many times and never hit one of them.
 
I am bracing for photos and video of the crash.
16 people out sightseeing? Probably most had a camera or phone out.
Not sure how those make the rounds but it seems like they usually do.
<shudder>
 
I used to work with one of the passengers on that flight. He and his wife perished along with the others. No matter how or why it happened, it is a very sad situation when so many lives are lost so suddenly.
 
What I would like to know is the sequence of events. Did the fire occur before or after the balloon came in contact with the power lines? Those towers are pretty tall and if he was low he may have hit the wires first. The resultant fall to the ground could have been severe enough to take lives. Just gotta wait and see what NTSB says.
 
midcap said:
that sounds like a lot of guestimating, definitely not for me.
Click to expand...

You would be amazed at how different the wind can be in increments of as little as 50 feet. When you fly LTA, you learn these subtle things about the wind, that heavier than air aircraft never know about
 
Everskyward said:
The reason they fly so early is that it tends to be calmer.
Click to expand...

Also I think so the temperature difference between the envelope and the surrounding air will be greater. Provide better / faster lift. If he was heavy and it was warm he wouldnt be gaining altitude very fast. I may be totally wrong. My balloon experience consists of two rides. One where the flame laid over and burned some of the basket suspension lines and we had to land and the other I skydived out of.
 
Sad.
Deadliest aviation crash since Colgan.
Time for commercial ballons to get regulated..
 
61.15 applies to all pilots (medical required or not).
 
Someone like that probably would have lied on a medical form anyway...

However, the AME might have been able to discover symptoms, such as the uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes.
 
labbadabba said:
This is why regulations happen. I know we like to kvetch about them, but reality is, people do stupid/selfish stuff that hurt others. When that happens, rules get made. We say, hey we should be free to make our own mistakes, trust us to make good decisions. Well, stuff like this shows we can't be trusted.
Click to expand...

Rules don't stop it from happening. All it does is make it easier for the family of the injured or dead to sue the family of the other injured or dead and make them bankrupt. And even that's not guaranteed since they often have no assets to liquidate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top