© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 1 Downwind Chase
I balloon. Balloon; it’s a noun, a verb and an
adjective. I’m a balloonatic: crazy to put in the amount
of time supporting this sport but I wouldn’t change a
thing. I’ve been asked if it’s my hobby but it’s more of
a life style. Oh you fly? Well, sometimes but I don’t
own a balloon and I’m not a pilot. I could never
convince my Mom she could go on a balloon trip with
us; we get up early, unpack and pack up a balloon, eat,
sleep, eat and sleep. Am I correct or is that just my
experience?
Sorry but I got off my topic. I participated in the
annual inspection of Dana Thornton’s balloon, Free
Spirit last week. No, this is not my first inspection.
I’ve sewed balloon tops, skirts and envelope bags. I’ve
helped Alan Sanderson stitch patches on the envelope.
Is the hole closer to the top or the top or the skirt?
So you find the gore and follow it down to the area
you need to patch. I’m not experienced with tank and
basket inspections but I’ve seen the presentations at
the safety seminar. It’s not very exciting for a crew
member but a necessary topic to cover.
But pilots, I think you ought to drag out your crew
members for the gore by gore envelope inspection.
There are 18 gores on Free Spirit. It takes about an
hour, looking for snags, broken stitches and (oh please
let’s not find any) holes. Experience not necessary but
it will give a better understanding for envelope
handling practices. If you haven’t been there, image 2
people, one on each side of the gore following the load
tape (cloth tape covering the rope load lines in this
case) inspecting each panel and section.
Ever wonder why the
The Official Newsletter for the Pacific Coast Aeronauts
DownWind Chase
View from a Board Member - Linda Walton
In this Issue:
View from the Board 1 & 2
BFA US Nationals / 2nd Women’s World Championship 3
June Meeting Minutes 4
August Tracy Airport Display Day and Fly-In 5
Important Announcements 6
Lincoln Fly In 7
Sonoma County Balloon Classic 8 & 9
Balloon For Sale 10
Tracy Display Day & Fly—IN 11
BFA Balloon Camp 12 & 13
Crewing Essentials and Crew Cards 14
California & Nevada Events / Sunrise Times 15
Greater Northwest Region Events 16
Club Info & Membership 17
August 2016
continued on next page
Please Join Us August 3rd!
7:00 PM Conference Call Meeting
PCA MEMBERS, CREW, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Email reminders about our monthly meetings will contain the Dial-In phone number and conference
call access code.
And you’ll have the opportunity to share in
conversation about the club, flying reports, people’s
experiences, upcoming events, the sport, balloons for
sale, and more!
Participation is growing and YOU can grow it more!
ALL ARE WELCOME! And it’s FREE!
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 2 Downwind Chase
Continued from Page 1, Linda Walton
envelope is twisted in the bag after annual, you’ll understand after seeing the annual. When we put the envelope in the
bag center first, all I could think of was the next morning it was going to come out of the bag on the launch field.
(Note; the section we were sewing was near the skirt and we had to move the envelope over next to the sewing
machine) Honestly Dana, we put it back in your bag skirt first with the vent line on the outside of the fabric. We tried
to keep the parachute lines from getting tangled and the crown line bunched up in a pile but we certainly didn’t add
your usual straps spaced every 6-8 feet. When it was time to close the bag, the three of us, Alan, Dana and I couldn’t
put enough weight it. It took Dana’s experience to get the fabric down in the bag far enough to close the bag.
At the end of the day, the basket and envelope were loaded back into Dana’s truck for the trip home. The necessary
log book entries were made, to last another year. Many thanks for Don and Linda Heisig for opening up their house
for the annual inspection marathon. The current plan is for the PCA holiday party to be held at their house (on the
Sacramento Delta) again this year; date to be determined.
Linda didn’t take any photos
of the annual process, so I
included a couple from one of
my annuals at Bill and Louise
Clemon’s shop in Truro IA
Jeanne Anson
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 3 Downwind Chase
BFA 2016 US National Hot Air Balloon Championship
1st - Rhett Heartsill
2nd - Nick Donner
3rd - Joe Zvada
4th - John Petrehn
5th - Joe Heartsill 6th - Chase Donner
7th - Bill Baker
8th - Andy Baird
9th - Al Nels
10th - Gary Heavin
Rookie of the Year - Keith Lutz NOTE: Youngest average age of the Top 3 = 31.3 years. Though you might find
that 2 of the last names are familiar...2nd generation HAB pilots.
FAI 2017 Young Artist contest—Beyond the Clouds
Does flying make you dream? Yes? Then pick up your pens, pencils or brushes and enter the 2017 FAI
Young Artists Contest to reach for the clouds. The aim is to create a picture that illustrates this year’s
theme “Beyond the Clouds”, and to show us your vision through your eyes!
Youngsters from three age categories: Junior (6-9), Intermediate (10-13), Senior (14-17) are invited to
participate.
For more information check the FAI Website:
http://www.fai.org/news/41424-enter-the-2017-fai-young-artist-contest-and-show-us-your-vision-of-flying
The 2nd FAI Women’s World Hot Air
Balloon Championship in Birstonas, Lituania
took place July 4-10.
Results of the Competition:
1. Nicola Scaife — Austria
2. Anne Herdeqyn — Belgium
3. Cheri White — USA
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 4 Downwind Chase
PCA Meeting Minutes -- July 6, 2016* Submitted by Suzanne Seiler, Board Member
1. Meeting was called to order at 7:03pm Pacific by President Dave Wakefield.
Attendees: Dave Wakefield, Linda Walton, and Suzanne Seiler.
2. Meeting Minutes: Minutes of the June 1, 2016 meeting were not reviewed due to only 3 participants and the
agreed-upon informality of tonight’s meeting (however, if more participants joined in, the minutes would be ad-
dressed if requested).
3. Treasurer’s Report: see #2.
4. Flying Reports:
A. Dave reported on a delightfully insightful cooperative lesson presentation with Cheers balloon and a teacher
at Valley Christian Elementary School in San Jose.
5. Upcoming Events:
A. Tracy Municipal Airport - Aircraft Display Day & Fly-In, scheduled for Saturday July 16: Dave W reported
that Dave Lester arranged with this upcoming event to include and accommodate a sunrise hot air balloon
flight plus he arranged for the event’s start time to change from 11am to 9am, so balloonists could join in
the event’s activities after concluding their flights. Dave W offered that he and Dave L. could write up an
article for the August PCA newsletter.
B. July 23-24 -- Prosser Camping & Fun-Fly: it’s an informal gathering.
C. September 3-4 (Labor Day weekend): Color the Skies, Ripon, CA.
D. September 9-11: Great Reno Balloon Race, Reno, NV.
E. Reminder that WHAMOBASS has moved FROM the last weekend in October (28-30) due to difficulty in get-
ting hotel rooms because of an auto event held annually in the area, TO the second to last weekend Octo-
ber 21-23.
F. Many other events of course, which are always listed in the PCA newsletter.
6. Old Business: None.
7. New Business:
A. Linda discussed musings about balloon themed pillows and tote bags for the club and suggested that some
drawings, samples and the like could be ready by WHAMOBASS.
B. Suzanne suggested that the font size be enlarged in emails sent to the PCA membership. Linda and Dave
agreed to make that change.
8. Dave asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting: Suzanne so motioned, Linda seconded. All agreed. Dave ad-
journed the meeting at 8:10pm Pacific time.
* Note: There was a lot of fun sharing and conversations that weren’t necessarily part of official business, and all three of us
were sorry more people had not joined the FREE conference call meeting. But it’s summertime and some folks are enjoying
vacations and the like (hope you had fun, Jeanne and Tom!).
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 5 Downwind Chase
Would you like to come Fly at the Tracy Fly-IN?
Contact the airport director Nancy Earhart for information and gate codes at: [email protected]
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 6 Downwind Chase
Calling All Members!!
WANTED PICTURES AND ARTICLES FROM YOU!
Many of you are traveling to and participating
in balloon events. There are a lot of stories and
pictures out there (we know -- we see your
posts and photos on Facebook, Instagram and
the rest of social media)!! Reports may include:
Event details -- who was there, special
shapes, weather, what you did, etc.
Road trip stories (that is, what happened
on your way to and from the event)
And of course, photos
If you can share your stories verbally and on
social media, you can share here too! Just send
your written thoughts via email to
[email protected]. We’ll even help with
writing and editing and THEN …. more
balloonists will get to share in YOUR adventures
too!
THANK YOU !
“Pacific Coast Aeronauts”
Find out what’s happening with the PCA
and other flying adventures!
NOW
Do YOU need to Get Current?
Don’t let your membership float away!
Look at the last page of this newsletter for a form to mail.
Contact us at [email protected] to arrange payment
WHAMOBASS 52 (LII)
Historically, WHAMOBASS was held the
weekend before Thanksgiving because this time frame was closest to the anniversary of
man’s first flight aloft in 1783 in France. In recent years, increasingly wet weather
threatened the event. As a result, it was moved to the last weekend in October.
Same location:
Coaling Station A in Pleasant Valley (Coalinga), CA
WHAMOBASS 2016 will be held
October 21 - 23!
Important Reminders
PCA Monthly Meetings
via FREE Conference Call
Watch your email for the phone number and connect code
Wednesdays, August 3 and Sept 7 @ 7PM PACIFIC TIME
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 7 Downwind Chase
Photo Essay from Dave Wakefield’s FB Page
Photos by Brian Ziolkowski via a Drone
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 8 Downwind Chase
There was some unsettled weather in the forecast for the
2016 SCHABC event. Some rain was moving in from the
north but was not supposed to get as far south as Win-
dsor. Well, so much for weather forecasts.
The Friday morning Media Day started out with an over-
cast sky of about 1800'. At the briefing, the launch was put
on hold to see if the conditions would improve. As we
waited, the ceiling slowly descended and it starting to
sprinkle lightly. As the minutes passed, it continued to get
worse and everyone started putting their equipment away
to keep it dry. The flights were finally canceled and it
ended up raining
lightly throughout
the day and into
the evening. Time
for an early
breakfast.
A Dawn Patrol
flight was planned
for both Saturday
and Sunday. Getting up dark and early to head to the field
on Saturday morning, we found that the ground outside
was still damp from rain. At the field, the skies were
mostly clear with some scattered fog to the southwest
and damp grass. We decided to inflate and eventually
lifted off for a late Dawn Patrol.
As we ascended, the only direction was to the south with
an eventual turn to the southeast. That was good for us,
since we discovered that the fog bank was very thick on
the west side of the airport. All three balloons made it to
the airport or just east of the airport in clear conditions.
As we returned to the field, the day flight had been put on
hold due to that wonderful fog. As it started to burn off,
the field was opened and I waited my turn on the
crowded field.
I finally inflated and took the skies at 8:15am, over 2 hours
after sunrise. Most of the balloons landed at the airport
after some short flights. I continued on and found the con-
ditions starting to change into light and variable with some
light thermals starting to form. I ended up finally landing
after an hour and 45 minutes in an open field about 13
miles south of the launch field. I was not alone with this
long flight. Three other balloons were in the same general
area.
Returning to the field, we were treated to late morning
brunch, instead of the traditional dinner. Plenty of food,
fun and socializing was had by all.
Sunday rolled around with much better conditions. The
skies were clear but the winds were still to the south and
southeast. The Dawn Patrol once again flew to the air-
port. As I waited for my crew to be escorted onto the
airport, a commercial flight was loading their passengers
about one hundred yards away. I gave them a little light
show with Fire2 as they boarded and eventually taxied by.
Sonoma Balloon Classic
June 17, 18 & 19 By Dana Thornton
Photos by Dave Wakefield
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 9 Downwind Chase
The daytime launch was much earlier than Saturday's
with no delays and everyone headed the same direc-
tion as Saturday. Many of the balloons decided to land
at the airport again. As I passed the airport, I climbed
up to about 2,500 feet and found a wind heading back to the north. This was not there on Saturday. I kept
with it and slowly worked my way north and unfortunately east, away from the launch field. As most people
know, they call me "Boomerang" for a reason. It was not to be for this flight. I made it back to just north of
Shiloh road and as I dropped, I ended up in a nice open field just south of Shiloh. It was another wonderful
and uneventful flight.
While the conditions varied over the weekend, the flying turned out to be fun with a little bit of challeng-ing thrown in. I will be looking forward to the 2017 event.
Sonoma Balloon Classic
June 17, 18 & 19 continued
Photos by Dave Wakefield
Photo from Sonoma Balloon Classic FB Page
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 10 Downwind Chase
Flown with Great Care, Joy and Love
90,000CF
BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY
This envelope (and its matching
predecessor) has flown in the
Great Reno Balloon Race
Dawn Patrol for 22 years,
Sonoma County Hot
Air Balloon Festival
and others.
FOR SALE It’s been long bittersweet decision for us …
… for many reasons, it’s simply time.
90,000cf envelope has double spiral stair-step pattern, Nomex skirt, Kevlar cables. Built in 2001,
with only 178 hours (logged immediately following each flight). There is one small patch and a
couple of round sticky patches.
4.5 basket with suede trim has T-3 burner, 4 Worthington 10-gallon padded aluminum tanks
with heaters, carpeted floor.
Last annual in August 2015.
Always stored in an enclosed 6’x10’ Wells Cargo trailer with full rear and side access doors, floor
runners and block for easy movement and anchoring of basket in trailer.
Trailer and all contents included: 2 built-in enclosed cupboards, assorted storage containers for
supplies, glove pockets, fan with Tecumseh engine has always been reliable, envelope bag, large
envelope tarp, safety release tie-off, helium cylinder with pibal inflator valve, dropline with rewind
wheel, tether ropes, 2 Motorola radios.
Includes Dawn Patrol light system fully certified by FAA.
Price $12,000.00
Contact LARRY SEILER
209-403-6208
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 11 Downwind Chase
Gary Michalek and balloon below
RE/MAX Tether with Bob Locklin Piloting
Tracy Airport Display Day and Fly-In By David Wakefield
On July 16th, Tracy Airport held its first ever Display Day and Fly-In. The event featured three balloons launching in the morning with Dave Lester, Bob Hobbs, Gary Michalek, Bob Locklin giving RE/MAX tethered rides and David Wakefield with Amelia Airship. Many great planes and helicopters were on display with formation fly-bys and spectators enjoyed plenty of food from the SactoMoFo Food Truck group. The event was a great success! Nancy Earhart, the airport coordinator said that they had no idea what to expect but were encouraged by the social media involvement in the weeks leading up to the event. On “game day” they estimated over 3000 people came to the show. There will be another Tracy Display Day and Fly-In on August 20th. If you would like to fly contact the airport director Nancy Earhart for information and gate codes at: [email protected]
ABOVE: The line awaiting Tether Rides
Right: Dave Wakefield and Crispin Williams working on
Amelia Airship.
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 12 Downwind Chase
Albuquerque Balloon Camp By Ryan Schneider
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 13 Downwind Chase
2016 BFA Albuquerque Balloon Camp By Ryan Schneider
First I would like to thank Don Boyer and every-one that made the 2016 Albu-querque Bal-loon Camp possible, and what an amazing
camp it was.
Venturing off to any camp over the summer is an ad-venture all on its own. Especially for those of us that came from a few states away or an ocean to come participate and learn about a sport not known by most people. That being said, the camp this summer was truly an experience. Whether it was learning about balloon system on the field or in the classroom, there was never a dull moment, except for the ses-
sion on FAR’s. . . no one wants to sit through that.
Going to the top of Sandia Peak and experiencing
Hypoxia after learning about it before hand was a
good example of practical application.
The dorms were hot, but it’s not that unusual if
you're at an event and the hotel you're staying at isn’t that great. It seems to be one of those things you get
used to as a Balloonist.
We spent a little time on propane and how to re-
fuel the tanks, which is kind of important.
Seeing all the different systems, and getting to
crew for each of them is definitely something you wouldn’t be able to anywhere else. As-sembling the sys-tems where you're allowed to make mistakes, so then the next time you’re crewing, you actu-ally have some idea
of what to do.
Fire suppression is always fun at balloon camp, and the fire at this year’s camp was the largest yet. Using up expired fire extinguishers is practi-cal in learning how to use the tool, and knowing how the tool works (or doesn’t) if it is allowed to
get old.
With this year being able to fly in Albuquerque, the balloon capital of the world, I have had some truly great flying experiences, and met some great friends from all over the US (and Poland). I am very thankful for the opportunity to attend the BFA camp. Thanks to everyone who puts on the camps, and to the clubs
and businesses who sponsor campers.
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 14 Downwind Chase
The PCA has the Crew Safety quick
reference guides,
also by Schwontkowski & Murray,
available for
$3.50 each including postage.
(Contact us for quantity discounts)
Here N O W!
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: “Crewing Essentials”
This is an excellent, well-organized
book with great details about all
aspects of crewing, authored by
Gordon Schwontkowski and Alyson
M u r r a y . C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 ,
Paperback. Cost is $18 each or 2
for $35.
If you are interested in
acquiring these resources,
please contact Linda Walton
at [email protected] or
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 15 Downwind Chase
Sunrise Chart for Tracy, CA (Morgan Hill will be approximately 1 minute later)
SIX MONTH SUNRISE CALENDAR
Jul 2016 3 5:49 Aug 2016 7 6:15 Sept 2016 4 6:39
10 5:53 14 6:21 11 6:45
17 5:58 21 6:27 18 6:51
24 6:03 28 6:33 25 6:57
31 6:09
Oct 2016 2 7:03 Nov 2016 7 6:38 Dec 2016 4 7:06
9 7:10 13 6:44 11 7:11
16 7:16 20 6:52 18 7:16
23 7:22 27 6:59 25 7:19
30 7:30
Ballooning Events for 2016
Below is a list of ballooning events for this year. Keep in mind that there may be more events not included
here and dates may be subject to change. Check the links and respective websites for the most current
information.
September 3-4, 2016 (Labor Day weekend) - Soaring Over Ripon (Color the Skies) - Ripon, CA
September 9-11, 2016 - Great Reno Balloon Race - Reno, NV
September 17-18, 2016 - Alturas Balloon Fest - Alturas, CA
September 23-25, 2016 - Montague Balloon Fair - Montague, CA
September 23-25, 2016 - Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival - Elko, NV
October 1-9, 2016 - Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM
October 1-5, 2016 - Women’s National Championship ABIF - Albuquerque, NM
October 21- 23, 2016 - WHAMOBASS - Coalinga, CA > NOTE the NEW DATE <
October 28-30, 2016 - ClovisFest - Clovis, CA
December 2-4, 2016 - Red Rock Balloon Rally - Gallup, NM
You can learn about more events by visiting the Balloon Federation of America website at:
http://www.bfa.net/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=categoriesdetailed&Itemid=88889110
If you know of other events or receive
news of changes to these events ...
please email us at [email protected]
with pertinent
information.
THANK YOU!
Check the next page for upcoming events in the
Greater Northwest Region
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 16 Downwind Chase
Events in the Greater Northwest Region Thank you to the Willamette Aerostat Society for the list below
Event information in this newsletter is not to be considered as an endorsement by either the PCA or the WAS, their respective
officers or respective members. Contact the respective events for their most up-to-date information.
August 26-28, 2016 Northwest Art & Air Festival Albany, OR http://nwartandair.org August 30 - September 4, 2016 Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic Boise, ID For more information http://spiritofboise.com This is a “By Invitation Only” rally September 2-5, 2016 The Alvord Playa Rally & Campout Contact: Cheryl Isaacs 971-226-7239 [email protected] September 9-11, 2016 The Great Reno Balloon Race Reno, NV For more information: http://www.renoballoon.com September 9-11, 2016 Quincy Valley Balloon Festival Quincy, WA Contact: Kent/Kim Bacon http://www.partiesonthegreen.com September 16-18, 2016 Alturas Balloon Fest Alturas, CA Contact: Alturas Chamber of Comm. 530-233-4434 September 17, 2016 Hop & Heritage Festival Independence, OR Contact: Mark Trujillo [email protected] September 23-25, 2016 The Great Prosser Balloon Rally Prosser, WA For more information: http://www.prosserballoonrally.org
Montague Balloon Fair September 23-25, 2016 Montague, CA Check out their Facebook page for more information October 12-16, 2016 Walla Walla Balloon Stampede Walla Walla, WA For more information:
http://www. wallawallaballoonstampede.com
Photo by Jeanne Anson
© Pacific Coast Aeronauts— August 2016 Page 17 Downwind Chase
Board Member Position End Term Year
Pat Moore: Chairman of Board 16
David Wakefield: President/Board Member 17
Tom Sharpee: Vice President/Board Member 17
Linda Walton: Treasurer/Board Member 16
Jeanne Anson: Secretary (volunteer)
Jeff Haliczer: Board Member 16
Bob Locklin: Board Member 16
Suzanne Seiler: Board Member 17
PCA Board Members and Officers
Disclaimer
Information contained within this issue of
the DOWNWIND CHASE is the most up-to-date
and correct information available at the
time this newsletter was issued. 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 & Shirts: 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: $ 1.00
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
Awards: “Magic” Bob Locklin
Education: Jeanne Anson
Montgolfier Dinner: Volunteer Needed
Junior Balloonists: Jeanne Anson/David Wakefield
Newsletter/Facebook: Linda, Suzanne & Jeanne
Safety Seminar: Linda Walton & David Wakefield
Website: Jeanne Anson & Dave Wakefield
WHAMOBASS: Pat Moore
Winter Party: Linda Walton & friends
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 your favorite flight planning resource, send
us a note at [email protected] and we’ll publish it
here.
2016 Committee Chairs:
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: _______________________________________________________________________________
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