Will be very interesting to see if they get the planned ring around the pole to work...
Balloons help study radiation
Thursday, 06 Dec 2007 12:34
The Van Allen Belts encircle Earth containing high-energy electrons and ions
A flotilla of 40 balloons flying at high altitude is to become Nasa's answer to studying the hazardous radiation trapped by the Earth's magnetic field.The type of radiation in the Van Allen
Belts can be harmful to astronauts, orbiting satellites and aircraft flying in high altitude polar routes.
These belts are doughnut-shaped regions encircling Earth that contain high-energy electrons and ions.The new $10 million (£4.95 million) mission, named the Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses (Barrel), will provide scientific insights into how and where the Van Allen Belts periodically drain into Earth's upper atmosphere.
The balloons are set to launch in conjunction with Nasa's radiation belt storm probes satellites in 2011."The study of near-Earth radiation is very important," said John Mather, Nobel Prize recipient and chief scientist of Nasa's science mission directorate."This research will provide information to mitigate problems here on our planet as well as permit better design and operations of new technology in space and safer passage for space explorers."The balloons will be launched from Antarctica and will expand to roughly the size of a large blimp when they reach the near-space research altitude.
By releasing a balloon per day the research team aim to form a ring of balloons encircling the South Pole.
Showing posts with label balloon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label balloon. Show all posts
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Solar Balloons
This video link has just started rearing its head all over the place.http://www.ifilm.com/video/2914128
If you want a better way.. try Steve Griffiths excellent explanation of solar tetrahedron.
http://www.flymetothemoon.com.au/homebuilding/solar.htm
Its funny that solar balloons are back in the news as just yesterday I put some pictures on facebook or er um well er....
I may or may not have been involved in a UFO report. But its Sean Wakeford actually releasing it not me. So it was him your honour. We flew this from Nottingham Road in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa two years ago.
It went flipping well we chased it for about 15km before it climbed out of view, even with binoculars.
It may or may not have stopped traffic on the N3 highway and R103.
At take off it looked like some bin bags knotted together but once past about 200' it filled right out and became a gently spinning doughnut in the sky. Seans wife had spray painted one side silver and that made it glint as it rotated.
People rang into the local radio station and it even made the paper. I hopped on a plane to Kenya the next day so was out of the way for all the flack.
Deep Joy.
And if as they say around here you really want to go mal, you could always build one to actually take you flying.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/ballonsolaire/en-index.htm
Fabulous looking stuff there.
G
For Sale ZS-HPY in South Africa
The proposed sale of this balloon appears to have fallen through. Hazel needs to sell this balloon now.
The artwork has been removed and we have repanelled the cap.
This is really a great deal for a trainee or new pilot.
The balloon comes with instruments, radios, trailer, fan, tanks, etc so it will be complete and ready to fly. The burners are Cameron Mk 4 so there is a lot of value in this sale. I expect that including the few bits and pieces necessary to get the Authority to Fly renewed, and replacing the trailer cover, this will go for just under R80 000,00.
If you are interested, get in touch with Felicity Clegg felicityc@absamail.co.za
The artwork has been removed and we have repanelled the cap.
This is really a great deal for a trainee or new pilot.
The balloon comes with instruments, radios, trailer, fan, tanks, etc so it will be complete and ready to fly. The burners are Cameron Mk 4 so there is a lot of value in this sale. I expect that including the few bits and pieces necessary to get the Authority to Fly renewed, and replacing the trailer cover, this will go for just under R80 000,00.
If you are interested, get in touch with Felicity Clegg felicityc@absamail.co.za
Thailand Ballooning
Ah Thailand, a place where I had the pleasure of teaching the first Thai pilots more years ago than I care to think. I had some fabulous flights in Chaing Mai, stacks of temples.G
HS-SMG a Cameron 140 balloon had its maiden trip from Chiang Mai's Doi Saket Balloon Adventure Thailand base on 05NOV2007.
We will be glad to e-mail you more pictures of the maiden trip and the new balloon. We can also send you our e-brochure if you request to.
Our rates remain unchanged for the season @ 8.800Baht** or equivalentBalloon Adventure Thailand offers now a daily capacity of upto 16 passengers a day**.HS-SMG is the third hot air balloon in the fleet, and will be based @ Doi Saket with HS-FLY.
HS-balloons are balloons registered in Thailand, this means that such balloons are certified by the Thai DCA, the official body that checks the airworthiness of all legal airships in the Kingdom.
This body also checks the pilot licenses and their insurances. (Passengers or tour operator's or DMC's representatives, are most welcome to check all these certificates as well as the airships logbooks prior to take off @ Doi Saket's Balloon Adventure Thailand base or @ any location in the Kingdom where we are to operate.)
Friday, November 16, 2007
More sad hot air balloon news
Its with heavy heart that I report yet more fatalities this year.
Perhaps 2007 will go down as one of the worst years ever for hot air balloon accidents.
My mind can instantly think of a couple of incidents in the past that involved large balloons so the numbers of deceased were realitively high in single incidents. I don't think I can remember a year in which so many individual incidents caused so many fatalities.
Thoughts and condolences to the families involved.
2 dead in hot air balloon crash near Hampton
HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) Two people were killed and a third person injured Friday after the hot air balloon they were in crashed in north-central Iowa.
Franklin County Sheriff Larry Richtsmeier said the names of the people who were killed and the person who was hurt wouldn't be immediately released. He also declined to identify where they are from.
The balloon was descending when it struck a power line about 9:15 a.m., he said.
The balloon and the basket separated and the basket fell 60 feet to the ground in a farm field southwest of Hampton, the sheriff said.
Investigators from the sheriff's office remained at the scene and officials from the Federal Aviation Administration had arrived to assist in the investigation.
The passengers who were killed died at the scene. The third person was flown by helicopter to a Mason City hospital. That person's condition wasn't immediately known.
Perhaps 2007 will go down as one of the worst years ever for hot air balloon accidents.
My mind can instantly think of a couple of incidents in the past that involved large balloons so the numbers of deceased were realitively high in single incidents. I don't think I can remember a year in which so many individual incidents caused so many fatalities.
Thoughts and condolences to the families involved.
2 dead in hot air balloon crash near Hampton
HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) Two people were killed and a third person injured Friday after the hot air balloon they were in crashed in north-central Iowa.
Franklin County Sheriff Larry Richtsmeier said the names of the people who were killed and the person who was hurt wouldn't be immediately released. He also declined to identify where they are from.
The balloon was descending when it struck a power line about 9:15 a.m., he said.
The balloon and the basket separated and the basket fell 60 feet to the ground in a farm field southwest of Hampton, the sheriff said.
Investigators from the sheriff's office remained at the scene and officials from the Federal Aviation Administration had arrived to assist in the investigation.
The passengers who were killed died at the scene. The third person was flown by helicopter to a Mason City hospital. That person's condition wasn't immediately known.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Pilot of hot-air balloon pilot who crashed helped TSB develop proposed new rules
Pilot of hot-air balloon pilot who crashed helped TSB develop proposed new rules
12 minutes ago
VANCOUVER - The pilot of a hot-air balloon that plunged to the ground in a fiery crash, killing two people last month, conducted his own experiments to help the Transportation Safety Board come up with recommendations to make ballooning safer.
John Kageorge, a spokesman for the pilot, said the Transportation Safety Board has concluded a propane fuel leak had a role in the fire that burned through the balloon's tether, setting off a series of horrific events that ended with some passengers having to jump several storeys to get out of the balloon.
The board said Wednesday investigators have come up with four recommendations.
Kageorge said Pennock has worked very closely with the board, offering his eyewitness account of the accident as well as lending his expertise as an experienced balloon pilot.
"He had a critical role in the development of these recommendations," Kageorge said.
"So much so that after each meeting the pilot had with the Transportation Safety Board, he'd spend his evenings doing considerable experiments so that he could report back theories, concepts the next day."
Board spokesman Tony Pleasants said one of the board's recommendations has to do with the fact that there's no emergency fuel shut-off systems in hot-air balloons the way there is with other aircraft.
"(Other aircraft) normally have a master emergency fuel shut-off system and there's no such thing on balloons," said Pleasants.
Two other recommendations involve the general handling of the liquid propane gas system and the tether that burned through.
Pleasants said he doesn't want to comment on the fourth.
"The fourth one - I think I really can't say too much about it because if I said anything it could be seen as kind of finding fault and we don't do that."
The recommendations were submitted to the board's Gatineau, Que., office last week and will likely be referred back to Pleasants before they are finalized.
When complete, the recommendations will go to Transport Canada, which will then order safety changes to the balloon company or even the industry as a whole.
"They (Transport Canada) could focus on the possibility of changing the regulatory structure," Pleasants said.
He said his job is to propose something while Transport Canada is charged with taking action.
The flame-engulfed hot air balloon crashed into a B.C. trailer park on Aug. 24, injuring the pilot and 10 others and killing a woman and her grown daughter.
Shannon Knackstedt and her daughter Jemma had been celebrating Shannon's 50th birthday with the hot-air balloon ride with Fantasy Balloon Charters.
Kageorge said one or two of the injured remain in hospital.
"Some people's injuries will affect them for their entire life and for that, Steve and the company are very sorry," he said.
"Some people have been able to rejoin their regular routine in their lives, although they've certainly been impacted by the trauma. Some people escaped with less injury."
Kageorge said Pennock remains emotionally devastated.
"His heart is full of sorrow for how people have been impacted by this."
No lawsuits have yet been served on the company.
Fantasy Balloon Charters voluntarily stopped operations after the accident. The hot-air ballooning season closes at the end of September, but Kageorge said the company will resume flights in May.
The company will implement all of the board's recommendations, he added.
The accident was among three involving balloons this summer.
A gust of wind dragged a balloon into a set of power lines in Calgary earlier this month but the pilot and his eight passengers weren't injured.
In August a hot air balloon fire sent three people to hospital near Winnipeg.
The balloon landed in a field, flipping the basket before a rope caught fire and the balloon burst into flames.
12 minutes ago
VANCOUVER - The pilot of a hot-air balloon that plunged to the ground in a fiery crash, killing two people last month, conducted his own experiments to help the Transportation Safety Board come up with recommendations to make ballooning safer.
John Kageorge, a spokesman for the pilot, said the Transportation Safety Board has concluded a propane fuel leak had a role in the fire that burned through the balloon's tether, setting off a series of horrific events that ended with some passengers having to jump several storeys to get out of the balloon.
The board said Wednesday investigators have come up with four recommendations.
Kageorge said Pennock has worked very closely with the board, offering his eyewitness account of the accident as well as lending his expertise as an experienced balloon pilot.
"He had a critical role in the development of these recommendations," Kageorge said.
"So much so that after each meeting the pilot had with the Transportation Safety Board, he'd spend his evenings doing considerable experiments so that he could report back theories, concepts the next day."
Board spokesman Tony Pleasants said one of the board's recommendations has to do with the fact that there's no emergency fuel shut-off systems in hot-air balloons the way there is with other aircraft.
"(Other aircraft) normally have a master emergency fuel shut-off system and there's no such thing on balloons," said Pleasants.
Two other recommendations involve the general handling of the liquid propane gas system and the tether that burned through.
Pleasants said he doesn't want to comment on the fourth.
"The fourth one - I think I really can't say too much about it because if I said anything it could be seen as kind of finding fault and we don't do that."
The recommendations were submitted to the board's Gatineau, Que., office last week and will likely be referred back to Pleasants before they are finalized.
When complete, the recommendations will go to Transport Canada, which will then order safety changes to the balloon company or even the industry as a whole.
"They (Transport Canada) could focus on the possibility of changing the regulatory structure," Pleasants said.
He said his job is to propose something while Transport Canada is charged with taking action.
The flame-engulfed hot air balloon crashed into a B.C. trailer park on Aug. 24, injuring the pilot and 10 others and killing a woman and her grown daughter.
Shannon Knackstedt and her daughter Jemma had been celebrating Shannon's 50th birthday with the hot-air balloon ride with Fantasy Balloon Charters.
Kageorge said one or two of the injured remain in hospital.
"Some people's injuries will affect them for their entire life and for that, Steve and the company are very sorry," he said.
"Some people have been able to rejoin their regular routine in their lives, although they've certainly been impacted by the trauma. Some people escaped with less injury."
Kageorge said Pennock remains emotionally devastated.
"His heart is full of sorrow for how people have been impacted by this."
No lawsuits have yet been served on the company.
Fantasy Balloon Charters voluntarily stopped operations after the accident. The hot-air ballooning season closes at the end of September, but Kageorge said the company will resume flights in May.
The company will implement all of the board's recommendations, he added.
The accident was among three involving balloons this summer.
A gust of wind dragged a balloon into a set of power lines in Calgary earlier this month but the pilot and his eight passengers weren't injured.
In August a hot air balloon fire sent three people to hospital near Winnipeg.
The balloon landed in a field, flipping the basket before a rope caught fire and the balloon burst into flames.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Remax balloon in Whitesands Missile Range airspace
Balloon drifts into WSMR
Article Launched: 09/19/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT
Click photo to enlarge 
The ReMax balloon floats over White Sands Sunday, heading for... (Karl Anderson/Daily News)
Officials are still investigating the circumstances in which one of the balloons participating in the 16th Annual White Sands Balloon Invitational at White Sands National Monument flew east into the restricted air space of White Sands Missile Range.
Not only did the red, white and blue ReMax balloon fly into restricted air space, but it actually landed three and a half miles beyond gate 36.
The violation created a frenzy of involvement by an appointed balloon rescue team, the Border Patrol, range runners from WSMR and park rangers from WSNM.
"We received the call to respond at 10:30 a.m.," said Bill Butler, another balloon pilot who participated with the event Sunday. "We arrived at Gate 36, past the radar site. When we reached the balloon, the pilot and three passengers were still there with the balloon."
Butler said that all officials were very helpful and cooperative.
Shortly after the arrival of the rescue team, Balloon Meister Dave Chelgren arrived on the scene accompanied by two more Border Patrol agents, one of whom was the husband of one of the passengers, Butler added.
Butler explained from his perspective as a balloon pilot why he thought the violation may have occurred.
"I'm going to be professional about this and just answer that by saying the pilot of that balloon did not attend the safety briefing last Friday night," he said
The ReMax balloon is owned by Troy Bradley, of Albuquerque, who did not attend the event last weekend.
Butler said with the wind and weather being what it was last Sunday, he would have chosen an alternative launch spot.
"I personally chose to fly in town (Alamogordo) on Sunday because of the conditions at White Sands National Monument that would not have allowed us to safely go very far," he said.
Butler said he is very concerned about this incident, and feels many other pilots share the same sentiment.
"We need to keep a very positive relationship with the military and the Parks Service in this area so that we can continue to be allowed to have the White Sands Balloon Invitational at the monument," he said. "This certainly didn't do anything to enhance that relationship."
A call made to WSMR Tuesday confirmed the balloon was taken out of the area Monday.
"It did cross WSMR restricted air space," said Monte Marlin, director of public affairs for the missile range. "But where it came down was about five and a half miles west of Holloman Air Force Base in a remote eastern area of the monument."
Marlin said while the balloon did not actually land on WSMR property, it did make its landing in an area not conducive to ground traffic.
"It's a very sensitive area that can easily be harmed by ground vehicles," Marlin said. "It is in a very sensitive part of the monument."
Marlin said once all respective agencies had given clearance, it only took 40 minutes for WSMR air support to deploy and subsequently return the balloon to the helipad at the national monument.
"There have been very few incidents like this since the hot air balloons began to come for this event," Marlin said. "We are a part of this process, and we have always supported and assisted with this event each year."
Marlin was asked if repeated incidents of this nature could jeopardize the relationship the two military installations have with the balloon event.
"It's a bit premature to answer that," Marlin said. "All I can tell you at this point is that we have been and continue to support this event, but that this will be looked at very carefully."
Monday, September 17, 2007
Just hanging around
Lets hope this dude is not allowed to particpate in any other events until he has received some further training.
A Longview, Texas, man was injured Sunday morning when the hot air balloon he was piloting fell to the ground near Bass Pro Shops in Bossier City, causing him and a female passenger to fall out of the balloon.
Rick Ashby, 54, and an unidentified woman were participating in a game of throwing bean bags out of the balloon to hit targets on the ground when the balloon crashed, said Bossier City spokesman Mark Natale.
| |
The balloon did seem to be descending pretty fast, Eddington said, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary when the balloon hit the ground.
As the balloon started to ascend back into the sky, Ashby grabbed a rope tied to the balloon in an attempt to prevent it from flying away.
"People around were telling him to 'Let it go, let it go,' because it just kept going higher and higher," Eddington said.
The balloon continued to rise and Ashby finally let go and fell to the ground.
Eddington, who took photos of the accident, said, "He fell 20—30 feet and the balloon crashed into a clump of trees."
A nearby Bossier City officer also witnessed the incident and estimated Ashby's fall to be between 30 and 50 feet, Natale said.
Ashby was transported to LSU Hospital with what appeared to be "broken lower extremities," Natale said, but nothing life-threatening.
The woman had a few bruises, he said, but didn't require any emergency medical attention.
The pilotless balloon flew over the river into Shreveport, where it finally landed on a light pole on Clyde Fant Parkway, Natale said.
No other injuries were reported.
The event was part of the weekend's larger Centennial Hot Air Balloon Rally, one of the many events celebrating Bossier City's 100th birthday this year, Natale said.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Nine escape injury after hot air balloon hits power lines
16 hours ago
CALGARY (CP) — A hot air balloon was still touching electrical wires when emergency crews arrived, forcing the pilot and eight startled passengers to wait several minutes trapped in the balloon until utility workers could secure the power lines.
There were no injuries after a gust of wind pushed the balloon into the wires next to an open field where the pilot was preparing to land at the end of the flight.
There have been two tragic balloon accidents in Canada this year, including the death of a mother and daughter after a balloon carrying 13 people went up in flames last month shortly after launching in Surrey B.C.
Eleven others were injured in the crash that was flashed around the world when graphic photos and video were posted showing the balloon plummet to earth before crashing in a ball of fire in a busy trailer park.
Two people were badly burned in Manitoba a month ago after a balloon carrying a dozen people crashed and burned.
Transport Canada is now investigating all three incidents.
Hot air balloon hits Calgary powerline
Vancouver Sun
Published:
By Sarah Chapman
CALGARY - A hot air balloon ride took an unexpected turn when it collided with a power line on Saturday morning.
Eight passengers and the pilot escaped injury after a gust of wind blew the balloon into the lines near Seton Boulevard in southeast Calgary.
"It was a slow flight then all of a sudden there was a gust of wind," said pilot Dennis Myrthu.
"I think we're very fortunate. I was mostly concerned about the passengers."
Around 8:30 a.m., Myrthu began to land the balloon in a field near a gravel road, but once he neared the ground, the wind picked up and swung the balloon into the lines.
The brightly-coloured canopy became tangled in the lines.
"I've had incidents that I could have done without over the years, but I've never encountered a power line," said the pilot with 30 years' experience.
"But if you're going to hit a power line, this is probably the best case scenario."
CanWest News Service
Monday, September 03, 2007
Dog tired
Thanks very much to the anonymous poster who pointed me towards this video link for what looks like fairly normal landings near a road. All good stuff for the media though.
Trouble is these days every other person has a digital video/stills camera of some sort that can record unfolding dramas.
The upside of this video report is I now know how to say Gatineau!
http://www.achannel.ca/ottawa/news_47404.aspx
Once again, thanks whoever posted the link.
Two balloons from the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival made an unexpected landing near the OC Transpo transitway Saturday.
Trouble is these days every other person has a digital video/stills camera of some sort that can record unfolding dramas.
The upside of this video report is I now know how to say Gatineau!
http://www.achannel.ca/ottawa/news_47404.aspx
Once again, thanks whoever posted the link.
Two balloons from the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival made an unexpected landing near the OC Transpo transitway Saturday.
Viewer video shows a dog-shaped balloon landing and then another balloon nearly grazing a building as it lands in a field nearby.
Nathalie Brunette, a spokesperson from the Hot Air Balloon Festival, said there was a minor technical difficulty with the dog-shaped balloon, and the pilot was trying to land on the grass.
Brunette said a vent in the balloon wasn't wrapped tightly enough and the pilot had to use more fuel than usual to keep the balloon in the air.
The pilot chose to land for safety reasons.
The envelope of the Maximillian the Beagle balloon landed on the transitway.
A city spokesperson said several OC Transpo buses were detoured off the transitway for 45 minutes while the dog balloon was being removed.
Both balloons will be back up in the air again tomorrow.
Stay tuned to A-Channel for the latest.Sunday, September 02, 2007
Yet another accident in Canada, well maybe.
Sounds like this is a normal flight and landing, but any happenstance in Canada with balloons is going to make the news.
No Injuries in Ottawa Hot Air Balloon Accident
Caroline Franks/Jason McIntyre
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Another hot air balloon accident, this time in the east end of Ottawa where two hot air balloons went down.
Shortly after 7 o'clock yesterday evening, a balloon grazed a second in the shape of a dog.
The beagle deflated quickly and landed on the Transitway near Hurdman Station.
No injuries have been reported.
An O.C. Transpo official says the route is now clear.
The other balloon landed safely nearby.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Popping Sound
'Popping sound' heard before deadly hot air balloon accident: pilot
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 | 9:21 AM PT
CBC News
The pilot involved in a deadly hot air balloon crash in Surrey, B.C., was aware of a "popping sound" from the balloon before its launch, a spokesman for the balloon company said on Tuesday.
A propane tank with the bottom missing sits among wreckage in a Transportation Safety Board garage in Richmond, B.C.
John Kageorge, of Fantasy Balloon Charters, said pilot Stephen Pennock is curious to find out why there was such a sound and whether it contributed to the accident last Friday. A fireball erupted in the balloon's gondola, causing its tethers to snap and allowing the balloon to rise into the air before all of the passengers could get out. The blazing balloon then crashed into an RV park, killing two people and injuring 11 others.
"Prior to the launch of the balloon, the pilot reports a popping sound," Kageorge told CBC News on Tuesday. "That is really the focus of his curiosity to see if that popping sound might be related to this sudden fireball that first surrounded him."
The Transportation Safety Board had its first meeting with Pennock on Tuesday, but he hasn't discussed the specifics of the crash with investigators, Kageorge said.
Continue Article
He said hot air balloon accidents are so rare that investigators looking at the crash are learning the basics of hot air ballooning before the investigation can really begin.
"The Transportation Safety Board has asked that we start at square one, so today's discussion really was focused on hot air ballooning itself," Kageorge said.
Wreckage from the balloon accident is being examined by the Transportation Safety Board.
Kageorge said the TSB hasn't asked why Pennock got out of the balloon before the passengers, a fact that some members of the public have questioned. Kageorge said the balloon had five compartments and a separate cockpit for the pilot so Pennock couldn't have helped passengers if he had stayed in his compartment.
Shannon Knackstedt, 49, and her 21-year-old daughter, Gemma, both from Langley, B.C., died in the accident.
'It's no fault of his': pilot defended
Bob Daws, who has known Pennock for 16 years and worked with him for a time in 1998, defended the pilot amid talk of a lawsuit from at least one survivor.
Daws said Wednesday that Pennock is a perfectionist, who did everything by the books.
"I know his procedure and whatever and how he takes off and everything like that and this is nothing but a damn accident and something," Daws said.
"Whatever it was, and the inspectors, the people, they'll find out and I'm positive that it's no fault of his."
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 | 9:21 AM PT
CBC News
The pilot involved in a deadly hot air balloon crash in Surrey, B.C., was aware of a "popping sound" from the balloon before its launch, a spokesman for the balloon company said on Tuesday.
A propane tank with the bottom missing sits among wreckage in a Transportation Safety Board garage in Richmond, B.C.
John Kageorge, of Fantasy Balloon Charters, said pilot Stephen Pennock is curious to find out why there was such a sound and whether it contributed to the accident last Friday. A fireball erupted in the balloon's gondola, causing its tethers to snap and allowing the balloon to rise into the air before all of the passengers could get out. The blazing balloon then crashed into an RV park, killing two people and injuring 11 others.
"Prior to the launch of the balloon, the pilot reports a popping sound," Kageorge told CBC News on Tuesday. "That is really the focus of his curiosity to see if that popping sound might be related to this sudden fireball that first surrounded him."
The Transportation Safety Board had its first meeting with Pennock on Tuesday, but he hasn't discussed the specifics of the crash with investigators, Kageorge said.
Continue Article
He said hot air balloon accidents are so rare that investigators looking at the crash are learning the basics of hot air ballooning before the investigation can really begin.
"The Transportation Safety Board has asked that we start at square one, so today's discussion really was focused on hot air ballooning itself," Kageorge said.
Wreckage from the balloon accident is being examined by the Transportation Safety Board.
Kageorge said the TSB hasn't asked why Pennock got out of the balloon before the passengers, a fact that some members of the public have questioned. Kageorge said the balloon had five compartments and a separate cockpit for the pilot so Pennock couldn't have helped passengers if he had stayed in his compartment.
Shannon Knackstedt, 49, and her 21-year-old daughter, Gemma, both from Langley, B.C., died in the accident.
'It's no fault of his': pilot defended
Bob Daws, who has known Pennock for 16 years and worked with him for a time in 1998, defended the pilot amid talk of a lawsuit from at least one survivor.
Daws said Wednesday that Pennock is a perfectionist, who did everything by the books.
"I know his procedure and whatever and how he takes off and everything like that and this is nothing but a damn accident and something," Daws said.
"Whatever it was, and the inspectors, the people, they'll find out and I'm positive that it's no fault of his."
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
More on the Surry accident
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/08/28/4451493-sun.html
Tue, August 28, 2007
Barry McGonigle of Belmont-based Sundance Balloons says safety is always a top priority.
By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA
When a hot-air balloon went down in flames in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey last Friday, Barry McGonigle got the news first and it hit hard.
One of his own Sundance balloons was in the air nearby at the time.
The horrified Sundance pilot saw the fatal accident and called McGonigle immediately on a cellphone.
McGonigle and his wife, Judy, then watched the television coverage back in London.
"It unfolded before my eyes just like 9/11 when the jets went into the towers. It was just a horrendous night for us," said McGonigle, president of Belmont-based Sundance Balloons, the largest hot-air balloon business in North America.
A fire broke out in the balloon's gondola before it plummeted into a trailer park, destroying several mobile homes. Shannon Knacksted and her daughter, Gemma, of Langley, B.C., were killed.
And although the tragedy involved a rival company, McGonigle said it has tarnished the reputation of the entire industry and comes just two weeks after the worst accident in Sundance's 25-year history.
A Sundance balloon flying near Winnipeg made a hard landing, injuring 11 passengers. The pilot and a passenger suffered the most serious injuries from the balloon's propane burner.
McGonigle believes the passenger involved in the Winnipeg accident has been released from hospital, but the pilot is still facing weeks of treatment for his burns.
Both the Vancouver and the Winnipeg accidents are being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Earlier this year, a London woman was killed when she fell from a hot air balloon in California.
Sundance Balloons operates 2,500 to 3,000 recreational flights in 14 Canadian centres and carries about 12,000 passengers a year.
The company also manufactures balloons, but did not make the balloons involved in either the Vancouver or Winnipeg accidents.
Sundance has suspended its own flights in Vancouver since the accident as a sign of respect for the victims.
Footage of the plunging, fiery balloon in Vancouver was shown repeatedly on cable networks. McGonigle was interviewed by NBC news following the Vancouver accident and explained the strict safety rules governing the industry.
"All we can tell people is we live our lives by safety. But we are concerned this will scare some people away," said McGonigle, noting the design and manufacture of hot-air balloons is tightly regulated and accidents are rare.
McGonigle said he has not noticed any significant decline in bookings since the accidents but said the situation has been complicated by poor weather, which normally puts a damper on business.
"It's too early to tell."
Tue, August 28, 2007
Barry McGonigle of Belmont-based Sundance Balloons says safety is always a top priority.
By HANK DANISZEWSKI, SUN MEDIA
When a hot-air balloon went down in flames in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey last Friday, Barry McGonigle got the news first and it hit hard.
One of his own Sundance balloons was in the air nearby at the time.
The horrified Sundance pilot saw the fatal accident and called McGonigle immediately on a cellphone.
McGonigle and his wife, Judy, then watched the television coverage back in London.
"It unfolded before my eyes just like 9/11 when the jets went into the towers. It was just a horrendous night for us," said McGonigle, president of Belmont-based Sundance Balloons, the largest hot-air balloon business in North America.
A fire broke out in the balloon's gondola before it plummeted into a trailer park, destroying several mobile homes. Shannon Knacksted and her daughter, Gemma, of Langley, B.C., were killed.
And although the tragedy involved a rival company, McGonigle said it has tarnished the reputation of the entire industry and comes just two weeks after the worst accident in Sundance's 25-year history.
A Sundance balloon flying near Winnipeg made a hard landing, injuring 11 passengers. The pilot and a passenger suffered the most serious injuries from the balloon's propane burner.
McGonigle believes the passenger involved in the Winnipeg accident has been released from hospital, but the pilot is still facing weeks of treatment for his burns.
Both the Vancouver and the Winnipeg accidents are being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Earlier this year, a London woman was killed when she fell from a hot air balloon in California.
Sundance Balloons operates 2,500 to 3,000 recreational flights in 14 Canadian centres and carries about 12,000 passengers a year.
The company also manufactures balloons, but did not make the balloons involved in either the Vancouver or Winnipeg accidents.
Sundance has suspended its own flights in Vancouver since the accident as a sign of respect for the victims.
Footage of the plunging, fiery balloon in Vancouver was shown repeatedly on cable networks. McGonigle was interviewed by NBC news following the Vancouver accident and explained the strict safety rules governing the industry.
"All we can tell people is we live our lives by safety. But we are concerned this will scare some people away," said McGonigle, noting the design and manufacture of hot-air balloons is tightly regulated and accidents are rare.
McGonigle said he has not noticed any significant decline in bookings since the accidents but said the situation has been complicated by poor weather, which normally puts a damper on business.
"It's too early to tell."
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Vacation Plans
Heres an idea
Vacation Bible School 2007 - Lift Off!
Viral Videos - Jan 16 '07 at 10:34 AM, 46 views
www.cokesburyvbs.com. Soaring to New Heights with God. Cokesbury's 2007 VBS offering provides children with a flight plan for a lifetime. Based around Psalm 143:8b, it provides children a biblically-based curriculum complete with fun activities, crafts, decorating, music, and media.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Lets be careful out there
Richard Parrys accident in Japan a couple of years ago seems to be hitting the internet video sites.
Lots of people viewing, lots of people giving wacky comments
All I will add is that as summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and people start getting balloons out, be carefull, very very carefull.
I'm lucky I get to fly year round and am in fairly good currency, to renew my South African licence I had to add up my hours today, 160 passenger flights in 12 months.
Even so if two weeks go by without a flight I am very nervous next time out.
Lets hope theres not a rush of accidents to greet the first flights of 2007.
G
Lots of people viewing, lots of people giving wacky comments
All I will add is that as summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and people start getting balloons out, be carefull, very very carefull.
I'm lucky I get to fly year round and am in fairly good currency, to renew my South African licence I had to add up my hours today, 160 passenger flights in 12 months.
Even so if two weeks go by without a flight I am very nervous next time out.
Lets hope theres not a rush of accidents to greet the first flights of 2007.
G
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