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Balloon inflation, deflation on a tether for testing purposes draws complaint from nearby resident.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 160721 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199010 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dpk |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 30 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 190 |
| ASRS Report | 160721 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
This is my second amateur built hot air balloon that is very near completion. It is registered and is only missing an airworthiness certificate which will come after a satisfactory inspection by a dar, which I am planning on seeing the beginning of 11/90. The basket-burn-INS were all tested and ready for inspection. My crew and I arrived at the school at early am and verbal approval was given by the vice principal while cutting out the balloon. We completed 3 or 4 inflation inspections, deflation, correction, inflations and everything was looking ok except the wind at the time was southwest at about 6 KTS, which is strong enough to distort an XXX balloon lightly loaded to the point I couldn't make some final adjustments. I chose to carry the balloon upwind approximately 1500' and fly it free with 3 tether lines attached to my crew to 15-30' AGL, so there was no apparent wind. Everything went fine after doing this 3 times. Just about the time of the final deflation 2 school officials showed up on a residential complaint. To say the least, they weren't exactly fond of the idea of balloons. I obtained a WX briefing although I had no intention of flying away from the school. At best with regards to the conditions, the visibility was marginal and probably IMC (ceilings), but the surface winds, winds aloft and predicted surface winds and winds aloft were acceptable. The question is, what is considered flying? Is 3 hops within 30' of the ground and 500-1000' long tethered to the ground crew flying? I am sure I will find out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter does business with the school and that's how he received permission to use the area. Since the complaint, reporter has contacted the superintendent and the resident who complained and everything is ok and will go no further. He now has a designated area to actually test fly the balloon.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BALLOON INFLATION, DEFLATION ON A TETHER FOR TESTING PURPOSES DRAWS COMPLAINT FROM NEARBY RESIDENT.
Narrative: THIS IS MY SECOND AMATEUR BUILT HOT AIR BALLOON THAT IS VERY NEAR COMPLETION. IT IS REGISTERED AND IS ONLY MISSING AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WHICH WILL COME AFTER A SATISFACTORY INSPECTION BY A DAR, WHICH I AM PLANNING ON SEEING THE BEGINNING OF 11/90. THE BASKET-BURN-INS WERE ALL TESTED AND READY FOR INSPECTION. MY CREW AND I ARRIVED AT THE SCHOOL AT EARLY AM AND VERBAL APPROVAL WAS GIVEN BY THE VICE PRINCIPAL WHILE CUTTING OUT THE BALLOON. WE COMPLETED 3 OR 4 INFLATION INSPECTIONS, DEFLATION, CORRECTION, INFLATIONS AND EVERYTHING WAS LOOKING OK EXCEPT THE WIND AT THE TIME WAS SW AT ABOUT 6 KTS, WHICH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO DISTORT AN XXX BALLOON LIGHTLY LOADED TO THE POINT I COULDN'T MAKE SOME FINAL ADJUSTMENTS. I CHOSE TO CARRY THE BALLOON UPWIND APPROX 1500' AND FLY IT FREE WITH 3 TETHER LINES ATTACHED TO MY CREW TO 15-30' AGL, SO THERE WAS NO APPARENT WIND. EVERYTHING WENT FINE AFTER DOING THIS 3 TIMES. JUST ABOUT THE TIME OF THE FINAL DEFLATION 2 SCHOOL OFFICIALS SHOWED UP ON A RESIDENTIAL COMPLAINT. TO SAY THE LEAST, THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY FOND OF THE IDEA OF BALLOONS. I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING ALTHOUGH I HAD NO INTENTION OF FLYING AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL. AT BEST WITH REGARDS TO THE CONDITIONS, THE VISIBILITY WAS MARGINAL AND PROBABLY IMC (CEILINGS), BUT THE SURFACE WINDS, WINDS ALOFT AND PREDICTED SURFACE WINDS AND WINDS ALOFT WERE ACCEPTABLE. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS CONSIDERED FLYING? IS 3 HOPS WITHIN 30' OF THE GND AND 500-1000' LONG TETHERED TO THE GND CREW FLYING? I AM SURE I WILL FIND OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DOES BUSINESS WITH THE SCHOOL AND THAT'S HOW HE RECEIVED PERMISSION TO USE THE AREA. SINCE THE COMPLAINT, RPTR HAS CONTACTED THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE RESIDENT WHO COMPLAINED AND EVERYTHING IS OK AND WILL GO NO FURTHER. HE NOW HAS A DESIGNATED AREA TO ACTUALLY TEST FLY THE BALLOON.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.