Narrative:

On jun/fri/94 I was hired to tether a hot air balloon (for advertising purposes) just east of soldier's field. We were tethered down by using our standard 8 rope tether system to the gondola and crown of the balloon. The winds were light and variable (less than 6 KTS) the balloon was inflated and I remained stationary, occasionally rising 50 ft straight up to the end of our tether ropes I was rising no higher than the surrounding buildings (mccormick place to the south and soldier's field across the street to the west). I had been tethering for approximately 1 hour and I was asked by the chicago police to deflate the balloon immediately by request of the FAA at meigs field. I deflated the balloon immediately and began to pack up. The chicago police asked for my drivers license then later requested my pilot certificate number and n-number. I was aware that the airspace in and around the vicinity of the world cup was restr only to media and several blimps circling soldier's field. Also the president was attending the game. I was merely a tethered balloon going absolutely nowhere and my concern is that the FAA may feel I was violating the restr airspace. I feel I was really no different than the inflatable 50 ft soccer balls around the area except I had a gondola attached. I have been flying and tethering balloons commercially for over 15 yrs. There is a definite difference between free flight -- no ropes attached, and tethering up and down 50 ft with several mooring lines attached. I feel hot air balloon pilots should know more of when and where a waiver is required, if balloons remain grounded and are no higher than the surrounding buildings or structure. A tethered hot air balloon is not a balloon in flight. Tethered balloons should not be classified as potentially free balloons just because there is a pilot in the gondola. The pilot can deflate the balloon immediately at any time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a full time balloonist dealing mostly with cold air inflatables. This tether job was handed to him by another aeronaut at the last min. The reporter does not own the subject envelope. The reporter had a permit from the city of chicago for this activity, but it was not with him at the time and the chicago policeman at the scene did not initially believe the reporter. The reporter did not contact meigs tower prior to the tether, but the original operator did. When the police told the reporter to take down the balloon, the reporter did so immediately. The local FSDO called the reporter, the reporter called back, but no contact has been completed between the FAA and the reporter. No letter of investigation has been received by the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON WAS TETHERED NEAR CGX.

Narrative: ON JUN/FRI/94 I WAS HIRED TO TETHER A HOT AIR BALLOON (FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES) JUST E OF SOLDIER'S FIELD. WE WERE TETHERED DOWN BY USING OUR STANDARD 8 ROPE TETHER SYS TO THE GONDOLA AND CROWN OF THE BALLOON. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE (LESS THAN 6 KTS) THE BALLOON WAS INFLATED AND I REMAINED STATIONARY, OCCASIONALLY RISING 50 FT STRAIGHT UP TO THE END OF OUR TETHER ROPES I WAS RISING NO HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS (MCCORMICK PLACE TO THE S AND SOLDIER'S FIELD ACROSS THE STREET TO THE W). I HAD BEEN TETHERING FOR APPROX 1 HR AND I WAS ASKED BY THE CHICAGO POLICE TO DEFLATE THE BALLOON IMMEDIATELY BY REQUEST OF THE FAA AT MEIGS FIELD. I DEFLATED THE BALLOON IMMEDIATELY AND BEGAN TO PACK UP. THE CHICAGO POLICE ASKED FOR MY DRIVERS LICENSE THEN LATER REQUESTED MY PLT CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND N-NUMBER. I WAS AWARE THAT THE AIRSPACE IN AND AROUND THE VICINITY OF THE WORLD CUP WAS RESTR ONLY TO MEDIA AND SEVERAL BLIMPS CIRCLING SOLDIER'S FIELD. ALSO THE PRESIDENT WAS ATTENDING THE GAME. I WAS MERELY A TETHERED BALLOON GOING ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THE FAA MAY FEEL I WAS VIOLATING THE RESTR AIRSPACE. I FEEL I WAS REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN THE INFLATABLE 50 FT SOCCER BALLS AROUND THE AREA EXCEPT I HAD A GONDOLA ATTACHED. I HAVE BEEN FLYING AND TETHERING BALLOONS COMMERCIALLY FOR OVER 15 YRS. THERE IS A DEFINITE DIFFERENCE BTWN FREE FLT -- NO ROPES ATTACHED, AND TETHERING UP AND DOWN 50 FT WITH SEVERAL MOORING LINES ATTACHED. I FEEL HOT AIR BALLOON PLTS SHOULD KNOW MORE OF WHEN AND WHERE A WAIVER IS REQUIRED, IF BALLOONS REMAIN GNDED AND ARE NO HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURE. A TETHERED HOT AIR BALLOON IS NOT A BALLOON IN FLT. TETHERED BALLOONS SHOULD NOT BE CLASSIFIED AS POTENTIALLY FREE BALLOONS JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A PLT IN THE GONDOLA. THE PLT CAN DEFLATE THE BALLOON IMMEDIATELY AT ANY TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A FULL TIME BALLOONIST DEALING MOSTLY WITH COLD AIR INFLATABLES. THIS TETHER JOB WAS HANDED TO HIM BY ANOTHER AERONAUT AT THE LAST MIN. THE RPTR DOES NOT OWN THE SUBJECT ENVELOPE. THE RPTR HAD A PERMIT FROM THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOR THIS ACTIVITY, BUT IT WAS NOT WITH HIM AT THE TIME AND THE CHICAGO POLICEMAN AT THE SCENE DID NOT INITIALLY BELIEVE THE RPTR. THE RPTR DID NOT CONTACT MEIGS TWR PRIOR TO THE TETHER, BUT THE ORIGINAL OPERATOR DID. WHEN THE POLICE TOLD THE RPTR TO TAKE DOWN THE BALLOON, THE RPTR DID SO IMMEDIATELY. THE LCL FSDO CALLED THE RPTR, THE RPTR CALLED BACK, BUT NO CONTACT HAS BEEN COMPLETED BTWN THE FAA AND THE RPTR. NO LETTER OF INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE RPTR.

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.