An small transport pilot found several hot air balloons stalled on the approach course to ict.

Attributes
ACN	275343
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ict
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	275343
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was inbound to ict from oma. The flight was routine and it was a beautiful early summer evening. Ict was cavu with the surface wind from the south at about 5 KTS. I was flying a king air C90A. The approach controller warned us that numerous hot air balloons were operating in the vicinity. As I neared ict, I could see probably 8-10 of them. Several had drifted across the final approach course for both runways then in use, runways 19L and 19R. They were not very high. Perhaps 2500 MSL (1200 AGL) and, in the early evening breeze, quite slow moving. The balloons were surprisingly hard to see with the sun lowering in the western sky. I was quite surprised to hear the controller say to another inbound aircraft that 'he could not provide separation (with the balloons) because he could not see them on his radar. This not only surprised me but is the reason I am writing this letter. Even sailboats make use of simple inexpensive passive radar reflectors. It would at least seem to make sense that hot air balloons (because of their size and very slow speed) be required to have some portion of their envelope constructed with some type of radar-reflective fabric, a metal basket or some kind of radar reflective device. There were 2 balloons on the final approach course for runway 19L, which I was cleared to land on. They were in no way difficult to avoid but the thought occurred to me that, in even slightly less favorable WX or a little later in the day, this might pose a very unpleasant hazard.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT PLT FOUND SEVERAL HOT AIR BALLOONS STALLED ON THE APCH COURSE TO ICT.

Narrative: I WAS INBOUND TO ICT FROM OMA. THE FLT WAS ROUTINE AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EARLY SUMMER EVENING. ICT WAS CAVU WITH THE SURFACE WIND FROM THE S AT ABOUT 5 KTS. I WAS FLYING A KING AIR C90A. THE APCH CTLR WARNED US THAT NUMEROUS HOT AIR BALLOONS WERE OPERATING IN THE VICINITY. AS I NEARED ICT, I COULD SEE PROBABLY 8-10 OF THEM. SEVERAL HAD DRIFTED ACROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR BOTH RWYS THEN IN USE, RWYS 19L AND 19R. THEY WERE NOT VERY HIGH. PERHAPS 2500 MSL (1200 AGL) AND, IN THE EARLY EVENING BREEZE, QUITE SLOW MOVING. THE BALLOONS WERE SURPRISINGLY HARD TO SEE WITH THE SUN LOWERING IN THE WESTERN SKY. I WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO HEAR THE CTLR SAY TO ANOTHER INBOUND ACFT THAT 'HE COULD NOT PROVIDE SEPARATION (WITH THE BALLOONS) BECAUSE HE COULD NOT SEE THEM ON HIS RADAR. THIS NOT ONLY SURPRISED ME BUT IS THE REASON I AM WRITING THIS LETTER. EVEN SAILBOATS MAKE USE OF SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE PASSIVE RADAR REFLECTORS. IT WOULD AT LEAST SEEM TO MAKE SENSE THAT HOT AIR BALLOONS (BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE AND VERY SLOW SPD) BE REQUIRED TO HAVE SOME PORTION OF THEIR ENVELOPE CONSTRUCTED WITH SOME TYPE OF RADAR-REFLECTIVE FABRIC, A METAL BASKET OR SOME KIND OF RADAR REFLECTIVE DEVICE. THERE WERE 2 BALLOONS ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 19L, WHICH I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON. THEY WERE IN NO WAY DIFFICULT TO AVOID BUT THE THOUGHT OCCURRED TO ME THAT, IN EVEN SLIGHTLY LESS FAVORABLE WX OR A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY, THIS MIGHT POSE A VERY UNPLEASANT HAZARD.

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.