Does anyone know if the CAP Balloon is still around? I have a large Ballooning festival here in Iowa in August, wanting to see if I could use it as a recruiting tool.
Which one? There's more than one (no idea how many, though).
My state has one, but the setup requirements for an airshow are fairly onerous - maximum winds at near zero, large area separated form the general public, and of course you can't put anyone but a CAP member in it.
Ours would have just been put to use at JFA's ballooning school.
And Elgin's Balloon Fest
http://kalemis.com/cap/balloon/index.htm (http://kalemis.com/cap/balloon/index.htm)
Quote from: Eclipse on June 21, 2009, 08:11:55 PM
Which one? There's more than one (no idea how many, though).
My state has one, but the setup requirements for an airshow are fairly onerous - maximum winds at near zero, large area separated form the general public, and of course you can't put anyone but a CAP member in it.
Ours would have just been put to use at JFA's ballooning school.
My wing used that one. We had it at the Indy Airshow and flew all the cadets and were about to start in on the seniors when it ran out of fuel.
Hang a tactical repeater on that thing!
A balloon festival is not the same as an airshow, BTW.
How do I go about requesting it? Flight Training, ect...
http://www.nationalballoonclassic.com/
Illinois used to use one or more as part of their solo encampment. Cadets could solo in the balloon. I don't believe they gave out pre-solo wings for that, and of course the term "solo encampment" is now politically incorrect.
This information is based on personal experience and is therefore dated to the early nineties. Its good to know there are still some around in CAP.
Same question still stands, how do I go about finding where they are at, and getting one into Iowa?
The obvious answer reigns true here...
Talk to your DO, they should have all the answers or be able to get them for you.
Quote from: es_g0d on June 22, 2009, 07:59:04 AM
Illinois used to use one or more as part of their solo encampment. Cadets could solo in the balloon. I don't believe they gave out pre-solo wings for that, and of course the term "solo encampment" is now politically incorrect.
This information is based on personal experience and is therefore dated to the early nineties. Its good to know there are still some around in CAP.
Thread drift
Scott they did hand out solo wings for the balloon or, they did when I went in the mid 80's. I did all 3 portions of the IL Wing Flight encampment. Best time ever in CAP. Started me on my way to my career.
Quote from: IceNine on June 22, 2009, 02:24:40 PM
The obvious answer reigns true here...
Talk to your DO, they should have all the answers or be able to get them for you.
Well, that would be the obvious answer IF the DO wasn't in Mississippi with his wife, then getting transferred to Hawaii for initial posting with the AF. I am the DOS.
Soooooo....Now what?
^What about the NCR/DO? And if they don't know, they can pass the question up to NHQ.
I see no reason why you couldn't go VFR-direct to a Wing DO who you know has an aircraft; several wings have now been mentioned. Wing to Wing contact certainly isn't forbidden; it should be encouraged MORE instead of asking our overtasked HQ for all the answers. Start surfing wing web sites for names.
IL WAS handing out solo wings when I was there (for a short time). The balloon "solo badge" was half of the private pilot balloon wings. That is, it was one "wing" attached to the mini balloon. Similar to the stewardess badge. Its unfortunate some of that has been lost to antiquity. I was there late '91.
IL flight encampment 87-89. God that makes me old :o
Quote from: wuzafuzz on June 21, 2009, 10:36:36 PM
Hang a tactical repeater on that thing!
Good luck with that. Balloons go whichever way the wind blows, unless you are OK with varying coverage areas as altitude changes to find a stationary position.
/been there, done that -- enjoyed the Goodyear blimp's capabilities more
Quote from: es_g0d on June 22, 2009, 07:59:04 AM
Illinois used to use one or more as part of their solo encampment. Cadets could solo in the balloon. I don't believe they gave out pre-solo wings for that, and of course the term "solo encampment" is now politically incorrect.
The term "solo encampment' isn't "politically" incorrect, it is simply factually incorrect. In CAP parlance, an "encampment" has a very specific meaning, and most of the flight academies no longer meet those requirements.
The balloon training still occurs every year at the Johnson Flight Academy,
there simply is no longer a balloonist badge recognized or awarded by CAP.
^ Negative.
Balloon pilot wings are recognized, approved, and available.
CAPR 35-6
Balloon Solo wings are not approved per 60-1 which says solo is limited to Glider and Single engine land airplanes
I sit corrected.
The CAP balloon had been operated out of MTO for many years. The aircraft was transferred from ILWG to INWG as there is a small group of balloonist in that wing. The aircraft is committed to JFA every June. You can contact INWG-DO or INWG-DOY (Asst Wing Director of Operations for Ballooning). The aircraft operates under a NHQ approve CAPR 60-1, Sup2 CAP Ballooing Operations. There are CAP Pilots in ILWG (Effingham and across the river from IOWA).
JFA provides pre-solo (tethered solo) wings for the LTA program. Solo based only on JFA exposure is difficult, only one cadet in recent times has been close to a solo (They are now a CAP Balloon pilot in INWG).
Mike
INWG/DOY