By
Mike Gerred
I have been flying passengers for thirty years and I am amazed at
the number of people willing to put their lives in the hands of someone
they know little, if not nothing, about! You would not believe how
often the very first time I am questioned about my experience, by a
passenger, occurs after the balloon is already off the ground and
hundreds of feet in the air! I have seen this so many times that I have
begun to provide humorous answers, in the hope that it will alleviate
some of the nervous energy that prompted them to ask the question in the
first place. My favorites to "how long have you been doing this?" are
"this is my first flight, I'm gonna read that chapter on landing
tonight!" Or "this is my third flight and on the advice of my attorney, I
can't talk about the first two." A little gallows humor for sure, but
it does seem to lighten the mood and reduce the first few moments of
anxiety that every first time passenger feels. The fact of the matter is
once you're aloft, you have no place to go but along for the ride. You
are probably better off to not to ask any questions; you may not like
what you hear and the answer won't affect the outcome. That is unless
you have chosen a rookie pilot and you distract him or her from flying
the balloon with your questions - now that could affect the outcome! I
hope you will find this article informative and use the knowledge to
find a safe and confident pilot flying for a reputable company to
provide your adventure.
This is the third and final article in a
series to educate the consumer on how to choose an experienced hot air
balloon ride company. This part will provide you with the questions to
ask before you purchase a ride and before you climb aboard for a flight.
More importantly, it will provide you with the tools necessary to
interpret the answers that you receive; permitting you to make an
informed purchase.
In the first article, How to Choose an
Experienced Hot Air Balloon Ride Company and Not Just a Broker, I
explained the difference between a hot air balloon "operator" and a hot
air balloon ride "broker." To quickly recap, a balloon ride operator
owns and operates the balloon that you will actually fly in. They are in
business to both sell and provide the ride. A balloon ride broker does
not own any balloons and is in business to sell you only a gift
certificate or flight voucher. In Part 2, Operator or Broker, the reader
was given information on how to quickly tell the difference between an
operator and a broker in a web search. If the differences are unclear to
you or if you are uncertain why you should deal directly with an
operator vs. a broker, I suggest you spend a few minutes reading about
it here, in ezine or you may find the articles in their entirety on my
website by clicking the link located in the biography at the end of this
article.
After Choosing a Company to Call or Book with, Here are the Questions to Ask:
1. How long have you been in business?
How
long a company has been in business is usually a good indicator of how
well the business is run. Companies that have been in business a long
time must be paying attention to detail and providing good customer
service. The market will generally weed out companies that treat their
customers with indifference, provide a shoddy product, or are in it for
the fast buck. Excellent companies persevere, are in it for the long
haul, and realize that trust and making a name for themselves is
something that takes time and effort.
2. What is your physical address in my area and what kind of legal entity is the company?
If
the company does not have a physical address or location in your area
or even in your state where you may meet with them or to obtain a
certificate and the only option is by mail, it is a broker. Locally
owned and operated means that the company should have a vested interest
in how you are treated as a customer. A satisfied customer will tell 5 -
10 people about their experience, a dissatisfied customer will tell
hundreds. Out of town ride companies base their sales on volume
nationally and are not that worried about the level of service that you
may receive. There are many legal forms that a business may elect but a
corporation is, by far, the best indicator of a legitimate business
entity. How many locations do you have? If there is more than one or the
answer is "you may redeem certificates at multiple locations" you are
dealing with a broker. This is not to be confused with the number of
launch sites that a company may have. Many ride operators take off from
multiple locations but have only one office.
3. How many hours do you or do your pilots have and what are their names?
The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses and regulates all
balloon pilots and requires them to log their flight hours. The FAA
minimum for a Commercial Balloon Pilot is only 35 hours of pilot-in
command flight time. A full time pilot will obviously have more
experience and more hours compared to a part time pilot. The Balloon
Federation of America (BFA) has established a Pilot Achievement Awards
program that has levels 1 through 8 or Student Aeronaut (balloon pilot)
to Distinguished Aeronaut. The BFA requires a minimum of 700 flight
hours in 600 flights, among other requirements, to qualify as a
Distinguished Aeronaut. A level of 400 to 500 hours is a mid-level pilot
and 1000 hours or more is an experienced pilot. Recent experience and
flying more than 75 hours per year will ensure competency. Flying 30
hours a year, or less, is insufficient in my opinion to be at the top of
your game. You may search the FAA airman registry to confirm a pilot's
certification by going here
https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry
and first entering your own information. Use the pilot's name and state
to narrow your search. Unfortunately, this will only confirm that they
have a license, not for how long, nor whether the pilot is current on
the mandated requirements to act as a pilot-in-command. If a company has
only one pilot, it is small and possibly a hobby operation. Having
multiple pilots is indicative of a full time ride business. Lastly, ask
how long has the pilot had their license, not how long have you been in
ballooning? Many pilots start off as a balloon ground crew member and
may have been in the sport for years but have only a pilot for a very
short time. If the answer is five to seven years or less as a pilot, you
are generally dealing with a low time, limited experience pilot.
4. Have you as a pilot, your other pilots, or your company ever had an accident?
Ask
if any pilot has ever been refused insurance, or been required to file a
report with the FAA or NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board).
Most pilots have never had a run in with the FAA. To be sanctioned by
the FAA usually requires a fairly egregious violation. If there are any
reports of FAA violations, mishaps (FAA for accidents) or incidents (FAA
for minor accidents) then beware. Does the pilot participate in
recurrent training, ie. did they attend a safety seminar in the past 12
months? Most insurance companies offer substantial discounts for pilots
that participate in a safety seminar. If a company suddenly changes its
name while operating the same aircraft or occupying the same location,
this could be a attempt to distance themselves from being associated
with the bad press and other repercussions from an accident or
significant problem.
5. How is your crew trained and are they experienced?
Quite
a few companies will advertise the "total ballooning experience" and
immerse you by putting you to work helping to inflate, deflate, and pack
the balloon. There is even one company that I know of that advertises
for you to come out and experience crewing first hand by paying the
company for the privilege of doing their hard work! A legitimate company
will have all the crew necessary to operate the system that they are
flying. It is perfectly OK to allow passengers to take as active a role
as they wish (so long as proper instruction is provided) but not OK for
paying passengers to be expected to work. A full time company will have
properly trained and paid crew.
6. Do you fly full time or part time?
This
may seem at first a trivial question, but it is significant. Piloting a
balloon is a skill that requires proficiency. Like any trade that
requires skill, practice creates competence. Full time means
professional pilots making a living with their pilot's license and as
such they usually have more experience, hours, and practice. Part timers
are generally doing something else for a living, not flying nearly as
much, and possibly just supporting what would otherwise be an expensive
hobby. This is not to say that there are not good and even great part
time balloon pilots, there are. Simply stated, the more you do something
and the more often you do it, the better you become at doing it!
7. Do you own your balloon or balloons?
If
the answer is "no" or "all the companies we use, own their balloon,"
it's a broker. If it is just one balloon, it is a one pilot small
operator. Having multiple owned balloons typically means a full time
balloon ride business operator with more than one pilot.
8. What size balloon/s do you fly?
The
larger the balloon, the more lift it generates which translates into
the more weight it can carry. The more weight it can carry means more
passengers. The bigger the balloon the more it costs. Think of cars as a
good analogy. Balloons are measured by the amount of cubic feet of air
they will hold. Small or compact balloons are 56,000-77,000 cubic feet.
The midsize balloon is in the 90-105,000 cubic foot range. SUV size
balloons are 126-141,000 cubic feet and van or truck sized balloons are
180-300,000 cubic feet. Full time companies generally use balloons
larger than 105,000 cubic feet for their passenger capacity. If the
company limits passenger weights or can carry just one, two, or three
passengers, they are operating a small balloon with limited capacity.
Many companies will advertise this limited capacity as a positive, "just
you and the pilot, a private charter." Just keep in mind what that is
really telling you; it is a small operation, one small balloon, and most
likely a sport enthusiast with a hobby business. This can also mean a
limited amount of experience. Most companies will offer private charters
albeit at additional cost. In addition to size and the ability to carry
weight, how hot the weather is also determines a balloons lift
capacity. The hotter it is outside, the less weight a balloon can carry.
So, if a company talks about the number of passengers they can carry in
cooler weather vs. hot weather, it is a smaller balloon with lift
limitations. This is an important safety factor; balloons have a maximum
continuous operating temperature. The smaller the balloon the more heat
it takes to lift the weight and the safe operating temperature can be
exceeded!
9. What are your refund, cancellation, and transfer policies?
If
the answers are vague or evasive you should beware. This goes for any
question that you may ask a company. If you don't get straight answers
when they are trying their best to get you as a customer, what kind of
treatment will you get if you no longer wish to be their customer or if
there is a dispute? Straight forward answers and the policy in writing
is the way bona fide businesses conduct themselves. Anything else is
simply unacceptable. Flight should be clearly refundable and easily
transferred. Most companies have a minimum 72 hour cancellation policy.
You
are now equipped to ask intelligent questions and more importantly to
understand the significance of the answers that you receive. Get out
there and experience the romance and adventure that only a hot air
balloon ride can provide. I appreciate any comments that you may have
about this information, especially how it may be improved. I also
welcome any questions that you may have after reading this information
and will be happy to address them.
Mike Gerred is the President and Chief Pilot for Barnstormer Aero
and Light Flight Balloons, Inc. Light Flight is a certified hot air
balloon ride company offering balloon charter flights, tethered balloon
promotions, advertising, and open cockpit biplane rides in Maryland,
Pennsylvania, & Delaware. The company has been in business for over
28 years and is Maryland's most experienced balloon ride operator. You
may visit this company at
http://www.fun-flying.com
to read Part 1 and Part 2, of this series or to learn more about hot
air ballooning, balloon rides, and open cockpit biplane flights. For
questions or comments you may post them here or e-mail Mike at
LTAFlite@aol.com or call 410-836-1116.
