In the light of recent sensationalistic reporting of a ballooning accident in Hazyview, readers of this forum might have been brought under a false impression of safety matters surrounding hot air balloon flights. The report
that “passengers were flung out the basket” and that they were “found lying in the field” was pure fabrication. Here, in fact, is what happened in Hazyview on the 1st of June 2011:
“The balloon took off in good flying conditions. During the course of the flight the wind conditions changed, contrary to what had been forecast.
As the wind speed increased the pilot, who has 17 years experience, made the decision to land as soon as an open field, suitable for landing could be found. The balloon landed fast and dragged for several meters before coming
to a stop (which is normal).
Of the six passengers in the basket, two were slightly hurt and one sustained a broken ankle, the others are fine. At no stage were any passengers “thrown out” of the basket as has apparently been reported.
Ground crew were on hand almost immediately, and the emergency plan was implemented. Emergency services were contacted and arrived without delay.
Three passengers were taken to hospital to be assessed for possible injuries. Only one was admitted to hospital with an injured ankle. The others were sent home, after having x rays.
The skill and experience of the pilot ensured that the changing conditions were handled correctly, and in a manner that minimized risk to passengers. The implementation of the company’s emergency plan ensured that professional
assistance was provided without delay. ”
BALLOONING IN SOUTH AFRICA
I would like to point out some interesting facts about commercial ballooning in South Africa and add some safety tips for prospective passengers.
1. Legal Aspects
All air service operations must be licensed by the Department of Transport and must have a current Operating Certificate (AOC) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In addition, there are mandatory liability and
third party insurance requirements, as well as the licensing of pilots and equipment.
Though I am not aware of any unlicensed commercial hot air balloon operators (or “pirate” operators) in South Africa at present, an easy way to verify that the company that you intend flying with is properly licensed and certificated, is to look them up on the following web page: http://www.cobasa.org.za/aoclist.htm This page shows all the members of the Commercial Balloon Operators Association of South Africa.
Membership is exclusive to properly licensed Air Service Operators (also called charter companies). Their pilots are trained in terms Civil Aviation Regulations and in terms of International Best Practise norms. The pilots are also approved by the Balloon and Airship Federation of S.A (BAFSA www.bafsa.co.za)
2. Pilot Training
Hot air balloon pilots go through intensive (and expensive) training by qualified flight instructors who operate under licence of an Aviation Training Organisation. Once the student pilots have accumulated the required number of flying hours under instruction and once they have passed all the subjects of the theory exam, they may report for their skills test to one of only three designated flight examiners (DE’s) in the country.
This is a big day in the career path of a balloon pilot, since the outcome of the test will determine if the pilot achieves his license and if, for the first time, he/she may take to the skies without an instructor on board.
Once the licence is obtained, the pilot must accumulate another 100 flight hours before qualifying to fly paying passengers, and then only if employed by a licensed operator, and therefore subject to the operators approved
operations manual. Initially the “commercial pilot” is restricted to flying relatively small passenger balloons, and has to accumulate another 100 hours to qualify flying a medium sized balloon. By the time a pilot is qualified to fly a typical “large” passenger balloon with 10 or more passengers aboard he/she has accumulated at least 300 hours of flying in a variety of conditions.
3. Equipment
Only, so called, “type certified” equipment may be used in commercial operations. Type certified aircraft in South Africa can usually be identified by their registrations that start with the letters “ZS” as opposed to registrations that start with “ZU” (this is not a hard and fast rule, but applies in 99% of cases). To get an aircraft model “type certified” and the “type accepted” internationally is a rigorous, expensive and time consuming process the manufacturer has to go through.
Hence the high price tag of type certified balloons.
The balloons may only be serviced and repaired by licensed Aircraft Maintenance Organizations (AMO’s) and mandatory inspections are carried out on every balloon by an AMO’s every 100 flying hours. The successful outcome of such an inspection is evidenced by the balloon being issued a “Release to Service” certificate that is only valid for the lesser of 12 months or 100 flying hours.
4. Planning a flight
The operator and pilots spend quite some time every day collecting the latest weather charts in order to assess conditions for the next balloon flight. An example of a kind of weather chart, called a”spot graph” favoured by most pilots as the best, high resolution forecasting tool can be seen at http://old.weathersa.co.za/Aerosport/ShowSpotGraphNEWMODEL.jsp?img=-3031 (this is the spot graph for Durban)
A manifest and load sheet is completed before every flight, and that is why passengers have to provide their names and their weights before their booking is confirmed. The manifest is a legal requirement and the load sheet contains the results of calculations based on passenger’s weights, planned fuel weight, the temperatures of the day and altitudes that are anticipated.
5. Safety Tips to Prospective Passengers
This is very simple and brief:
Once you have ascertained that you will be flying with a properly licensed operator (check the COBASA website or ask the operator to show his Air Operators Certificate), you can be rest assured that a strict set of safety regulations are in force and that your pilot is a seasoned professional discharging her/his services using regularly inspected equipment.
The requirements of passengers are as follows:
-All passengers should be able to climb over a 1.2 meter obstacle (the rim of the basket) without assistance and should be able to stand unassisted for one hour (this how we ensure that passengers have the required muscle tone
to resist injury in the case of a “fast” landing.
-As with any commercial flights, pregnant passengers are not allowed, unless a written clearance is given by a physician. Even then, the pilot may refuse.
-The safety briefing by the pilot is very short and simple, but it is important that you understand and carry out the pilot’s instructions without hesitation.
Lastly, my favourite quote:
“Balloonists can dawdle, lollygag, cast their fate to the wind and become part of the ebb and flow of nature.
In that silent realm, far from the mischief and toil of society, all one hears is the urgent breathing of the wind and, now and then, an inspiring gasp of hot air.” – Diane Ackerman
Dr W. Uys
Commercial Balloon Operators Association of South Africa
info@cobasa.org.za
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Hi Guys liked your site, you may like a read of mine also.
Best regards
Nigel J Pogmore
Hot air balloon safety concerns dot com
Safety is a huge concern in the aviation industry. When you decide to take a trip such as a Hot Air Balloon trip, i suggest that you do investigate the balloon company that you plan to fly with. Simply google their name and you will see what people have to say about them.
Good point Dale, we shall be listing balloon companies with a poor safety record, not The ones that suffer at the hands of missleading press reports. latest news is that the Tanzanian co that did have a fatal accident is now been taken to a USA court along with their booking agent. this sound like its time for all booking agents to think hard and check who they are working with, this case could cost milliions.
Tell me Dale, what do we do with balloon companies that do not take note of pilot concerns for better passanger safety? where is the support for those pilots in this industry ?
http://www.hotairballoonsafetyconcerns.com
Balloon pilot on hunger strike in the UK In order to bring about public awareness of concerns relating to passenger safety within the balloon rides industry. please se below.
From: hot air balloon safety
Date: 3 November 2011 16:16:55 GMT
To: Tony Pascoe
Cc: cirrus-sbs
Bcc: hotairballoonsafetyconcerns@gmail.com
Subject: This is to inform Serengeti Balloon Safaris (SBS) of my intention to heighten my public awareness program
For the attention of
The Directors
Mr Colin Mackinnon
Mr Tony Pascoe
Serengeti Balloon Safaris ltd.
Thursday 3rd November 2011, timed 1600 hrs.
This is to inform Serengeti Balloon Safaris (SBS) of my intention to heighten my public awareness program surrounding my concerns within the balloon rides industry. This course of action is not solely related to SBS but over the years, I have come across numerous instance where, the pilot in command (PIC) integrity has been placed in unacceptable position. SBS were aware of the situation that I had been placed in Sri Lanka, (full details here). Later, SBS unashamedly attempted to use the Sri Lanka fiasco in order to discredit me.
SBS also made reference to my time working in the USA. Details of no promised work visa along with a separate incident concerning repeated bounced pay cheques can be found here. In this regard, I still find SBS behavior unpalatable, therefore the record needs to be set straight.
As SBS are aware of events that originated during my time employed at Serengeti Balloon Safaris Ltd, and thereafter, are legally responsible for my feeling the need to go public in the first place. SBS were fully aware that I attempted to resolve issues privately before reluctantly going public.
I maintain that whilst in SBSs employment, that I never set about to work against the best interest of the company, yet to assist SBS to work towards higher standards than were in place at that time. As you may appreciate having suffered the far reaching consequences of been unjustly sacked is neither acceptable nor to be tolerated without making my point known. Initially, I was of the mind that SBS might have shown a degree of professionalism and later recognise that they had made a most serious mistake. To date that has not been the case.
Prior to the fatal Accident of 29th September 2010, I already had a well established plans in place, to stage a protest hunger strike in Nepal. The location for this course of action was to be in a local monastery. The timing of such action was planned to coincide with the World Travel Mart an event that SBS & the Tanzanian tourist board are well represented.
I feel that this alone should demonstrate the magnitude of how strongly I feel regarding the injustice of SBSs action to be. Please note that SBS most recent fatal accident of 2010 had not taken place at that time.
Later, once I received the tragic news of SBSs involvement in that accident, for reasons that should be obvious to all, I along with my advisers, felt it inappropriate to continue on my planned track, therefore postpone that protest. SBS should now appreciate that this consideration, one that to some degree allowed all parties, the much needed space and time to reflect on the tragic chain of events. At that time, I was both physically and mentally disturbed by this disaster, however SBS can be assured, that despite our obvious differences, I would not have wished this on SBS, its directors or SBS staff.
This latest accident took the lives of two balloon passenger, (one American & one Dane) yet brought the death toll under the then present directorship to five, in what amounts to three individual fatal accidents. On each occasion involving aircrafts owned by SBS.
At this stage, with SBS having previously failed to recognise my genuine attempt to prevent such a tragedy, I would have thought that SBS may have stood back and taken a far deeper look at its now abysmal safety record. In doing so, looked more positively towards the very pilot that had previously demonstrated the level of professionalism that is demanded in the aviation industry. I had stepped forward with the genuine intention of guiding SBS towards safer working practices. Unfortunately, this was not to be, SBS went on the attack.
Subsequently, (Nov 2010) I received news that SBSs had commence some sort of legal action against me in Nepal. I view all the charges as purely of a malicious nature, that have no foundation whatsoever. As you are aware, no cyberspace crime ever took place, I merely reported the facts. Similarly no blackmail took place. Interestingly the £75,000 that SBS referred to in this instance, seems to correspond to the very same amount that I had placed as deterrent against SBS making further attacks on my copyright of evidential image.
SBS’s claim for $500,000 compensation is nothing more than absurd. All of the above is purely attempted scaremongering as SBS once more sets about to intimidate the pilot and safety officer that had raised legitimate concerns surrounding how SBS operated its passenger balloons. The fatal events of 29 September 2010 speak volumes in this regard.
There is no denial that just weeks before my sacking SBS made a written offer, relating to my third successive employment contract, with the words “we have a good team out there, I do not want to change it” , this also speaks volumes, thus indicates beyond doubt, the true status not to mention unquestionable competence. Had I not possessed acceptable levels of competence, SBS would certainly not have placed me in the position of safety officer just six weeks before dismissing me. It was only after I formally raised my passenger safety concerns with SBS, that our relationship deteriorated drastically.
I view SBS actions as totally inappropriate, actions that have failed in their attempt to silence the pilot who worked to higher safety standards than SBS. For more on this, readers can go to “Masked Man Come Calling” in the archive section.
The effects of SBS actions in Nepal have had broad reaching consequences upon myself and my wife. We can no longer live in Kathmandu or for that matter return to our home that we had established there in 2004.
From November 2010 to May 2011, after receiving threats, to our personal safety, my wife and I had to live at an undisclosed location. Later with my local visa about to expire, not wanting to compromise my legal status, it was unavoidable that I returned to the UK. My wife at this time remains in this undisclosed location.
As a result of SBSs inappropriate action, our married life has been greatly affected, our only means of communication is via telephone and internet, this has been the case since May 2011. The ongoing ramifications of having worked diligently for SBS are of unbelievable magnitude and are totally unacceptable.
As SBS are aware, in April 2010, I was approached by four men, one of whom possessed a revolver. Their message was very clear “take down the website or you might have an accident that you might not recover from”
I would like to think that SBS had not ordered this particular assault directly, however I do hold the view that it was as a direct consequence of SBSs Nepalese legal action and the depositing a reported $3000 with a Nepalese lawyer. This action may have been brought about by SBSs hired hands. SBS and others will now appreciate why it is unsafe for my wife and I to return to our home and resume a relatively normal life.
For an air operator such as SBS to threaten a commercial pilot in the way it certainly has, is bad enough, however to threaten, intimidate and place in danger a pilot’s wife is totally deplorable. This type of behaviour can only be viewed as gangster like activity.
In July 2011, SBS appeared to initiate threats of legal action in the United Kingdom when they employed Cheltenham based solicitors Simon Burn. This time and with good reason, there was no sight of previous cyberspace crime charges nor for that matter any charges of blackmail. I feel this omission by SBS, was in full knowledge that such charges would be quickly viewed as malicious under the British Legal System, and would be laughed out of court.
Noted within SBS’s UK lawyer’s correspondence, are numerous equally ridiculous demands, such as demanding a letter of apology, demanding that I agree to an open court statement, stating that all that I had said, to be untrue. Obviously I refused to comply with such absurdity, as that would be agreeing to commit perjury. Furthermore, SBS once more wants me to compensate them for their loss etc etc.
It is now noted that SBSs along with their UK lawyers, seem to have developed an element of shyness. Noted is that this apparent shyness only appeared after I requested further information, particularly the matter surrounding pilot licensing and his qualifications & lack of appropriate experience.this is something that SBS have so far failed to provide. Please see Accident Hypothesis.
With the above in mind, I would like to give notice, that on 6 November 2011, I shall pick up where I left off one year ago. Having secured a reputable location of once more, of religious order, I shall be taking up residence, thereafter commencing a protest hunger strike, something I have been preparing myself for, for the last four weeks.
My intention is not only to draw attention to SBS’s despicable actions, but also to the numerous shortcomings that are entrenched within the balloon rides industry. In this instance once again, I am referring to matters surrounding passenger safety and intimidation practices waged against pilots such as myself, that despite subjected to threatening behaviour, possessed and maintained the guts to stand firm on such vital aviation matters as passenger safety.
In the case of SBS along with the Tanzanians Tourist Board, must realise that it is no accident that my protest is to coincide with the World Travel Mart gathering, due to be staged in London November 7-10. Whilst this event is only a four-day event, should I deem it necessary, my peaceful protest is planned to extend way beyond that event.
The traveling public, along with worlds travel industry shall recognise that the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority failed miserably to fill its duty, yet by doing so, gave substance to SBSs earlier claim of been at total liberty to pay bribes to this rather lame duck organisation, the very organisation that is supposed to be safeguarding overseas tourist visiting Tanzania. Given that Tanzania is at this time struggling to convince its counterpart in the USA of its compliance with demeaned higher standards before been allowed to operate in USA airspace, this activity shall not be lost on the FAA.
With regards to the hot air balloon rides industry as a whole, the very industry that hastily turned its back on a commercially licensed pilot, one that possessed the professionalism to stand firm on matters relating to passenger safety, is not to escape criticism. Additionally the same industry turned its back on a pilot that had been subjected to unacceptable behaviour from an air operator. This industry is now to be held publicly accountable for its lack of support, yet chose the path of least resistance, in doing so ridiculed and made threats towards an individual pilot. Ironically this is the very industry that has confirmed in writing, that “passenger safety is a swear word and that if anybody attempts do anything about it, is frowned upon or worse”. Disturbingly for its intended market, I have found this statement to be true.
My demands on SBS are as follows:-
1: Drop all charges against me in Nepal, with immediate effect. This includes dropping the ridiculous demand for $500,000 compensation. Credible correspondence should be forwarded to me indicating this without delay.
2: In the interest of passenger safety, and to prevent a repeat accident, if it has not all ready done so, SBS is to undertake to only operate passenger balloons with some of type of rapid deflation system fitted. It is to withdraw all passenger balloons operating with the sub - standard parachute. Obviously withdrawn balloons can retro fitted with RDS.
3: Review fuel quantities and start fulling passenger balloons with the correct amount of fuel as per my fuel calculations.
4: Agree & enter into immediate constructive dialogue.
5: Apologies to me and my wife for your wrongdoing in writing. This should be a document that can be placed on this web site for a minimum of 90 days.
6: Given that I have not flown a balloon since departing the Serengeti,(as per SBS threat to tarnish my repartition within the industry) SBS, is to agree to compensate me for all my financial losses & incurred costs. This amount to be agreed between both parties & can remain confidential.
7: Disable your counterclaim web site.
Should SBS or others have any doubts regarding my commitment to this protests, I would encourage that you make arrangements to place your own observers in position.
Should SBS like to discus matters & at the same time safeguard continued confidentially of this document, you are strongly advised to contact me before 2000hrs, Thursday 3rd November 2010.
I shall be informing you of the location of this protest no later than Monday 7th November 2011. This is to co-inside with the opening of the WTM.
To make contact SBS should do so on hotairballoonsafetyconcerns@gmail.com additionally CC to to nigel.pogmore1@mac.com
Yours Faithfully
Nigel J Pogmore
Hot air balloon safety concerns
& former safety officer
Serengeti Balloon Safaris ltd.