Tragedy and Triumph

[Raul Oliva]

For what it's worth, I have the need to share my thoughts about recent events in our little world of ballooning, thinking that perhaps others might be feeling the same way. Following the balloon reflector this week has brought out the full range of emotions, from excitement and relief, to extreme sorrow and grief. Having all these feelings at the same time has left me a little numb afterwards, and in a reflective mood. I congratulate Troy Bradley for his record setting accomplishment, and would not diminish it in any way. In my mind, however, news of his achievement pales in light of the loss of two of my fellow Colorado pilots, Brad Brookhart and Tom Boylan. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families, and to the third pilot, Doug Chaplin, who remains hospitalized. My, what a year. Fatal accidents in Canada, at Fiesta, the loss of arguably the world's most famous balloonist, and now this. Perhaps those that have been in the sport much longer than I can recall worse years, but I for one certainly hope that this is not a trend in the making. I think it calls on all of us to redouble our efforts to put safety first, to review our practices and our decision-making processes and eliminate any weak links that could contribute to an accident. In my opinion, there is no excuse for a pilot not attending a safety seminar this spring, insurance discount or not. Our sport is beautiful, breathtaking, and has brought joy to so many- but the recent loss of so many pilots and passengers has part of me questioning if it is all worth it. Don't get me wrong, I know **** happens, things break, and that there are no guarantees in life. I know that hopping in the car is statistically much more dangerous than what we do. The next good flight will I'm sure do wonders for snapping me out of this malaise, but I hope it does not cause me to forget the events that should shock us all out of any complacency we might have let creep in. I hereby resolve to do my part to make 2008 the safest year yet in ballooning. I know that this might mean opening my mind to different ways of doing things and breaking old habits. I need to be receptive to the advice of others, and I also need to be assertive in challenging my fellow pilots and event organizers regarding questionable practices. I will be realistic in my assessment of my skills, and not knowingly fly in conditions that might exceed them, even if others fly that day. I will not confuse luck with skill, and will not allow myself to be pressured to fly when I do not feel comfortable. I will try to learn something from each and every flight, and practice emergency procedures (and review them with my crew) regularly, making each flight a training flight. I hope others will join me in this resolution and together we can have a positive impact on improving the safety record of our beloved sport.

[Mike and Melinda Fleming]

The very nature of what we do requires us to take charge of the entire situation even though we know Mother Nature will ultimately challenge our skills and limits! Every flight is a learning experience for every PIC, no matter how routine it may seem. Be the Airman our Certificate requires us to be, take full Responsibility. Set the standard of Safety for those who observe us doing what we love to do and the many Friends that help us do it!

I concur with Mr Oliva's bold Resolution. Fly Safe