Resources For Pilots
Welcome to our pilot resources page. The information on this page is targeted specifically for balloon pilots. We have included information about flying in Colorado, weather links, aeronautical links, education and information links. If you have any questions or would like us to add more information, contact us.
FAA Balloon Flying Handbook Publication date 2008.
The Balloon Flying Handbook is available for download on the FAA website. This book is a collective effort of balloonists throughout the United States, and is a comprehensive manual for flight operations and safety. Considered to be one of the best resources for hot-air and gas balloon flight.
FAA Balloon Flying Handbook Addendum Publication date 2016.
Private Pilot Lighter-Than-Air, Balloon and Airship Practial Test Standards.
Commercial Pilot Lighter-Than-Air, Balloon and Airship Test Standards.
Teaching the Unknown. A Balloon Instructor’s Guide to Flight Training Preparation. --by Adam Magee, FAA Safety Team Representative
The Dangerous Power of Power Lines. Tips for avoiding collisions and close encounters. --by Adam Magee, FAA Safety Team Rep
AAAA Hot Air Ballooning Ground Schools – Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association & AAAA Education Foundation
The Balloon Training Academy
The Balloon Flying Handbook is available for download on the FAA website. This book is a collective effort of balloonists throughout the United States, and is a comprehensive manual for flight operations and safety. Considered to be one of the best resources for hot-air and gas balloon flight.
FAA Balloon Flying Handbook Addendum Publication date 2016.
Private Pilot Lighter-Than-Air, Balloon and Airship Practial Test Standards.
Commercial Pilot Lighter-Than-Air, Balloon and Airship Test Standards.
Teaching the Unknown. A Balloon Instructor’s Guide to Flight Training Preparation. --by Adam Magee, FAA Safety Team Representative
The Dangerous Power of Power Lines. Tips for avoiding collisions and close encounters. --by Adam Magee, FAA Safety Team Rep
AAAA Hot Air Ballooning Ground Schools – Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association & AAAA Education Foundation
The Balloon Training Academy
Map Information for North Denver, Erie, Frederick
KML file of a PZ map that Scott McGrew created for the north Denver flying area that should be usable in Hot Air and other mapping software. This file includes those properties listed as a prohibited or sensitive zone on both the Erie and Frederick rally maps and a general "yellow zone" over the entirety of Boulder County given some of the issues balloon have encountered when landing in Boulder County Open Space.
Also listed on this map are a few spots marked in blue, which indicate common launch sites. Please note that while Parkland Airport in Erie (noted blue on the map) is both balloon friendly and highly amenable to the balloon launches, it requires permission and a form to be submitted prior to launching from there. Contact Scott McGrew for more information about launching from Parkland Airport.
The town of Frederick requires a copy of your current insurance to be on file if you chose to launch from Centennial Park. Michael Gianetti is the person to contact about that.
NORTH DENVER PZ KML FILE
Map of Colorado High Voltage Power Lines
Jeff Buesing created a map file that includes all of the high voltage power lines in the entire state of Colorado that highlights these
lines on your hot air mapping neon green. It's strictly the high voltage lines and does not include the lower voltage lines. Highly recommend uploading this to your mapping software as well.
COLORADO HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES KMZ File
Jeff Buesing created a map file that includes all of the high voltage power lines in the entire state of Colorado that highlights these
lines on your hot air mapping neon green. It's strictly the high voltage lines and does not include the lower voltage lines. Highly recommend uploading this to your mapping software as well.
COLORADO HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES KMZ File
Chatfield Balloon Port Association
Chatfield State Park
Littleton, CO
For those balloon pilots that fly or desire to fly at Chatfield State Park, you will be greeted with beautiful views, typically favorable flying conditions, and ample opportunities to enjoy splash and dashes in nearby Chatfield Reservoir.
To fly at Chatfield, you must have your balloon registered with the Division of Parks, which requires filling out an application.
If you are coming from out of town and planning on flying the Chatfield area, please email us and a club member will assist you in securing your permit.
More information and forms for flying at Chatfield can be found here Special Activity Agreement Permit
Balloonists wishing to operate commercially (providing balloon rides for a fee) must, in addition, apply for a Special Use Permit per Parks Board Regulation No. 100-b-10(b), meet the State’s minimum insurance requirements and pay an additional permit fee. It will be unlawful for any balloonist to sell rides on balloons that launch or land within the boundaries of Chatfield State Park without a Special Use Permit.
There are several red zones and sensitive areas in the Chatfield area, where a minimum altitude of three hundred feet must be maintained at all times. Please maintain minimum altitudes and avoid landing in marked red zones at all times.
The Prohibited Zones at Chatfield map includes marked red zones and sensitive areas, which include:
RED ZONES:
Stables and Corral
Campground,
Corps of Engineers Visitor Center
SENSITIVE AREAS (Yellow Zones):
Model Airplane Field
Marina
Fish Planting Basin
Park Office
Balloon Port Association Officers:
Ken Tadolini
303-936-0292
[email protected]
Russell Busing
303-807-3093
[email protected]
David Hettich
303-717-7196
[email protected]
Curt Godlevsky
303-898-6890
[email protected]
Chatfield State Park
Littleton, CO
For those balloon pilots that fly or desire to fly at Chatfield State Park, you will be greeted with beautiful views, typically favorable flying conditions, and ample opportunities to enjoy splash and dashes in nearby Chatfield Reservoir.
To fly at Chatfield, you must have your balloon registered with the Division of Parks, which requires filling out an application.
If you are coming from out of town and planning on flying the Chatfield area, please email us and a club member will assist you in securing your permit.
More information and forms for flying at Chatfield can be found here Special Activity Agreement Permit
Balloonists wishing to operate commercially (providing balloon rides for a fee) must, in addition, apply for a Special Use Permit per Parks Board Regulation No. 100-b-10(b), meet the State’s minimum insurance requirements and pay an additional permit fee. It will be unlawful for any balloonist to sell rides on balloons that launch or land within the boundaries of Chatfield State Park without a Special Use Permit.
There are several red zones and sensitive areas in the Chatfield area, where a minimum altitude of three hundred feet must be maintained at all times. Please maintain minimum altitudes and avoid landing in marked red zones at all times.
The Prohibited Zones at Chatfield map includes marked red zones and sensitive areas, which include:
RED ZONES:
Stables and Corral
Campground,
Corps of Engineers Visitor Center
SENSITIVE AREAS (Yellow Zones):
Model Airplane Field
Marina
Fish Planting Basin
Park Office
Balloon Port Association Officers:
Ken Tadolini
303-936-0292
[email protected]
Russell Busing
303-807-3093
[email protected]
David Hettich
303-717-7196
[email protected]
Curt Godlevsky
303-898-6890
[email protected]
Flying Near KFNL (Ft. Collins/Loveland)
Tower at Northern Colorado Regional (Fort Collins/Loveland) Airport
Below are our guidelines for operating within the airspace of Northern Colorado Regional (KFNL). Please note that our launch sites in Windsor are within this airspace (or very close) so this will apply to most flights from Windsor and many from Fort Collins. For planes, they request contact within 3-6 miles of the tower controlled airspace, so we should really adhere to the guidelines below if we are anywhere in that vicinity. Here they are:
Rachel Metzgar
970-402-1583
[email protected]
Dan Griffin
970-667-2246
[email protected]
Tower at Northern Colorado Regional (Fort Collins/Loveland) airportBelow are our guidelines for operating within the airspace of Northern Colorado Regional (KFNL). Please note that our launch sites in Windsor are within this airspace (or very close) so this will apply to most flights from Windsor and many from Fort Collins. For planes, they request contact within 3-6 miles of the tower controlled airspace, so we should really adhere to the guidelines below if we are anywhere in that vicinity. Here they are:
Rachel Metzgar
970-402-1583
[email protected]
Dan Griffin
970-667-2246
[email protected]
Also, should you have any specific inquiries regarding tower operations, here is contact information for the tower manager:
Barry Dishman
Air Traffic Manager
Northern Colorado Regional Airport
[email protected]
As luck would have it, the May/June 2020 issue of the FAA Safety Briefing magazine has some very good articles about communication among aircraft and ground stations and Flight Service and such. Click on the link below to view the articles in the May/June 2020 issue of he FAA Safety Briefing magazine.
FAA Safety Briefing - May/June 2020
Tower at Northern Colorado Regional (Fort Collins/Loveland) Airport
Below are our guidelines for operating within the airspace of Northern Colorado Regional (KFNL). Please note that our launch sites in Windsor are within this airspace (or very close) so this will apply to most flights from Windsor and many from Fort Collins. For planes, they request contact within 3-6 miles of the tower controlled airspace, so we should really adhere to the guidelines below if we are anywhere in that vicinity. Here they are:
- Please call the tower the day before you fly to let them know your departure time and location, "destination" (the area you are hoping to fly in), and expected altitude (in our case, they are aware we don't always know so a general range is ok).
- The tower number is 970-962-2867.
- Very important: Call flight service for a briefing and get the NOTAMs that apply to our airspace. The tower expects to open at 8 am most of the time, but this can change at any time.
- In flight, have your aircraft radio on at 118.4. The old channel does not operate any longer. Once the tower opens, if you are within or near the airspace, alert them to your location, altitude, etc. and then monitor the frequency. Again, this applies when you are within 3-6 miles of the tower-controlled airspace.
- To address the tower over the radio, use “NoCo Tower”
- At many times of year, we are launching close to or within their hours of operation so please call the tower the day before and again the morning of, prior to your flight, with the same information as above (launch time and location, expected direction, and expected altitude, which will be more accurate after seeing the pibal). Again, use your radio to contact the tower after launching if you are within their operating hours.
Rachel Metzgar
970-402-1583
[email protected]
Dan Griffin
970-667-2246
[email protected]
Tower at Northern Colorado Regional (Fort Collins/Loveland) airportBelow are our guidelines for operating within the airspace of Northern Colorado Regional (KFNL). Please note that our launch sites in Windsor are within this airspace (or very close) so this will apply to most flights from Windsor and many from Fort Collins. For planes, they request contact within 3-6 miles of the tower controlled airspace, so we should really adhere to the guidelines below if we are anywhere in that vicinity. Here they are:
- Please call the tower the day before you fly to let them know your departure time and location, "destination" (the area you are hoping to fly in), and expected altitude (in our case, they are aware we don't always know so a general range is ok).
- The tower number is 970-962-2867.
- Very important: Call flight service for a briefing and get the NOTAMs that apply to our airspace. The tower expects to open at 8 am most of the time, but this can change at any time.
- In flight, have your aircraft radio on at 118.4. The old channel does not operate any longer. Once the tower opens, if you are within or near the airspace, alert them to your location, altitude, etc. and then monitor the frequency. Again, this applies when you are within 3-6 miles of the tower-controlled airspace.
- To address the tower over the radio, use “NoCo Tower”
- At many times of year, we are launching close to or within their hours of operation so please call the tower the day before and again the morning of, prior to your flight, with the same information as above (launch time and location, expected direction, and expected altitude, which will be more accurate after seeing the pibal). Again, use your radio to contact the tower after launching if you are within their operating hours.
Rachel Metzgar
970-402-1583
[email protected]
Dan Griffin
970-667-2246
[email protected]
Also, should you have any specific inquiries regarding tower operations, here is contact information for the tower manager:
Barry Dishman
Air Traffic Manager
Northern Colorado Regional Airport
[email protected]
As luck would have it, the May/June 2020 issue of the FAA Safety Briefing magazine has some very good articles about communication among aircraft and ground stations and Flight Service and such. Click on the link below to view the articles in the May/June 2020 issue of he FAA Safety Briefing magazine.
FAA Safety Briefing - May/June 2020
Flying Near KCOS (Colorado Springs)
KCOS ADS-B
In March 2022 the KCOS airport delivered a new letter of agreement to balloonists flying in Colorado Springs. You can read the Letter of Agreement here on Dave Bair's website. If you agree to the expectations in the Letter of Agreement then you will need to fill out the form found on the same page on Dave Bair's website.
Click here to enlarge image
In March 2022 the KCOS airport delivered a new letter of agreement to balloonists flying in Colorado Springs. You can read the Letter of Agreement here on Dave Bair's website. If you agree to the expectations in the Letter of Agreement then you will need to fill out the form found on the same page on Dave Bair's website.
Click here to enlarge image
Page Updated June 29, 2022
