Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 49, December 7, 2024
Section 139a.81 - Hot air balloons(a) Bungee jumping from hot air balloons shall be conducted in compliance with the applicable provisions of this chapter.(b) Aircraft shall be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and have a valid air-worthiness certificate. Modifications to the balloon or airframe shall either be consistent with the modifications allowed by the balloon's type certificate or shall be accompanied by a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). Modifications that are approved by the FAA or designated engineering representative are also acceptable. A pilot shall have a valid commercial pilot's license for lighter than air/free balloon.(c) A minimum 90,000 cubic foot balloon is to be used.(d) The burner system shall be dual burner and dual tank system.(e) The jump rigging shall be attached to the balloon at the "envelope attachment block" located on the stainless steel uprights.(f) Maximum allowable wind velocity is 10 miles per hour.(g) There shall be two means of verifying altitude.(h) A tether system shall be used and shall be a three point system.(i) The balloon shall be tethered in a manner that is consistent with the manufacturer's recommended tethering procedure. Tetherlines shall have a strength of at least 8,000 pounds.(j) The anchors for the bungee cords shall pass around the basket so that the basket and the frame are not loaded during the bungee jump. The anchors shall be attached so that they transfer the loads directly to the suspension cables, unless approved otherwise by a designated engineering representative.(k) The balloon pilot shall have sole discretion to determine those hours near dawn or dusk when bungee jumping from a hot air balloon can be conducted in safety.