At one point in the clubs history, we had to depend heavily on the HACD for support in running our flight operations. And their requirements were more stringent. A part of that history is to understand that the BFA HACD used to be in the business of having to “sanction” your event and thus your task. That came with a lot of strings attached. Over the years, many events found that those restrictions became more and more restrictive and the BFA HACD was experiencing less and less event participation. Small changes have occurred over time.
First, inside the BFA HACD, our club has always accounted for almost one half of all task run on an annual basis. That does not make us a small dog or the tail 😉
Beginning last year, our Board started on the road from independence from them. For example, we purchased our own loggers. Another thing is we adapted our own rules on the international model. Same as they do. As such, the BFA HACD continue to accept our scores for entry into their National Eligibility List. That is all included in their policy. We provide our scores as a service to our members who care about seeing their name on the National Eligibility List ranking. Keep in mind, that the BFA’s NEL doesn’t really mean anything anymore. It was established in the late 80’s to create a fair way for competitors who wanted to attend the US National Balloon Championships. It is a mute point for the past several years. Basically since 2014, anyone that wanted to go would get in. This year, there are 9 slots unfilled. The number continues to drop. Our rules follow the same model and are written specific for our club operations, are a part of our waiver and are the only rules we use.
