Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (Quad A)

Contacts

Board Liaison: Chuck Studebaker (contact form)

AAAA Community Relations Mission

To promote the sport of hot air ballooning by fostering goodwill between Balloonists and the Community-at-large.
This mission can be realized through education, community contributions, and enhanced communications between the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association, its membership, and the general public.
We welcome your feedback, as we want to represent our members well in whatever we do.

Activities

AAAA provides numerous activities for the community. They include the following:

• Hot Air Balloon presentations at schools, community seminars, service club meetings, and other public gatherings. (Request an appearance)
• Direct involvement in community events, including static displays, tethers, balloon glows, and free flights.
• Inclusion of charitable organizations in AAAA Flying Events.
• Establishment of liaisons and partnerships with civic organizations.
• Donations of balloon ride certificates for community fundraisers and other non-profit activities.
• Media coverage of ballooning events and charitable contributions by balloonists.
• Informational exhibits at public gatherings, including distribution of AAAA publications and related ballooning materials.
• Responding to community inquiries for information and other requests.
• Creation of a Speakers Bureau to advance awareness among local groups.
• Education of balloonists about the rights of landowners and residents, to encourage positive behavior and minimize negative attitudes toward, balloonists.
• Expansion of the landowner/resident appreciation program to include pilots and crews, to recognize and reward teams for proactive encounters with landowners and residents.
• Intervention in balloonist-landowner disputes, to effect a positive outcome.
• Collaboration with other AAAA committees to encourage the inclusion of community relations issues in their functions.

AAAA members are available for presentations, exhibits, and participation in other public gatherings as an informational display for visitors.

AAAA Ballooning Information

• Have problems with a pilot or crew?
• Need a volunteer balloon for an event?
• If you are a landowner or balloonist with information or questions about a particular piece of land.

Please email the Board Liaison above

AAAA Ride Donations

An important element of the AAAA Community Relations program is the appearance of balloons at events and the donation of balloon rides to worthy community organizations.
If you would like to have a balloon at your event or request a donation of a balloon ride use this form.

Ride Donation Policy

• AAAA-sponsored ride donations shall be provided only for non-profit, charitable organizations. Civic and community-related events will also be considered.
• AAAA will not sponsor rides for organizations seeking fund-raising opportunities for non-charitable activities.
• The AAAA Community Relations Committee shall judge if requests meet the non-profit, charitable organization eligibility standard.
• In the event that requests for ride donations exceed AAAA’s ability to fulfill them, the Community Relations Committee shall determine the priorities for ride donations
• This donation policy only applies to ride donations sponsored by AAAA. Individual AAAA members are encouraged to donate rides to any organization of their choosing, including those that are not eligible for AAAA-sponsored donations.
• Please make requests at least 2 months prior to your deadline.

Landowner/Resident Appreciation Program

The landowner relations program includes balloon pins for all respondents, along with a follow-up thank you letter and club brochure. Recognizing that crews often assume primary responsibility for good landowner relations, we will have drawings for gifts for balloon teams, as well as the landowners themselves.
The Committee will distribute landowner cards at flying event registration, in new member packets, and at AAAA meetings. Cards will be stamped Free Balloon Pin to encourage landowner/resident response.

• Qualifications
• Process
• It must be a fun or competitive flight. Commercial pilots and ride operators are eligible; however, commercial flights are not.
• Must be distributed within the greater Albuquerque area, to promote goodwill within the local community and among the landowners and residents over whose property we often fly.
• Qualifying flight must end on landowner/resident property. Neighbors and spectators in the vicinity are ineligible.

Landowners/Residents who return the postcard will receive a Memories balloon pin, an AAAA brochure, and a thank you note from the club. They will be entered in a drawing for a nice prize on an annual or semi-annual basis, depending on the rate of response.
Participating pilots whose landowner/resident contacts submit the cards will also be entered into a drawing for prizes. Since balloon crews are often key in establishing good landowner relations, the Committee will provide prizes for a separate crew drawing, as well.
We are pleased to support this program as an incentive for good landowner/resident relations and a reward for your participation.

Prohibited Zones

Prohibited Zones (PZs) must be considered at all times.

Cloudbouncer Newsletter

This membership publication is sent out monthly to current members. The deadline for submission is Friday after each general meeting.

Website & Facebook

This is our primary means of outreach to the community. Information on both of these sites is available to members and non-members alike.