Lenny built his own FAA Approved aircraft in 1993 in Maryland with an expert balloon builder (Brian Boland).
Brian has constructed hundreds of balloons and has set dozens of world records so Lenny indeed learned from the best.
One of the lessons was to fly a balloon “at night” over the forest. —- is that really legal? YES.
Flying a balloon over the forest at night when the burner is on “emergency mode” (large yellow flame), serves as a giant candle and lights the forest like a huge spotlight.
This enables the pilot to observe the green trees as opposed to the brown ones, Brown trees mean dead and brittle, green trees mean alive and softer and far more welcoming.
Searching for a spot to land it’s always nicer to land in soft green trees.
It’s also ok to have the balloon fly between the trees as it descends by bouncing up and down in the basket while the balloon slowly deflates as it descends.
It’s very possible to camp out at the landing site and fly out in the morning by inflating the balloon with the burner alone (no inflation fan). This takes some skills in order to keep from setting fire to the balloon (or the forest) but it does work quite well.
Lenny has given away dozens of free rides to charities, school functions, especially to graduating students in order to keep high school students from indulging in beverages they are not legally allowed to consume, and all for no cost.
Lenny has flown his balloon with many professional people as passengers not the least was a 747 flight instructor (retired), who was gently dipped into the California Aqueduct. Lenny convinced him that it was a basket and that baskets float. What Lenny did not tell him was that the basket floats after it sinks about a foot under water, which gets feet very wet and cold up to about the knees. Before the propane tanks provide the buoyancy necessary to turn the balloon into a sail boat.
Of course everyone enjoys balloon flights, and remember the fastest the balloon will descend is the same speed as a parachute so even if it runs out of gas you’re still probably going to be OK.
Lenny is a certified FAA approved inspection authority and is certified to provide his own annual inspection on his experimental balloon and certify it an air worthy entirely with the FAA ‘s permission.
Lenny is currently the General Partner at Montgomery Sansome LP in South San Francisco, CA. He has been a licensed building contractor since April of 1965.