Bill Text: IA HR111 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution honoring Phil Gray for his contribution to aviation in the state of Iowa.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-03-11 - Resolution adopted. H.J. 557. [HR111 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-HR111-Introduced.html
House
Resolution
111
-
Introduced
HOUSE
RESOLUTION
NO.
111
BY
BODEN
A
Resolution
honoring
Phil
Gray
for
his
contribution
to
1
aviation
in
the
state
of
Iowa.
2
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
took
his
first
balloon
flight
with
3
pilot
Gene
Dennis
at
the
1972
National
Hot
Air
Balloon
4
Championship
held
in
Indianola,
and
soon
afterwards
5
helped
form
the
Hawkeye
Aerostation
Society,
LLC,
a
6
10-member
balloon
club
presided
over
by
Mr.
Gray,
with
7
Mr.
Gray
being
chosen
by
club
members
as
the
first
8
member
to
receive
flight
training;
and
9
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
began
flight
training
on
10
January
3,
1973,
with
Matt
Wiederkehr,
embarking
11
on
a
three-hour
flight
from
Indianola
to
Alleman,
12
culminating
with
a
high-wind
landing
on
frozen
13
ground;
and
14
WHEREAS,
completing
his
first
solo
flight
after
15
receiving
only
six
hours
of
training,
Mr.
Gray
piloted
16
his
balloon
by
himself
for
two
hours
and
30
minutes
17
over
central
Minnesota;
and
18
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
completed
his
“check
ride”
with
19
Federal
Aviation
Administration
(FAA)
flight
examiner
20
Lowell
Sonquist,
obtaining
a
commercial
balloon
license
21
on
February
2,
1973;
and
22
WHEREAS,
during
his
“check
ride”,
Mr.
Gray
made
a
23
brief
landing
during
which
time
the
examiner
exited
24
and
his
first
student
entered
the
balloon
to
fly
for
25
his
first
time
as
pilot,
while
Mr.
Gray
flew
as
the
26
instructor;
and
27
WHEREAS,
in
1973,
the
same
year
he
was
certified
as
28
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both
an
FAA
designated
pilot
examiner
and
an
FAA
safety
1
officer,
Mr.
Gray
also
began
a
certified
aircraft
2
repair
station
that
same
year,
and
later
became
a
3
dealer
for
Raven
Industries;
and
4
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
began
commercial
pilot
work
in
5
1973
and
continued
such
work
for
the
past
50
years,
6
flying
for
multiple
companies;
and
7
WHEREAS,
when
he
was
not
flying
commercially,
Mr.
8
Gray
used
his
artistic
talents
to
create
commercial
9
signs
for
pilots
and
many
ballooning
events;
and
10
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
helped
form
a
race
circuit
for
11
balloon
enthusiasts,
giving
pilots
the
opportunity
to
12
race
and
receive
meaningful
prize
money;
and
13
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
was
determined
to
achieve
more
14
so
he
went
on
to
manufacture
his
own
balloon
he
named
15
“Azure”;
and
16
WHEREAS,
following
the
success
of
building
his
own
17
balloon
“Azure”,
making
its
first
maiden
flight
April
18
28,
1979,
Mr.
Gray
and
his
wife,
Linda
Gray,
began
19
their
quest
to
manufacture
a
balloon
based
on
his
own
20
design,
and
on
July
15,
1981,
their
company,
National
21
Ballooning
Ltd.,
received
“type”
certification
from
the
22
FAA;
and
23
WHEREAS,
after
finalizing
the
manufacturing
process
24
on
July
22,
1982,
National
Ballooning
Ltd.
received
an
25
FAA
production
certificate,
becoming
the
only
balloon
26
manufacturer
in
Iowa
and
the
midwest;
and
27
WHEREAS,
always
innovative,
he
constructed
a
special
28
basket
with
a
door
that
had
a
large
enough
opening
29
for
a
person
using
a
wheelchair
to
board
a
hot
air
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balloon,
calling
the
balloon
“Serena’s
Song”,
it
1
features
a
60-feet-high
wheelchair-accessible
symbol
2
wearing
a
red
heart
on
a
solid
blue
balloon,
and
3
on
July
28,
1992,
the
balloon
was
issued
a
standard
4
airworthiness
certificate,
making
it
the
world’s
5
first
wheelchair-accessible
hot
air
balloon
approved
6
by
the
FAA
and
the
first
aircraft
that
was
designed,
7
built,
and
certified
specifically
for
persons
with
8
disabilities;
and
9
WHEREAS,
since
1982,
Mr.
Gray
has
continued
to
serve
10
as
the
CEO
and
chief
engineer
of
National
Ballooning
11
Ltd.,
the
only
FAA
certified
aircraft
manufacturer
in
12
Iowa,
and
continues
to
manufacture
hot
air
balloons
to
13
this
day;
and
14
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray
was
awarded
the
Wright
Brothers’
15
Master
Pilot
Award
for
50
years
of
safe
flying,
16
becoming
the
only
Iowa
pilot
to
receive
this
award
17
for
safe
flight
with
a
lighter-than-air
aircraft
18
certificate,
with
all
flight
hours
in
a
hot
air
19
balloon;
and
20
WHEREAS,
Mr.
Gray’s
passion
for
ballooning
has
21
reached
far
beyond
just
the
sport,
hobby,
or
dream,
22
and
has
now
ascended
into
aeronautical
history;
NOW
23
THEREFORE,
24
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES,
That
25
the
House
of
Representatives
honors
Mr.
Phil
Gray,
who
26
holds
an
excellent
safety
rating
having
reported
zero
27
accidents,
for
his
contributions
to
balloon
aeronautics
28
and
for
his
endeavors
to
make
ballooning
accessible
and
29
memorable
for
all.
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