In the Fall of 1971 I became editor of Ballooning magazine.  At the urging of the new BFA president Bill Grabb, Tucker and I had agreed to rejuvenate the then-dormant magazine.  We prepared a proposal that I presented to the BFA board of directors at its meeting during national championships in the summer, and I was appointed editor.

Of course the magazine was quite rudimentary back then in the nascent years of ballooning.  It had previously been published as a stapled newsletter printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper.  Our first issue introduced a standard magazine format, albeit on uncoated paper, and 32 pages.  Later we would introduce a color glossy cover.  Nonetheless, in those days before desktop computers, text processing, digital composition the magazine was rudimentary in contrast to what is possible now.

We published five quarterly issues before I was elected to the board and became BFA president the following year.  The first of these issues can be seen below.  If this looks archival it is because, as my book editor said of some of my book's photos, it is archival!  Use the arrow keys at the bottom right  (< >) to move forward or backwards through the magazine.  Click on an image to enlarge it for viewing.