A HOT AIR BALLOON WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE FLOWN LOW OVER A HOME AFTER TKOF FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative

1. CLBOUT FROM ARPT WAS NORMAL IN A SLOW DELIBERATE 'STEP CLB.' DIRECTION OF FLT WAS TO N-NW. MORNING WAS WARM; HUMID. BALLOON WAS HEAVILY LOADED (3 ADULT MEN). CLB TO 500 AGL FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE WAS SLOWER THAN NORMAL BECAUSE BALLOON TEMP WAS UP TO 220 DEG (YELLOW IS 250 DEGS; I TRY TO AVOID EXCEEDING 230 DEGS FOR LONGER FABRIC LIFE). OTHER THAN NEED TO CLB SLOWLY (SIMILAR TO HEAVILY LOADED AIRPLANE TAKING OFF IN HIGH DENSITY ALT CONDITIONS); FLT WAS ABSOLUTELY NORMAL. 2. AFTER LNDG; I WAS INFORMED BY MY CHASE CREW THAT A LCL RESIDENT HAD CHASED THEM IN HER CAR AND COMPLAINED OF OUR FLYING TOO LOW OVER HER HOUSE. 3. AFTER DETERMINING THE AREA HER HOUSE WAS LOCATED; IT WAS APPARENT THAT I MAY HAVE FLOWN NEAR; BUT NOT OVER HER HOUSE. 4. IF; AT THE POINT OF NEAREST APCH TO HER HOUSE; I WAS BELOW 500 FT AGL; IT WAS BECAUSE THE HORIZ SPD ABOVE THE TREES AND MY DELIBERATE CLB PRECLUDED MY CLBING FASTER WITHOUT UNNECESSARILY OVERHEATING THE BALLOON. RECOMMENDATION: 1. PRESENT BALLOON FEDERATION OF AMERICA EFFORTS TO HAVE MSA RULES FOR BALLOONS CHANGED TO RULES MORE SIMILAR TO THOSE FOR HELIS SHOULD RESULT IN THE DESIRED CHANGES. PRESENT RULES ARE UNREALISTIC AND LEND UNNECESSARY CREDIBILITY TO UNREASONABLE 'LOW FLYING' RPTS. 2. FAA INSPECTORS SHOULD GIVE GREATER WT TO PLT; NOT GND OBSERVER RPTS.