AN SMT PLT FOUND SEVERAL HOT AIR BALLOONS STALLED ON THE APCH COURSE TO ICT.

Narrative

I WAS INBOUND TO ICT FROM OMA. THE FLT WAS ROUTINE AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EARLY SUMMER EVENING. ICT WAS CAVU WITH THE SURFACE WIND FROM THE S AT ABOUT 5 KTS. I WAS FLYING A KING AIR C90A. THE APCH CTLR WARNED US THAT NUMEROUS HOT AIR BALLOONS WERE OPERATING IN THE VICINITY. AS I NEARED ICT; I COULD SEE PROBABLY 8-10 OF THEM. SEVERAL HAD DRIFTED ACROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR BOTH RWYS THEN IN USE; RWYS 19L AND 19R. THEY WERE NOT VERY HIGH. PERHAPS 2500 MSL (1200 AGL) AND; IN THE EARLY EVENING BREEZE; QUITE SLOW MOVING. THE BALLOONS WERE SURPRISINGLY HARD TO SEE WITH THE SUN LOWERING IN THE WESTERN SKY. I WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO HEAR THE CTLR SAY TO ANOTHER INBOUND ACFT THAT 'HE COULD NOT PROVIDE SEPARATION (WITH THE BALLOONS) BECAUSE HE COULD NOT SEE THEM ON HIS RADAR. THIS NOT ONLY SURPRISED ME BUT IS THE REASON I AM WRITING THIS LETTER. EVEN SAILBOATS MAKE USE OF SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE PASSIVE RADAR REFLECTORS. IT WOULD AT LEAST SEEM TO MAKE SENSE THAT HOT AIR BALLOONS (BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE AND VERY SLOW SPD) BE REQUIRED TO HAVE SOME PORTION OF THEIR ENVELOPE CONSTRUCTED WITH SOME TYPE OF RADAR-REFLECTIVE FABRIC; A METAL BASKET OR SOME KIND OF RADAR REFLECTIVE DEVICE. THERE WERE 2 BALLOONS ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 19L; WHICH I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON. THEY WERE IN NO WAY DIFFICULT TO AVOID BUT THE THOUGHT OCCURRED TO ME THAT; IN EVEN SLIGHTLY LESS FAVORABLE WX OR A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY; THIS MIGHT POSE A VERY UNPLEASANT HAZARD.