LOW LEVEL CIVIL FLT.

Narrative

I WAS A PROUD PARTICIPANT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON EVENT. THE BALLOON MEISTER AND A FSDO REPRESENTATIVE DECLARED THE WX TO BE GOOD ENOUGH. I FLEW A PAX AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT. WE WERE FLYING LOW OVER A HOME ON APCH TO A FALLOW FIELD. THE HOMEOWNER CALLED UP TO ME; 'YOU'RE FLYING RATHER LOW AREN'T YOU?' I REPLIED 'I'M MAKING AN APCH FOR A LNDG.' THIS SEEMED TO SATISFY THE HOMEOWNER AS THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A HOT AIR BALLOON IN AN ORGANIZED MEET. AN FAA FSDO REPRESENTATIVE WAS ON THE SITE. HE OBSERVED SEVERAL OTHER BALLOONS FLY INTO A LOW OVERCAST; ABOUT 800 FT AGL. THE CONDITIONS OF THE WAIVER THAT WAS ISSUED STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO BALLOON FLTS UNTIL THE WX WAS AT LEAST 1600 FT. STS TWR WAS IN OP; ABOUT 3 MI S OF THE LAUNCH SITE. STS FORWARDED A 1600 FT RPT AND THE BALLOONS WERE LAUNCHED. THE FSDO REPRESENTATIVE WAS UPSET. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING MORE REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR LANDED IN AN EMPTY FIELD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.