Top Gun History

BFA and HACD

administrator2023-02-13T19:07:15-07:00Coordinated by Mark Sullivan, Top Gun was founded in 1986 in Albuquerque, New Mexico which is the hot air balloon capital of the World.  The club was incorporated in 1987 as a 501 (c) 3 educational organization with the purpose of helping balloon pilots improve their skills through education and the sport of friendly competition. Top Gun has scheduled, and in most months held, monthly sanctioned flying events for its members since January, 1986.

Our members are encouraged to also be members of  the BFA Hot Air Competition Division (BFA/HACD). Inside the BFA HACD Top Gun has always accounted for almost one half of all tasks run on an annual basis. The BFA HACD accepts our scores for entry into their National Eligibility List, as long as we have at least 6 HACD members participating in any of our flying events. The NEL is utilized to determine who is invited to participate in US Nationals and to ultimately qualify for the World Hot Air Balloon Competition.