AAAA PAD
AAAA PAD is a database of AAAA pilots and their balloons. It contains all the documents needed to register for most flying events. It is designed to streamline the collection of these documents for both the pilot and AAAA as well as making signing in at events simpler and reporting to the FAA more accurate.
Instructions
- Head over to https://bit.ly/AAAAPAD.
Once there, you’ll want to bookmark the site, as you’ll come back to this site every time you have a new or updated document. - Select if this is a new (first time) entry, or if you’re updating existing documents.
If this is a new entry, you’ll be asked to upload all of your documents. Don’t worry if you don’t have them all. Upload what you have, then come back later, choose “update” and upload the remaining documents.
If you choose update, you’ll be prompted to select which documents you are planning to upload. You’ll then see the fields to upload those documents. Note you can toggle the document selection at anytime, to add or delete what you are uploading. - There are some text fields that need to be filled out each time. They are marked with a red asterisk (*). These fields are used to make sure we connect your documents to you.
- You’ll then have to answer the question about whether you wish to share your documents or document status with other organizations. If you answer “Yes”, you’ll be give a list of organizations that we are working with, or anticipate working with. Choose the organization and type of sharing you are granting permission to share. Documents means we’ll send a copy of the document you’ve uploaded. Document status means we’ll send a text listing of the status of your documents. This is very similar to the status document you will receive each month just before a Flying Event, and after each time you upload something to AAAA PAD.
- Once you have uploaded everything, sign the waiver box, and the LOA box if you want, and click on Submit.
- We’ll get a notification that you have uploaded documents. Usually within 48 hours, we’ll process your information. You’ll know we have done that, because you’ll get an email with your new document status when it’s processed. The email comes from AAAA PAD (video@hotairballooning.org). Sometimes this email goes to junk or spam folders so look there if you don’t get it in a couple of days.
- You’ll get a similar email about a week before each month’s Flying Event. It will have information about the upcoming event, and the status of your documents. If you need to upload something new, please do it before 5pm on the Friday before the event. That gives us time to process the documents before the event.
WE CANNOT PROCESS DOCUMENTS THE MORNING OF THE EVENT!
Document upload tips
You should prepare your documents in advance. The best option is to lay them out, and take pictures with your cell phone. This is easier than scanning, and provides a higher quality image. It also puts it in an image format vs PDF. While we’ll take the PDF versions, it’s an extra step on our part to enter the document into PAD. For your insurance document, RPS provides a nice proof of insurance page that works perfectly. That’s all we need. If you use another company, take a picture of the page of the policy that shows the company, your name, policy number and expiration date. Please don’t send us the Quote page, the receipt of payment, or the entire policy.
Your Badge
When you enter your information into AAAA PAD the first time, we’ll also email you a pilot “badge”. This badge has a picture of your and your balloons, if you uploaded them, as well as a QR code. This code contains no personalized information, just an internal link in our PAD database. You’ll show this badge to the scanning person to “sign-in” at flying events. It also displays your AAAA membership and LOA status if appropriate. And if you uploaded more than one balloon, we ask you to designate a “primary” balloon which will show up on your badge. You can still fly any balloon registered with PAD to you. We’ll just ask you the N number of the balloon you are flying at that event.
We suggest you save the badge somewhere easy to find on your phone. Maybe an album in your photos or gallery. You can also print it. Your choice.
Got more questions? Head to the AAAA PAD FAQ page!