Tips for Your First Hot Air Balloon Ride

 

First Hot Air Balloon Ride
Image: rohrballoons.com

Financial professional Roger Stadtmueller serves Stadtmueller & Associates, P.S., as a certified public accountant and the firm’s managing director. Earlier in his career, Roger Stadtmueller founded American Hot Airlines, which offered hot air balloon rides in Spokane and Seattle. Here are some tips for those preparing for their first hot air balloon ride.

1. Choose appropriate clothing. Wear comfortable sneakers or boots alongside high socks, as there is a possibility the balloon will land in a field. Further, a hat will protect you from the heat of both the sun and the balloon’s burner.

2. Be patient. Flight dates will often change depending on the weather forecast, meaning you need to exercise patience on occasion. While it is frustrating to have a flight canceled at short notice, understand that safety is always a priority.

3. Protect your belongings. Tether any loose items, such as wallets and sunglasses, to your body or secure them in pockets. Retrieval is unlikely should you drop anything out of the basket.

4. Visit the restroom. There are no bathrooms in a hot air balloon so visit a restroom immediately before your flight to ensure total comfort.Financial professional Roger Stadtmueller serves Stadtmueller & Associates, P.S., as a certified public accountant and the firm’s managing director. Earlier in his career, Roger Stadtmueller founded American Hot Airlines, which offered hot air balloon rides in Spokane and Seattle. Here are some tips for those preparing for their first hot air balloon ride.

1. Choose appropriate clothing. Wear comfortable sneakers or boots alongside high socks, as there is a possibility the balloon will land in a field. Further, a hat will protect you from the heat of both the sun and the balloon’s burner.

2. Be patient. Flight dates will often change depending on the weather forecast, meaning you need to exercise patience on occasion. While it is frustrating to have a flight canceled at short notice, understand that safety is always a priority.

3. Protect your belongings. Tether any loose items, such as wallets and sunglasses, to your body or secure them in pockets. Retrieval is unlikely should you drop anything out of the basket.

4. Visit the restroom. There are no bathrooms in a hot air balloon so visit a restroom immediately before your flight to ensure total comfort.

Some of the Best Golf Courses to Play in Washington State

 

Salish Cliffs
Image: salish-cliffs.com

A resident of Spokane, Washington, Roger Stadtmueller provides accountancy services through his CPA firm Stadtmueller & Associates, PS. When he has free time, Roger Stadtmueller enjoys playing golf. Luckily, Washington is home to a number of excellent golf courses.

Chambers Bay is perhaps the most popular course in the state and for good reason. Golfers can relish breathtaking views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains while savoring one of the most unique courses in the country.

Another popular choice, Salish Cliffs is one of the state’s newest courses. Characterized by beautiful bunkers and varied play, some of the course’s holes require an aggressive approach, whereas others necessitate prudence.

Sometimes overshadowed in popularity by Chambers Bay, The Home Course qualifies as one of the state’s best courses. Designed by John Fought, The Home Course features massive greens and rolling fairways. The course gets its name from the fact that it marks the headquarters of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association.

Washington golfers also laud Wine Valley, a course know for its creative designs, as well as wild curves in both fairways and greens that keep people on their toes. Course architect Dan Hixson took inspiration from links courses and created a minimalistic, but challenging, experience for golfers.

Saving Money during a Trip to Disneyland

 

Disneyland
Image: disneydose.com

The past president of American Hot Airlines and a former flight instructor with the Hangar Flying Club, Roger Stadtmueller manages his own CPA firm in Spokane, Washington. In his free time, Roger Stadtmueller enjoys traveling, and he is particularly fond of visiting Disneyland.

Visiting any Disney park can be an expensive experience, but there are several ways you can save money when taking a trip to Disneyland, including:

– Obtaining an annual passport. Disneyland’s annual passports provide discounts on a variety of merchandise, along with park-hopper access, which grants you the ability to go to both Disneyland and California Adventure. If you plan on going several times a year, a passport can be worth the investment.

– Checking Disneyland packages. By purchasing a Disney package, you save money on tickets and hotel prices. Many packages also come with exclusive bonuses to add further value. You can choose between several Disneyland packages depending on the time of year and length of your trip to ensure you get the most value for your money. These packages are offered by Disney, but available through numerous companies and websites.

– Making a souvenir budget. Buying souvenirs while at a Disney park is often part of the vacation experience, but you may find that some items are cheaper outside of the park. This is especially true of such things as autograph books. You can easily make your own or buy a cheap one to save a bit of money. Further, make sure you set a souvenir budget for items you must get in the park to prevent overspending.

Beechcraft Baron Aircraft Today Comes in Two Basic Types

Beechcraft Baron
Image: aopa.org

Roger Stadtmueller is the managing partner of Spokane-based Stadtmueller & Associates, where he is responsible for overseeing the firm’s operations and preparing individual and corporate tax returns. A former licensed flight instructor, Roger Stadtmueller enjoys flying his twin engine Beechcraft Baron in his time of leisure.

First introduced in 1961 by the Beech Aircraft Corporation, the Beechcraft Baron generally sells for as much as $1.4 million brand new, but older versions of the aircraft can be purchased from sellers for as low as $500,000. Considered one of the preeminent light aircrafts, its sale price is relatively cheap compared to bigger, faster, turbine-powered planes.

Though there are several sub-types of the Baron, the aircraft comes in two basic types: the long-body Baron 58 and the short-body Baron 55. The Baron 58 was first introduced in 1970 with a more powerful engine and club seats. Its gross weight varies from 5,400-5,500 pounds, and it can travel upwards of 370 kilometers per hour at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Improvements and industry-standard changes have been made over the years, and while turbocharged versions of the Baron 58 were discontinued in 1985, the regular Baron 58 remains in production today. Textron Aviation out of Wichita, Kansas, is selling a 2017 model for $1,436,210.