The VLBA Calibrator Search for the BeSSeL Survey
  We present the results of a survey of radio continuum sources near the
Galactic plane using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Our observations are
designed to identify compact extragalactic sources of milliarcsecond size that
can be used for parallax measurements in the Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy
Survey. We selected point sources from the NVSS and CORNISH catalogs with flux
densities above 30 mJy and within $1.5\degr$ of known maser targets. Of the
1529 sources observed, 199 were detected. For sources detected on 3 or more
baselines, we determined accurate positions and evaluated their quality as
potential calibrators. Most of the 1330 sources that were not detected with the
VLBA are probably of extragalactic origin.
