It’s been about 6 weeks since Beat told me they were changing their logo, that the balloon I’d been so proud, so excited, to finally be able to fly, that was the basis for a project that would give me the life I craved, is nothing now but an embarrassing failure. That all those who …
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Having been working my way through the list of “promised flights” has meant that it’s been over a year since I last flew with Woody and considering that we used to do so much flying together in Lambert Smith Hampton 3 (G-CDYL) that is an amazing fact! Also, with the wind so predominantly coming from …
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Note: This video has no sound I love strapping GoPro action cameras to my balloons when I fly. I love the post-flight challenge of creating timelapse videos that encapsulate the spirit and emotion of the flights I’ve flown, as well as, allowing all those involved to relive the memories and experiences. One problem though is …
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I’m sure I’ve written before about how I don’t really like to promise my friends balloon flights. It’s not that I’m anti-social and don’t want to fly with other people, it’s just that I hate saying to people “of course you can have a flight” and then letting days, weeks, months even, go by with …
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Less than 12 hours after the maiden flight of the Beat hopper, with the weather again perfect for flying, and still buzzing from the night before, it was back to a launch site for another flight. This time it would be a more private flight, the only balloon launching into the air, although this time …
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After the Beat Hopper – G-ISOB – was launched at Norwich Cathedral I have been trying to come up with somewhere special to take off from for its maiden flight. It seemed somehow wrong to simply fly from my local recreation ground, or the field behind the pub, that I use every time I fly …
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Hot air balloonists usually arrange the use of a handful of local launch sites from which they can fly, allowing them to plan flights that avoid any problematic areas – like controlled airspace or dense pastoral farming – to enjoy the relaxed time in the air. I have 3 regular launch sites – in Streatley, …
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Hot air balloons work by trapping a bubble of hot air inside the fabric envelope. In very simple terms, the larger the bubble the more weight you can then carry; whilst the hotter the bubble (compared to the external air temperature) the faster the balloon will climb. This means that once you’ve sewn the balloon …
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I’ve written before about how, as the holder of a commercial pilot’s licence, I have to undertake a competency flight test with an examiner if I wish to earn money from flying. Over the last few years, however, my battle with anorexia has meant that I haven’t flown much, and what little flying I have …
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Good or bad, an old boys club with closed doors or a tight-knit community of like-minded adventurers, hot air ballooning is the preserve of a small minority of people. This minority means that, whether proceed by reputation or rumour, simple acquaintance or long-lasting friendship, everybody seems to know everyone and, more often than not, will …
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