Balloon Meets »
Strange times – The 5th Leap Meet, Feb 2020 – Peter Dowlen reports
I am writing this in strange times, we are in lockdown and, as I sit here in glorious April sunshine, I am reminiscing back to the very last balloon event, held in normal times, in the UK. I am speaking, of course, about the 2020 Leap Meet, held in Llandovery, South Wales, at the end… Read More ›
Technical »
Guide to CBL, T&C, LBL, Sky & Colt Fuel Gauges.
Now here’s a thing. During the Corrie meltdown Bishy of Zebedee fame decided that a Biffa out of his ram-jammed full barn would be a good starting point for something to do. His missus Elaine loved the idea as it got him out the house and Celia thought it divine as a load of old… Read More ›
Random »
The Ridgeway – Finishing the Job
There were four of us did the Ridgeway. Stuart, Nick, Polly and myself along with Simon the Telly on the first day. Now a few days before we started Polly tore a claw out, skylarking in the woods, and was put on R&R so missed the first day. Gutted? We all were apart from Simon… Read More ›
Projects »
Re-kindling the Flames – a ripping yarn
Now before you go thinking that this should have come out before the article on the Joe Philp Fun Day, it should, but couldn’t as the whole thing was top secret. Visitors to the workshop were sworn to secrecy if they twigged what was being mended. Now the event is over we can finally release… Read More ›
News »
News 03.12.2024
~ TCDS and Manual updates
~ Still lurkin – Licensing looking better
~ Winding down at Easy Balloons
~ All change on the ride balloon front
~ Kubicek UK on the move
~ Looming crisis!
~ Aerotegrity – from balloons to spacecraft.
~ BBAC Inspector’s Freebie Day – Open to all
~ Diamond Balloons Approvals
~ New Beginnings is back – bigger and better for 2025
~ FlyDOO launch brilliant balloon simulator
~ Step sideways Cameron’s design page
~ Laser Attacks on the rise
~ Bollix statement of the year award 2024
General »
Dear BBAC-What is it you don’t actually like about the new licence?
Throughout what seems like years, firstly with EASA threatening, then with Brexit and the switch to UK legislation and, apparently getting control of licensing back, then the seriously divisive and complicated consultation on licensing with various interested parties in the BBAC, which nearly brought it to its knees, and beyond, the CAA have been relentlessly… Read More ›
Old & Rusty »
Things to do places to go – The Aston Martin Heritage Trust Museum
Need a winter diversion or somewhere to have a fine breakfast then Steve Roake suggests the Aston Martin Museum a little known hidden place worthy of a visit. The entrance fee is jolly reasonable as well. Aston Martin is a name synonymous with Wendover as Steve Roake explains. Sometimes you come across something which is… Read More ›
Ballooning »
The Spanish Hopper Inquisition – They weren’t expecting that!
Sometime ago we wrote a piece on the Cameron Skyhopper, that oddity with three attachment points and the twistgrip blast valve. Having been slammed about in one under the Shell Unleaded hopper I hadn’t really warmed to it but then again it wasn’t really designed to do drag landings! Having re-visited them over the years,… Read More ›
Easy Balloons »
Welcome 03.12.2024
Good grief hadn’t realised that nothing has been put up since January. I have no idea where the time has gone but do know that so much has been going on I seem to have been severely distracted. Appalling state of affairs on our part but things have been a tad hectic to say the least and ballooning rather too political at all levels. On the home front… [more …]
Cloudhoppers »
Hopping with dinosaurs
Spurred on by a desire to discover when I first flew a Cloudhopper I have found a couple of my missing logbooks whilst sorting out old OS maps and, co-incidently, following a visit to the re-opening of the Oxford University Natural History Museum talk swung to a rather magical and, on the face of it,… Read More ›