Balloon Meets 
Classic weather for Classical Music – Leeds Castle is back
Leeds Castle in Kent has been the scene of many a wonderful balloon meet over the years so the announcement by Jem Ballooning’s James McDonald had been asked to organise a bit of a Flyout and Night Glow to accompany Leeds Castle Classical Concert on July 12th was warmly received with ten pilots booking into… Read More ›
Little (and Large) Solo Meet 2014
Little (and Large) Solo Meet 2014 is a HUGE Success… By Dave Such, Event Director The idea behind the first Little (and Large) Solo Meet was conceived while I was attending the Ultramagic UK Grass Roots Balloon Meet last September at Sackville Lodge with my Ultramagic H-42 G-OOCH that I fly with a Thunder &… Read More ›
The Not So Little but Quite Large Meet – more like little, large and small
To be honest the name Little and Large Meet although appearing a simple title was a bit confusing until it was explained that you could bring any balloon providing it was flown solo. Naturally that was going to be ignored and as it turned out bigger brethren with the odd passenger (shock horror) crept in… Read More ›
Lovely Doubly Bubbly – A windy day for a wedding
When the Invitation to attend Ian Chadwick’s wedding plopped through the letterbox we were delighted but then checked and realised the date, 26th April, happened to be the same as the BBM&L Inflation Day. This couldn’t be, Mr Chadwick arranging his wedding on the same day as the Balloon Spotter’s Bi-annaul Bonanza? There had to… Read More ›
Dolly Days and Balloons – Black Horse Easter Meet
The Black Horse Pub at Mobwell, Great Missenden, has changed like no other over the past year or so. The food is probably amongst the best in the area, the staff couldn’t be nicer and the pub itself is warm and inviting. It is no surprise then that following a major make-over and under the… Read More ›
Not the Lleap Year/Lleap Year Meet – Lleaping into sunny skies
One of the country’s most secret balloon meets went ahead over the first weekend of March. Tricky to give it a date as it does vary which is why it may be called ‘The Leap/Not The Leap Meet’ where a band of confused folk trot off to a venue in the Hay-on-Wye, Welsh Wales area… Read More ›
Diabolically Good – The 13th Dobbiaco Balloon Meet
Ever wondered where the long distance balloonists go to train prior to jumping in gas balloons and taking part in the Gordon Bennett? As it turns this is a reasonably hard-core Alpine Meet where you can easily get caught out if you don’t know what you are up to or turn up ill-prepared. Better known… Read More ›
Flying Tales from Filzmoos – Rock on Tommy?
Its rare that we ever get the chance to recount a story passed to us over the sewing floor. Hippocratic Oath Rules apply in our workshop but this time our guest and his balloon was more than happy to recount the tale. Fair play to him. Graham Holtam and his intrepid fellow aviator Dave Ling… Read More ›
The Twelfth day of Christmas? – Epiphany in Mondovi
Whilst everybody was busying themselves taking down their Christmas Lights and retrieving the fairy from the top of the tree the rather super little town of Mondovi was doing things slightly differently and holding their Epiphany Meet. If you’ve never flown there or thought Epiphany was ET’s mate you have missed a rare treat. If… Read More ›
Defying the Weather Forecast – Icicle 2014
Well who would have thought it, the Icicle went flyable! Looking back over past years this has to be the most Icicle-that-nearly-wasn’t on more counts than one. Following the loss of the Savernake launchsite Pete Bish really did get the maps out and scoured the area for a new launchsite for most of 2013 clocking… Read More ›