The balloons were launched from Marsh Beenham mainly operated by a few BEA copilots who were sponsored by some agricultural companies; second jobs as our pay was rubbish in the early/mid 70s. With predominantly westerly airflows they drifted towards Greenham common.
For about a year, 1977?, there was a massive increase in F111 traffic when their base was being resurfaced; great as their downwind leg took them over our thatched cottage. Noise not a problem as our previous abode was where the Tridents set climb power at the end of their Noise abatement SID but my kite flying took a step back - the pelham/penguin book of kites had been published and amongst my creations was a Cody box kite (stacked and used in the American civil war for artillery spotting) whose string broke after I let out a couple of thousand feet.