hot air balloons

[green granite]

Can someone please tell me why for last and this week end we have had a constant procession of hot air balloons here in North Beds?

[vanHorck]

suitable Met conditions?

[green granite]

Possibly.
One of them appeared to do a touch and go in a field of stubble :confused:

[NJTCF]

Dont Know if Connected but there was something Going of At Sackville Lodge Farm Beds This weekend to Do with Hot Air Balloons. Its North of Bedford In the Village of Riseley. They Have There Own Webbsite.:ok:

Mass Balloon Ascent!!! They Were Expecting 100+

www.sackvilleflyingclub.co.uk (http://www.sackvilleflyingclub.co.uk)

Look Up Events it Mentions it there.

Cheers njtcf.

[FlyEJF]

Yes I spoke to someone who lives at Sackville Lodge Farm today and they said that there had been loads of Balloons taking off today. I saw a Red Balloon land just outside Bromham, under Cranfield's instrument approach.

Ed

[GyroSteve]

One of them appeared to do a touch and go in a field of stubble http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/confused.gif



... well, it's kind of hard to do circuits in a balloon, so doing a touch and go is a normal way of teaching how to land (as in most aircraft), and where better to do it than a stubble field??

[Cusco]

Or maybe the retrieve crew (who go ahead and seek permission to land from landowner once the balloon pilot has chosen a field) had been denied landing permission and the captain had no option to go off somewhere else to land.

Friend of mine does commercial flights and I have been called in at last minute as ballast: he says (in E Anglia at least) that's its extremely rare to be denied landing permission however.

I've alsa been in a balloon which had to take off again after landing when it landed in a locked and secured gravel pit and the landie + trailer couldn't get in.

Cusco

[green granite]

Dont Know if Connected but there was something Going of At Sackville Lodge Farm Beds This weekend to Do with Hot Air Balloons. Its North of Bedford In the Village of Riseley. They Have There Own Webbsite

:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh: It would appear that us villagers are the last to know what is going on. It would explain why they are so low here (I can't quite see the strip as there are trees in the way.)

TNJTCF thank you, PPruNe to the rescue again.

[S-Works]

It would appear that us villagers are the last to know what is going on. It would explain why they are so low here (I can't quite see the strip as there are trees in the way.)

Just out of interest, why do you villagers NEED to know? They don't need your permission and I bet you don't go and ask permission to get your lawnmower out on a Sunday or whatever else you do to float your boat.

Not to say that I am a little surprised that you did not know, perhaps they did not do enough to publicise the event.

[rauxaman]

>>One of them appeared to do a touch and go in a field of stubble <<<

The one time I had a go at flying a hot air balloon I was suprised at the time lag between pulling the handle to activate the burners to actually getting any lift... the pilot really does need to think and plan well ahead... I scraped our a**ses along a couple of fields before getting the hang of it and vividly rememeber looking into the oak tree as we passed by!!!!

[green granite]

Just out of interest, why do you villagers NEED to know?

They don't, but usually in a smallish village such as ours events of that nature get into the news letter, or spread about by word of mouth, perhaps I need to get down the pub more. Besides it's nice to know what is going on. :ok:

[deltayankee]

Friend of mine does commercial flights and I have been called in at last minute as ballast


Gosh, better make sure that this is a real friend. Isn't the ballast the stuff you chuck over the side when you need emergency lift? In the old days they used sand, but I suppose it must be too expensive now. :)

[Cusco]

:):):):rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::D:ugh:

[Vone Rotate]

Can I ask probably a couple of really daft questions regarding hot air balloons???

They go where the wind takes them which is fine.....

1) How do they get round airfields and restricted areas? (I'm guessing no steering just 'more hot air up...open some flaps and down you go'

2) When they land surely it must always be on some farmers (or anyone's for that matter) land. In this day and age how do they get away with landing on private property??

I admit to never gone up in one so probably a couple of really dumb questions there alway wondered though!!:ok:

[stiknruda]

When they land surely it must always be on some farmers (or anyone's for that matter) land. In this day and age how do they get away with landing on private property??


I would be interested to know the "protocol" behind this, too! Had a large commercial basket, CPL(B) and 12 pax pitch up on my stubble field on Sat eve. Nearest field to the house!

I walked down, mentioning to the current Mrs Stik that I am sure I'd read that a bottle of bubbly was the generally accepted landing offering. Nothing was mentioned. Five minutes later, 2 support vehicles - minibus for the SLF and a Landi w/ trailer for the balloon raced up my drive. The drive is 1/2 a mile long and quite clearly marked Private.

No big deal as we are both very air-minded but would be good to know what constitutes the norm!

Stik

[FlyEJF]

Yes Vone Rotate I have also been wondering how they deal with restricted areas, danger areas and controlled airspace. I know nothing about ballooning so can someone enlighten me please. Do they carry VHF comms radio? I guess a lot of it is done in the planning stage and down to relying on the predicted wind vector. You would be stupid if the wind is 350/10 and you launched just north of the London CTR.

Ed

[Cusco]

According to my mate (CPL/B) it is reasonably easy to nominate a landing field 10 minutes out.

He then calls the field (using O.S Landranger maps which give farm names etc) to ground crew who then try to identify relevant farmhouse. Or go direct as they know E Anglia very well. While the balloon is still in the air permission is almost always gained and the balloon lands. Landie(12 seater-no minibus required) + trailer then goes to landing field by route nominated by landowner (or safest route if landowner is out).

Bottle of plonk changes hands and voucher offering reduction in a balloon flight given to landowner.

My mate always aims to land in stubble or pasture and has never (no never) landed in standing crops.

Pax are urged to assist in collapsing(three get out while rest remain in basket to prevent lift off), pull the envelope over , then rest get out and assist in wrapping up envelopeand lifting end of basket so trailer can 'back it on' : Sorted in 15 mins then short drive off private land to public lane before celebratory bubbly.

Totally professional, completely respectful of private property and as I've said before he's never been refused landing permission.

Stik: you're not suggesting no-one at all can pass your 'private' sign to get to your house, are you?

Cusco

[Vone Rotate]

Cusco,

What do they do if the wind blows them into controlled airspace or ATZ etc or more to the point how do they avoid them in the first place??

By the way not anti ballooning at all, just interested!

[Nipper2]

Whenever I see balloons while up flying I am always overcome with a nearly uncontrolable urge to go and cavort around them. No doubt there is something in the ANO to prevent this, so I have always resisted but one day....

[Cusco]

Vone: You can get a pretty accurate weather forecast for ballooning from Met office which will give wind velocity : This then indicates best launch site to avoid flying into CAS in the first place.

Yes they do have VHF comms with a dedicated balloon frequency: tho' it's mainly used to talk to ground crew.

And No they don't show up on radar.

As you know, wind direction veers as you ascend and backs as you descend so a certain amount of directional control can be achieved.

Last week it was pretty still as we launched so first job was to climb to 3000ft to pick up a light northerly to take us away from the town. Once clear we descended for photos etc to about 500-800ft.

Still only covered 5 miles in an hour.

Higher than acceptable winds prevent ballooning but my mate has also scrubbed a flight because of absolute flat calm as he couldn't guarantee getting clear of the town in still air in the time allotted (remember most flights are evening and VFR only, so as the evenings get shorter the time available between punters getting from work to
launch site and SS +30 minutes gets less.)

And we did get a visit by two local microlights as we hung there. More than 500ft away of course.

Great experience: everyone should do it at least once............

Cusco

[flyingpig2303]

Balloons do use a frequency and I have known of pilots that have called them up prior to flying round and waving.

Locally the NFU have an agreement with the commercial balloonists that there should be a standard payment of £20 as a landing fee to the farmer. (used to be a bottle of champagne or a free ticket)Some will just pack up and hope the landowner doesn't ask but others just volunteer. My local farmer has taken £40 from balloons in the past two weeks and donated it to our microlight club charity appeal for Help For Heroes (Justgiving - Hampshire Microlight Club) in case you're interested ;)

Conditions over the past few weeks have been just about perfect for them and we have had them floating over most mornings and evenings. I am told that they have a limited ability to steer by taking advantage of the differing wind directions at different heights but it's all pretty hit and miss. They should be aware if they are heading towards controlled airspace and land before reaching it. This situation is largely avoided by planning and wx forecasts before taking off. It would be a pretty dim balloon pilot that took off 2 miles upwind of controlled airspace with 5 mph breeze and intending a 1/2 hour flight.

:)

dave