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As I speak a baloon is................

just passing over Banstead at about 1000', the extreme South East corner of the London TMA. It is the "SKY" baloon and is 'on course' to overfly Biggin I reckon.

How it managed to traverse the middle of the Gatwick and London zones I have no idea, but I take my hats of to them.

A little surprising at this time of day in this area I must say.

IFR,

What makes you think it went though Gatwick/Heathrow zones? I live not far from Banstead, and I'd have thought that they should be able to make full use of Mig alley on the routing that you describe.

S

...at least now we know how our moderator got his handle :p

Did you deliberately set out to mis-understand me? ;)

I said that they traversed the MIDDLE of the two zones - where they were legal.

What was odd to me was that at times it is 'difficult' for normal traffic to keep to the rules through the alley! That a baloon did it was very surprising, since they cannot steer except by changing levels. See!

IFR,

My appologies, completely ommited the 'between' word.

Now, where is that cane, I need a thousand lashes, and write out a million times - RTFQ.

Regards

S

Only a few weeks ago I noticed 2 hot air baloons over London, very early on a sat morning, about 0600ish heading say, in a south-easterly direction(hard to tell from where i was) and they 'flew' right accross the approach to Heathrow at about '1000ft. From where i was(sat at Blackfrairs for a while then set off down towards Croydon/Brighton) they looked like they were just beyond the Eye/Houses of parliment heading towards Croydon. I also noticed that aircraft were stacking up in the various holds east of London and nothing was going in. This must have lasted a good 20 mins or so untill i eventually lost sight of them. Usually a good stream of traffic heading into Heathrow but everything stopped whilst these baloons made their way south. I was on the mobile talking to a controller i know who said they have priority over everything. I wonder how much they cost the airlines....... :eek: