Balloon Meets»
In the knick of time ….Grass Roots 2011 (Comments Off)
Organiser Rob Cross gives a low down on the history, organisation and, just when everyone thought it was nearly too late, a report on last years great event. Rob started the Grass Roots event at Sackville Lodge Airfield in 2008 having been heavily influenced by the long-standing Icicle Meet held every January near Hungerford, and ...
Ballooning»
Gyroplanes and Balloons-the Rupert Stanley Mix (Comments Off)
Gyroplanes and Balloons-the Rupert Stanley Mix When it comes to stunning looking balloons, for us, the title has been held for many years, by Rob Cross and Rupert Stanley’s yellow, red and green, ‘Twiglet’. Built in 1992, this very pretty balloon, a Colt 77A registered G-BUJH, has always been a firm favourite with us but ...
Cloudhoppers»
Cloudhoppers! (Comments Off)
Well this is positively weird, I’m being asked to write something about cloudhopppers by a man (Chris Dunkley) who has had more experiences than most in them and who could probably keep you entertained all night with tales from his exploits, and sending it to Barry Conway ( another hopper exponent), who could also write ...
Easy Balloons»
Welcome! May 9th 2012 (Comments Off)
Welcome to Easy Balloons 09.05.12 Hooray, a real welcome this time round to Rosie, Ruby’s the new foal which was born on Saturday 5th at around ninish whilst our Mary was having tea having camped in Frank for a month!! I’m told its called Gem? With all the bad weather we have been having Ruby ...
News»
EB News update 15.05.12 (Comments Off)
EB News update 15.05.12 It has been a bit of a bad few days as far as ballooning has been concerned with two reports coming out on the ballooning accidents in January and the news of a fatal powerline strike in France. Inquest New Years’ Day Balloon Accident Returned The inquest into the tragic deaths ...
Old & Rusty»
Eeesa Vivi – Strange thing in Trev’s shed (Comments Off)
Eeesa Vivi – Strange thing in Trev’s shed So there we were, Trev and me, discussing the merits of investing in old mopeds over a pint of old and filthy. Well I can categorically state that buying an old moped wreck and even getting it running is a bit like stuffing money down a drain ...
Projects»
Robin Batchelor-the hidden bits bite back! (Comments Off)
Many years ago whilst flying from the sadly missed Southampton Balloon and Flower Festival I was asked by Lenny Vaughan, then new to the ‘circuit’, about flying out of shows. I told him, quite seriously, that the take off should be as good as you can get it but the landing didn’t really matter as ...
Random»
The art of leaning (0)
and a late entry…
Technical»
Alice in EASAland – The revised Guide to the Airworthiness Review (Comments Off)
Its over three years now since the Blue Peter Guide heralded the arrival of that lovely new EASA airworthiness nonsense that we have all now come to love with a passion deeper than the Mariana Trench so here is a bit of an update on the things you need to know in order to make it easier complete the Airworthiness Review Report. Nothing much has changed on the form, however there are some aspects that need a bit of a reminder and some areas where the information supplied is often not quite what was asked for! As this will not necessarily be the first time the balloon (or airship) has had an Airworthiness Revue (Freudian slip), and as some ARC signatories are either training, have more practise than others or may not have a memory capable of going back three years, here is a bit of help. So, pens and paper at the ready and a mug of tea (or bottle of scotch) to hand …. [more]