A very warm welcome to you and thanks for visiting our site. We are mainly being a Part M Subpart thingymagig attempting to unravel the nonsense EASA regulations concerning Hot Air balloons that increasingly get our goat, but hey, ballooning can still be fun and so best foot forward, this site is more about our great customers, our adventures and the things enjoyed. If none of that makes sense that is great. We hope you enjoy the site and find a thing or two to chuckle about. Of course, if you need some quick reference stuff to complete the myriad of forms that inflict flying then down the pages side is a heap of stuff that we try and keep up to date. The news is mainly about the various competitions and challenges that are currently underway and, as we write this, we understand Von Trappe is on hold to zip across the Atlantic in a blow up boat under a rake of cluster balloons. We wish him well. We understand also that the Swatch has finally got airborne. I managed to get out to Italy to do a check flight and I took the Ventimiglia to Cuneo railway, more later. We currently have the smelly Bluebird Balloon in the workshop, not sure why but the sooner it goes the better! In the meantime seems Phil the France has taken to parking the Chateau on the main road. Its France so who cares! Nice one.
Articles wise there is a bit about our Barry’s Moto Guzzi, mainly because we keep mentioning it and falling over it in equal quantities. Joe Philp’s funeral was held on the 4th September in Cornwall. It was a lovely day despite the circumstances and I reckon we did him proud. John Armstrong (of Headland Hotel fame) read a wonderful Eulogy which has been adopted as Joe’s Obituary. Always one for a laugh, Up up & Away was played in the church during the Internment much to the merriment of all. A raft of Old and Rusties turned up and all the champagne was dutifully drunk. With the weather being fine time has whizzed by and, not enjoying being indoors anyway, when the sun is out so am I so nearly a month has flown by and a few articles remain unfinished. I will endeavour to put that right with every raindrop! Our John is away on his hols from 17-25 September so be careful out there or if needles are required please give Pete Bish a call. Inspections and all other repairs continue to be business as usual.
The roundtoit barn is now full. The turbo for Bazzer’s Colorado has returned all lovely and shiny and hopefully between showers we’ll get it back together. Be nice to get rid of the cylinder head from my bench! I’m expecting quite a bit of smoke initially as a result of the liberal dosing of oil over everything when we fire it up. Camera ready!!! I’ve been lucky and, once again, had a treat sailing down the Thames from Walton-on-Thames to Weybridge with Jane’s dad (Dunkirk Veteran) on the Little Ships Flotilla. We went down on Margo II and returned with our old friends Alan and Ann aboard RIIS I who managed to outrun the storm clouds. My hero, Prince Michael of Kent, came along as well and tucked into shepherd’s pie, tinned carrots and peas along with everyone else at the Weybridge Yatch Club. Sadly the Torpedo Boat didn’t attend this year so I didn’t get around to signing up as crew. It is in London this week so I may take a swift train ride into town! Best not write anymore or it will turn into an article which it will later of course. Thanks again for visiting please wander round click on this and that and enjoy the site. If we can be of help or assistance please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
Best regards Chris, Jane, John and Alice.