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Balloon ride over Warwickshire, Part 2

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by
John
on 7th May 2012 at 04:07 PM (1552 Views)
We headed away from Stratford and a second balloon which took off at the same time climbed a little higher so was carried away from us due to the different wind direction at different heights. We later climbed above it to change direction.



We eventually climbed to over 1,000 feet so had a good view over the surrounding countryside without things being too small. Here's Bidford on the river Avon.



and some crops in the fields. It wasn't easy to see what was growing except for the wide expanses of yellow rape flowers.



Most of the time we were airborn we were under cloud but could see the edge of the cloud to the west. Just before we landed we came out from under the edge.



The pilot had identified a campsite as a good landing point, but it was next to a hill and this caused the wind direction to change carrying us over a field of crops so we ascended again until we spotted the empty paddock above (with a powerline in front of it). So we flew over the cables and then came down in the paddock and made the gentlest landing imaginable despite all being braced for a heavy landing. The basket stayed upright and two passengers got out and took a halyard attached to the top of the balloon out to the far side of the paddock to pull the balloon down as the top was opened to let out the remaining hot air.



When the balloon had collapsed it was detached from the basket. The crew who had assembled the balloon had stayed in radio contact and followed us in convoy with the families of the passengers who had come along. They arrived after about 20 minutes and helped us finish packing up the balloon whilst one of them went to look for the owner of the paddock to check it was OK to take a Landy in to pick up the basket and balloon. They were agreeable so everything was packed up and we were driven back to Stratford to our waiting cars.







There was a camera rig hanging from the balloon which was used to take a group photo during the flight (and we will get prints in due course), but apart from that most of the pictures whilst in flight are those taken from the balloon so there are no other pictures of us in the balloon or our balloon ride in flight. To fully document a balloon ride, I suppose we should have had someone on the ground to follow us.



But I would rather be in the balloon.

We were impressed by the good orgnisation of the whole experience. Our experienced pilot, John, was knowledgeable and and kept up an entertaining commentary. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The company we booked with was Wicker's World and the balloon was supplied by Heart of England Balloons.

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Updated 8th May 2012 at 11:26 AM by John

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  1. Steve - 7th May 2012 09:47 PM
    Steve's Avatar
    John,

    Great to hear all about that, and many thanks for telling/showing us.

    A few instant thoughts...

    If you ever wanted to do this again with ukexpert involvement we'd be happy to attend one of these flights and help towards costs and meals afterwards and so on.

    We have a lot of photos on ukexpert from the Albuquerque New Mexico Balloon Festival that takes place each year. A truly massive event with lots going on. Also there is the chance to perhaps take to the air there if you wanted to...though there is lots to see and do without that. If you ever fancy it then a meet based around that event would you'd think be likely.

    Last thought... I did wonder about adding the word Crayola to the farm roof in a copy of the colourful fields photo.. and then adding a caption of something like "Crayola crayon farm" - the thought made me smile anyway...

    Steve
  2. John - 8th May 2012 11:23 AM
    John's Avatar
    Steve,

    Before we went I looked around several websites for information on what to wear, cameras, etc and did not really find much. Mostly it was about photographing balloons from the ground so I thought I'd say what it was like to ride in one in case it helps someone else.

    I'm game for another flight -- it would be nice to do one in sunshine . Organising a group event with a balloon flight would be quite tricky as the UK weather is so changeable that they can only tell you if/where you will fly the night before if it is a morning flight and the same day for and evening flight. If the wind direction had been normal (from the south-west) we would not have been flying from Stratford as there are two flight paths (Birmingham and Coventry airports) which are too close. It would probably have been somewhere further south in the Cotswolds. One couple on our flight had been waiting 2 years for the OK, ours was at the 3rd attempt. I don't know if there is an area of the country where the weather is more predictable.

    A balloon festival with a lot of colourful and weird balloons to photograph is really quite different from a commercial balloon ride where you have the experience and see the landscape. I went to a balloon festival in Brussels a few years ago (no camera ). I am not that into ballooning but I would do it again if the opportunity arose.

    There are many the interesting patterns you see from the air at 1,000 feet: plantations, poly-tunnels, sewage works, fields, etc. And you have time to photograph them - we were moving at between 10 and 15 knots. Much better than in an aircraft.

    When I took the helicopter ride over the Victoria Falls we were up against the clock so did not hang around for long taking pictures in any one place.

    John
  3. Mike - 8th May 2012 01:01 PM
    Mike's Avatar
    John,

    It was very interesting to read your account of the balloon ride it very closely mirrors my own experience of a balloon ride I had a few years ago.
    One memory that sticks with me was the peace and quiet and the sense of stillness.
  4. Steve - 8th May 2012 03:34 PM
    Steve's Avatar
    John,

    At the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque they have hundreds of balloons going up at the same time and it is one of the largest events of that type in the World I think. Their Web site is here: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

    There are commercial balloon flights available as part of it all. I probably wouldn't mind going up in one if we could book the whole thing - if it was being fixed in a corner of a 12 person one I would probably watch from the ground...

    In that part of the World there is lots more to see and photograph, from a very neat Zoo to hotels with Telescope setups for photography in areas with total darkness, etc etc.

    My Nephew David is fairly close by.. and he now seems to work in the US space program... or something like that.

    I'm always looking for excuses to go visit...

    I've done the helicopter thing, and small planes.. but not been up in a balloon yet. I guess jumping out of one, with a parachute, could add to the fun...

    Steve
  5. John - 9th May 2012 07:12 AM
    John's Avatar
    Steve,

    The Albuquerque balloon fiesta would certainly be a place to visit some day, but it is during the university teaching term time so off-limits for me. Something to look forward to in retirement perhaps.

    I think the density of passengers is always going to be high for commercial flights to keep the flights profitable and affordable. It's like the airlines with passenger knees against the seats in front in cattle class. Maybe there is the balloon equivalent of business or first class with extra space (and extra cost), but I haven't seen it advertised.

    John
  6. Bob - 9th May 2012 09:35 AM
    Bob's Avatar
    About a quarter of a century ago I used to crew for the Airship & Balloon Company (which later was bought by Richard Branson to become Virgin balloons like the one in your photo).

    I've crewed at events like the Bristol Fiesta and Bentleys and Balloons at Leeds Castle in Kent. And I've flown in a balloon piloted by a friend that lives in Bristol. One mass ascent from there held the European record for a while. I have one shot somewhere where you can count well over a hundred other balloons...

    So it was interesting to read your account from a first flight perspective.

    Surprisingly often, people who have bought a flight get cold feet just before the flight and have needed reassurance. I told them that they won't feel like they are flying - more that the ground just gets smaller They always thanked me after the flight.

    Since those flights in the UK I've flown in quite a few other countries like Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt (several times) and Slovakia. It's a great way to get a different view of places.

    Bob
  7. Steve - 9th May 2012 09:42 AM
    Steve's Avatar
    John,

    I've been to that balloon fiesta several times and others here have too, and any year you can make it I would bring the subject up if you fancy the trip. It can make it very cost effective if we get a large van to drive us all about in and if we help fund some meals and balloon flights etc.

    It can also be a lot of fun, and a great photo opportunity.

    Usually if we do a US trip we just try and make it based around something like this.. but then those going along can go off and do their own things and split and meet as they fancy. It is possible to do the whole trip together or to just do a day or two at the balloon fiesta as a group. Thinking back we've had me, Andy, Bob, Nigel, Jim, Paula, Rich, Dennis, Walter, David, Mike, Buck, and about 10 others plus partners at various US meets - and we've always had a great time.

    Normally we'd fly into Los Angeles with Virgin and do California a little before flying or driving across to New Mexico... perhaps with a stop in Las Vegas if driving.

    We could check out the commercial balloon flight firms at the event but there are so many balloons going up each day, and most with just one or two in them, that I think there could be opportunities to get involved/help out some of those taking part. We might be able to find out who was going over from the UK before the event and contact them here or something if that seemed worthwhile.

    A thought anyway.. and thanks again for sharing the info on your balloon trip.

    Steve
  8. Roger - 9th May 2012 10:52 PM
    Roger's Avatar
    The account reminds me of tracking my daughter as she did a balloon flight a few years ago. On that occasion the balloon landed in a village school yard much to the amusement of the locals!!