Closing date for the March 2025 issue (No 455) is 27th February 2025
Latest Issue
Issue 454: February 2025
Although 2025 started with a welcome “Flyable Icicle Refrozen” meet – just one slot on Saturday AM (4th Jan) – the rest of the month has been dull, windy with any calm spells spoilt by soggy fields. Those venturing over the channel have fared much better at Filzmoos, Pfronten, Germany, Chateau d’Oex and Mondovi from reports received.
A number of sales from the List have been reported during the month including envelopes LTL 31 G-HEAL, Thunder Ax3-21 Chariot G-NEIL and Kubicek BB372 F-HHBB. Also gone are David Usill’s Land Rover Defender (Kim’s is still for sale ….!) and an ancient Thunder Chariot frame.
Already announced on Stop Press there is a price reduction for Cameron TR-70 envelope G-CILO in this List and a new ad for another low houred package, Cameron Z-90 G-CIUB.
We have had several enquiries for fan cages during January. Zebedee only has a few second hand ‘halves’ so we direct enquiries to Mike Webb who has his ad in ‘Other’ for new cages that were produced by LTL, but like all mix and match fan items will probably take some engineering skills to fit to the huge array of different models out there …. Mike’s email address has changed this issue and his phone number added.
One dismaying CAA ‘consultation’ which came to my attention this weekend, thereby missing the deadline to reply, concerns the wish to allow drones to fly in open airspace without notification, requiring everyone else to have ‘conspicuity’ – i.e. a transponder type device to transmit their position and altitude. I only hope that the BBAC committee had seen this and responded – especially as balloons probably spend more time at low level, flying from (& to) random locations than any other form of flying and apart from a radio and/or a mobile phone have no electrical power on board. Also any device developed needs to be adaptable enough for a pilot to use it in a variety of balloons without formal “installation paperwork”.
Forthcoming events include the BBAC Engineers Symposium on 15th February at Greens Norton Community Centre at Towcester NN12 8BL. Following the write up by Chris Dunkley and myself re new inspectors/maintainers last year a number of enquiries were received from prospective inspectors. This event should be your starting point … ! Entry is free but you need to tell Lindsay Muir (cto@bbac.org) that you are attending.
The BBAC AGM and Members’ Day is on Saturday 8th March again at Greens Norton. Come and have a say, attend various lectures and visit the Zebedee stand ….!
Time for bed said Zebedee!
For several months we have been contemplating the future for our business, as has Chris Dunkley at Easy Balloons. Don’t panic! No immediate changes are planned, but being realistic the next few years will see us winding down and we thought we should spell out some timely truths and maybe encourage some youngsters into balloon maintenance & repair.
We have written a joint statement which we hope will trigger both business enterprise and some thoughts as to how you can ease the pain of your next repair …..
Scam Warning
WARNING!
We have been alerted by two of our advertisers to a scam which is currently doing the rounds. In each case the potential buyer agrees to buy an item and then sends a cheque in payment. However the cheque is for more than the asking price of the item. The ‘buyer’ then asks the seller to refund the difference. Because it sometimes takes a week or more for the bank to process a cheque, it can be some time before the seller realises the cheque has bounced.
We have heard of 4 advertisers who have received enquiries in the past week for equipment. They all involve a complicated routine involving (international) cheques and the fact that the enquirer is on honeymoon… beware !