Our apologies for a late List this month – your scribes have both been travelling and business has been brisk!
5 envelopes and 2 complete balloons exit the List for July, along with a good selection of baskets, burners and smaller items in ‘Other’.
In this month comes a complete UM MV-65C, 180 & 65/77 sized bottom ends, 5hp fan, bulk tank currently situated in Yorkshire (see Refuelling Kit), and a pilot’s job in Australia. New from Zebedee is a ‘heavy duty’ version of Paulo Bonanno’s quick release designed for the larger loads of public transport balloons. Also a used Cameron burner bag and early LBL quick release. All these appear in ‘Other’. Added to which we have a last minute advert for a complete, very pretty Cameron 90 which we are sure will find a new home quickly.
Quite how the shock result of the EU referendum will affect us is as yet unknown. A large proportion of our current business and many of our ballooning friends are EU based. The drop in the pound’s value against (particularly) the Euro will help us in the short term but what will come out of the UK’s current political upheaval is difficult to see ….
We have been asked to plug two forthcoming balloon meets – one the Wales International Balloon Festival at Llangollen on 17th & 18th September see www.walesinternationalballoonfestival.co.uk and the dates for the 2017 Icicle Refrozen Balloon Meet are set for the 7th & 8th January at Donnington Grove Hotel & Country Club, Newbury. Let’s hope the weather behaves better than it did this year at the new venue. The Icicle Refrozen website will be up and running around the beginning of September with full details.
Finally, sad news in today is that Geoff Green, former Cathay Pacific Captain (seniority #1 in later years!) , DH Moth owner and pilot, Radio Ham (formerly VS6DA) and Hong Kong balloonist died late last month. Geoff, originally from Newbury was the driving force behind the HK BBAC, getting sponsorship from Cathay and many other companies in the then British colony, from the mid 1970s onwards. It was Geoff’s enthusiasm that achieved free flying in this the most unlikely of venues (the first on 22.11.75) together with a lot of tethering! He was a powerhouse of energy in those days, flying over Mt Fuji, dropping hang gliders, breaking records but still able to provide hospitality to any of us of like minds passing through dear old Kai Tak …. He once achieved all 3 flying disciplines in one day – into Gatwick as B747 Capt early morning, Tiger Moth by lunchtime & ballooning in the evening. Now that is keen!!
On retirement, Geoff lived near Bath with wife Sheena but after her death married and moved close to Northam, Western Australia – scene of much of his record breaking in earlier years. Condolences to Margaret, herself originally from Newbury. Ballooning has lost an enthusiast …