Ian Comley’s Viva 90 made a brief visit to ‘Stop Press’ during the month before being sold in the UK. Also sold is Stuart Seager’s long out of service 180, G-CUCU, and long time resident in our List, the Kubicek Tyre Special Shape.
For May we have several new entries under Instruments, some Schroeder VA-50 cylinders – the first of this type we have had to sell at Zebedee and a pilot job available in India. Jim Kettlety is now splitting his G-BOOZ complete balloon, so far only having sold his very neat home made trolley.
Demand for fire blankets thanks to EASA’s Part BOP was such that we (and our suppliers) ran out of stock mid month. This has now been rectified but comes with the inevitable price hike. The Zebedee price with the inverted bag mod from hereon is £25 (inc VAT) plus postage. Orders already in hand will be honoured at the April List price.
Just when you thought it could not get crazier, the next Part BOP (BAS.050) arrives concerning paperwork to be carried on each flight or in the retrieve vehicle. The BBAC April Pilot’s Circular goes through the whole list. The question of course is why? In all my 1400-odd flights made over 46 years I have never been asked for any of it apart from at Balloon Meet check-ins, road borders or at C of A inspection time. Much of it is immediately available to ‘big brother’ on G-INFO. What happened to taking proof of paperwork to the local police station within 7 days as for motoring (which I have had to do once in 49 years!). And then we hear the drum beating hype of “Red tape Challenge” and “EASA Lite”. We are not convinced …..