After bemoaning the lack of sales last month, October has seen at least 7 envelopes change hands. Amongst these are Robbie Mansfield’s Concept 70, Alan Hall’s Colt 77A, Bob Hart’s 120, Marc Wolff’s Viva 77 and Zebedee’s Z-145 G-CETK. Plenty of smaller items moved too including several fans, a 275 bottom end, a couple of trailers and several item from ‘Other’. Then in the nick of time before going to press, we hear that Karl (Mucky) Ludwig’s airship has also found a new home.
This issue has just one envelope joining the List – G-VALZ, a Cameron N-120, ‘Ladybird’ colours but sadly which has failed a grab test on the ripstop below the substantial Hyperlast top. Probably no economic to repair under EASA and being a 120, too big to downrate.
Despite the lack of new envelopes, Zebedee brings you a whole host of smaller items this time – burner frames, refuelling hose with filter, Lewmar quick release, a tether rope and our first ‘used’ 8.33 kHz handheld radio. This Yaesu is the ‘upmarket’ FTA-550 and at £175 represents a good saving on the new price. This issue also offers any aspiring photographers out there the opportunity for a holiday in California helping out at Sunrise Balloons. See the Ballooning Holidays section for details.
Whilst on radios we have “bitten the bullet” on the old 25 kHz radios languishing in our store. Most of these require new batteries but we have tested the radios on transmit and receive using car power and offer them at £25 or £30 to hopefully find a market outside EASA-land. An ICOM A2 and a pair of A3Es are listed this time with more to come ….
David Chipping has corrected us on his airship ad in the last issue. The £20,000 price tag includes the cylinders, with a revised figure of £10,000 without cylinders.
The UK One Man Meet, despite a dreadful forecast turned up a calm, if grey Saturday 12th October and 18 balloons flew at Tenbury Wells including one tether only and one a “bit big” for one man! Well done John and Wendy for a well organised event in lovely flying country.
The British Balloon Museum & Library’s AGM and luncheon took place at a new venue for this event – at the Icicle Refrozen base of Donnington Grove Hotel, Newbury. Despite a slow start the numbers attending picked up to a record for recent years and the Museum raised valuable funds. Well done to organiser Jenni d’Alton. The BBML also announced that its next biennial Inflation Day will again be at Lakeside Lodge, Pidley, Cambs on Saturday 25th April 2020.