July proved popular for trading with 2 envelopes, 3 fans and a trailer leaving the List – and Zebedee selling another trailer and a basket before they got into these pages.
New for August is a long stored 1997 special shape, the last of the ‘J&B bottles’ to be built which would seem an attractive proposition for someone wanting a ‘shape’ with low hours.
Moving from ‘Stop Press’ are 3 Duplex CB290 60L useable cylinders from Robin Waite, whilst Russell Bairstow has a hand driven ‘Woggle Pump’ for sale to enable faster refuelling from a bulk tank.
Also new from Zebedee is a Colt C3 in a Cameron frame with liquid pilot lights with new hoses in 2016 and a Form One. Also a pre-owned but unused complete Bonanno quick release kit, set up the “Bonanno” way.
Metz is drawing to a close as this is being written and reports so far indicate plenty of flying, but only a dozen or so UK balloons in attendance. Predictable in the circumstances …..
Finally sad news from the USA is the death of Brian Boland in a bizarre flying accident on July 15th when after being ejected from the basket on landing he got caught on a rope or similar, finally falling to his death from a great height. Brian was the ultimate experimental home-builder of both balloons and airships – and had a huge collection of such devices – and other forms of transport at his home airfield at Post Mills, Vermont. Your scribe remembers him at the ‘Worlds’ when held at Castle Howard, North Yorks in 1977. Weaving a one man basket on site during the week, which we tethered under N8295 a Boland Ax-3 “King Fred” at Latimer after the event. Condolences to long term partner Tina Foster and all the homebuilders who have benefited from Brian’s generous help over many years.