October 1 traditionally marks the start of the annual ‘Great British Long Jump’. It is an event which started in 1984 and has been popular amongst balloon pilots and crews ever since.
It was after the final event of the ‘show circuit’ in the 1980s that Robin Batchelor looked back over a busy season of commercial flights with several other pilots and crews where they usually flew out of the main arena at the many agricultural shows throughout the British Isles and landed in a show car park, or soon after, and went off for breakfast.
The shows were held between May and September, the Newbury Show being the last, and it was at this show that Robin threw down a gauntlet to the other pilots to encourage them to fly as far as they could in one single flight on any day in October when it was often possible to fly all day without worrying about the Autumn sun creating thermals.
The plan was to watch the weather closely and wait for a wind that would blow a decent distance on a route not affected by controlled airspace. Inevitably there was a competitive element and the late Anthony Smith agreed to act as judge, ably assisted by Giles Camplin, and at the end of October he would bully the pilots to write a report so they could all be bound together as a record of all the flights. The person who flew the furthest won a prize, but you know balloon pilots, it was the glory that they competed for !
The inaugural event in 1984 was won by Ian Jones with a flight of 136 miles – much more fun than a quick hop out of a showground and down into a car park.
Tim Woodbridge and ‘Spider Anderson’ won in 1985 with a flight of 115 miles from Marlow to Shrewsbury and made memorable by a beautifully illustrated and detailed report and it is the reports that were published every year that make this event so enjoyable. And informative. Mike Moore managed 12 miles in a 210 !
The 200 mile distance was finally broken in 1990 with a flight of 254 miles by Giles Lantos and Dave Boxall and the next seven years ( bar 1992) all saw flights of 200 miles plus.
Then in 2000 Mile Forster triumphantly cracked the elusive 300 mile figure with a flight of 303 miles.
And so it goes on with some years attracting as many as twenty entrants, whereas recent years have seen the numbers of entries dwindle. But the event continues to successfully satisfy that desire amongst many pilots to make a flight just that bit more challenging than the usual hour or so in their home patch. It is pleasing to read the same sentiments in all reports….” Great Fun. Definitely try harder next year.”
In 2020 David Bareford and Jona White flew a 105 from Dunfries and Galloway to South Devon in 9 hours 50 minutes covering 338 miles! The furthest distance achieved since the start of The Long Jump. You can read their report HERE.
More information and history HERE.
