The BBM&L had a successful Midlands Air Festival event. Sadly, the weather was windy, which restricted the flying slots to Friday evening, for the more experienced pilots, and Saturday morning when more than 100 balloons took off. What a gorgeous spectacle for the unusually large crowd for a morning launch, their early start paid off. […]
Midlands Air Festival 2025 Read More »
We have recently been donated a sand bag from Jasper Tomlinson via Giles Camplin both of whom worked with Anthony Smith on his gas balloon adventures with that legendary balloon ‘JAMBO’. This is no ordinary sand bag though because it was carried by the Belgian team of Phillipe Quersin and Martial van Schelle on their
Sand bag from 1930s Gordon Bennett balloon race Read More »
A new attempt to fly a balloon across the Atlantic Ocean is being prepared in Presque Isle, Maine. The same team made a gallant attempt last year and after a perfect start they learned, after some hours flying, a change in the weather forecast meant they would not have sufficient ballast to safely cross the
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The annual BBM&L AGM lunch was a great success with a healthy number of people joining us at a new venue which proved popular. A big thank you to Jenni for organising it all. The speaker this year was David Bareford who is perhaps best known for his passion for competition ballooning but he opened
AGM, lunch, speaker, auction and raffle Read More »
The Courier d’Avignon, dated October 28, confirms these facts: “From Paris, October 18: Here are the details announced last week for Mr. Montgolfer’s experiment. The calm weather for the last 7 or 8 days has allowed them to be multiplied. Mr. Montgolfer himself has risen on several occasions with Mr. Pilatre de Rozier and a
Who was the first to fly? Read More »
The county’s first hydrogen balloon flight has been recreated by aviation enthusiasts on its 240th anniversary. Father of immunology Edward Jenner took to the skies from the Inner Keep at Berkeley Castle at 14.00 on 2 September 1784. Project manager John Hamblett, of Cotswold Aviation Restoration Group, was able to create a replica of Dr
Dr. Jenner’s balloon flight replicated 240 years on Read More »
A busy period came to an end for the BBM&L crews over the weekend of 17 August, with the most recent inflation being undertaken by Neil Ivison by inflating the Ikea Special Shape 120 on behalf of the Museum – this requires plenty of help to get out of the bag and then pack away!
Northampton Balloon Festival Read More »
The wind is blowing a hoolie outside so to time to remember calmer winds and in particular the Old Buckenham Harvest Balloon Festival held recently where the BBM&L were invited to bring some of the museum balloons. Museum secretary Tim Turner was there and writes… “Martyn Turner & Damian Busby did both night glows –
Old Buckenham Harvest Balloon Festival Read More »
Aerospace Bristol and Cameron Balloons present this exciting new exhibition, at Aerospace Bristol from 24 July until Sunday 1 September with help from the British Balloon Museum & Library. ‘Look Up! The Story of Hot Air Ballooning in Bristol’ will showcase balloons, baskets, burners, and balloon-themed activities, alongside the last Concorde to ever fly. From Britain’s first
Look Up ! The story of hot air ballooning in Bristol Read More »
On 9th July in 1967, the first UK modern hot air balloon, the Bristol Belle, took her maiden flight at Weston-on-the-Green, Oxon. After becoming inspired by American engineer Ed Yost’s modern hot air balloon via a copy of National Geographic magazine, Don Cameron, along with a team of Bristol Gliding Club friends, came up with
Bristol Belle maiden flight 1967 Read More »
