Aerosaurus Balloon Flight in East Devon

Jenny Chris and Liz gave me a balloon flight for my 60th birthday. After a few false starts due to bad weather luck found us North of Tiverton on a fine dry evening in mid September. The little black weather balloon released at the first field indicated a strongish wind heading too near too the coast for comfort. But a little further North another balloon indicated a track due east, which was fine.

Here the balloon is being inflated and the assistants, who are just cleating together the top, can be seen dwarfed by the canopy .

My job was to hold onto one of the two top ropes to stop the canopy drifting about. Little chance - its got several tons of air in it by this time.

Eventually, with the light fading we are all aboard and our lady driver

gets us on our way.

Strangely quiet most of the time, interspersed with short burst of roaring as the burner is lit. The balloon had a number of different burners 

Holding the colourful canopy aloft

Included is one "quiet" burner for when overflying livestock. It was obviously not quiet enough as all the animals we saw rapidly took to the opposite corners of their fields.

All, that is, except one flock of sheep who were each following the one in front. The only problem being that they had arranged themselves around a field edge which had two gates and there was no leader. So presumably they would go on going round and round forever!!

Drifting along in the evening sun we watch as our shadow make its way across the countryside.

disturbing people out having BBQ's in their back gardens . We come across Knigtshayes Court,

A  National Trust property with wonderfully laid out park and gardens.

All too soon the sun is setting

And we land in the gloom in a field seemingly not much bigger than the balloon itself and await the retrieval vehicles.

And later we are presented with the official photograph from the trip. No doubting who the operators were.

Great fun.